Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Wiltz.
Hi Chad, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I discovered mead about a decade ago. A friend shared a bottle with me that he had picked up in his travels and it positively blew my mind.
I had to have more, so I tracked down individuals who made it and tried to buy more. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to ship which meant I was out of luck.
Turns out, the individual actually wrote a book on how to make mead. So I got a copy and decided to try my hand at making my own. One batch turned into two, and the next thing you know we had made a few dozen. Giving the bottles away to friends.
By 2014-15, we found ourselves being invited to festivals and other events. We always felt like a bit of a novelty act; however, with some degree of frequency people would ask where they could buy our products. Of course, we had to tell them that they are not for sale. It was just a hobby.
So an idea was born. We decided that we would open a very small Meadery and make it a passion project. We would keep our day jobs and do mead-making on the side.
So we started exploring the cost of such an operation and quickly came to the realization that we did not have nearly enough money to make that happen.
So we turned to the Internet and crowdfunding. At the time there had been a few crowdfunding campaigns for businesses similar to ours. If be honest, most made very little money. So our hopes were not very high.
As it turned out, we generated nearly $100K. The largest crowdfunding campaign for a Meadery in history.
Much of this came from family, friends, and people who had encountered our products and believed in us. To say we were shocked is an understatement.
Being believers in fate and destiny, we decided that we would dive in face first. The people had spoken. The Meadery would be our primary focus.
With absolutely no entrepreneurial or professional wine-making experience I left the workforce in 2016 and opened Garagiste Meadery in 2017.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Transitioning from hobby winemaking to the commercial level is full of its own challenges. Zoning and permitting a honey-based winery was just the start. We didn’t know it at the time; but, we were building the first-ever winery inside the City Limits of Tampa.
Sourcing ingredients in large volumes is an ever-present challenge. Our primary ingredient is honey. Honeybees and honey production face their own issues. Honeybees are threatened which directly impacts our ability to make products.
I don’t think any new business plan includes a two-year global pandemic only two years after opening. Then followed by absolutely crushing inflation.
It hasn’t been easy, one of the hardest things to watch over the past few years is the number of friends and other businesses who didn’t make it.
We’ve been impressed with Garagiste Meadery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Garagiste Meadery was founded in 2017 in Tampa, Florida.
We specialize in a single type of beverage. It happens to be the oldest and most historic form of an alcoholic beverage on the planet.
Mead is made by fermenting honey, along with a variety of different herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, and otherwise.
The wines are available in a tremendous variety of flavors, strengths, and sweetness. Each is made with all-natural ingredients and is totally gluten-free.
All made by hand right here in Tampa, Florida.
Our products are internationally recognized. Having won many international medals in competitions.
Our products are currently for sale in 42 States, the UK, the EU, and Asian markets.
Any big plans?
Our plan has always been to grow organically. Don’t force it.
Mead is certainly seeing a bit of a renaissance right now. When we opened up our business a little more than five years ago, there were less than 200 Meaderies in the United States. That number is now closer to 1,000.
Contact Info:
- Website: GaragisteMeadery.com
- Instagram: @garagistemeadery
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100048914545019/
