Perched at one end of the Small Carpathian hills—a range of hills that runs east from Bratislava, Slovakia—a fairytale castle looks down upon the plains below. The surrounding oak and beech forest is broken only by the extensive meadows that lay below the castle. In spring, linden trees along the road fill the air with their honey scented blossoms; in winter, children gather to go sledding (when fortunate enough to have snow). A princess petting a unicorn in the summer breeze would not look out of place.

At the foot of the hill is a building of stone and wood, large glass windows overlaid with iron hexagons. Upon entering the store, you are immediately enveloped in the sweet, warm scent of honey and beeswax. This blend of old (stone) and new (glass), art (iron) and nature (wood) is, in fact, symbolic of Včelovina, a small-scale meadery located in Smolenice, Slovakia.

Včelovina started with three boys in elementary school who took up beekeeping in their backyards as a hobby. Though life took them through different paths, they eventually came together again over a shared love of bees—and of course mead.

Mead, or honey wine, is arguably the oldest alcoholic beverage around and has a long history in Slovakia. The basics are simple: honey, water, and time. As beekeeping faces more obstacles, from predators and pesticides to climate change and change of flora, mead is again rising in interest and popularity.

Places like Včelovina are one reason why. The company combines incredible products with a sense of hospitality, experience, and place. Sustainable practices are not just a marketing tool as the bees they depend on in turn depend on a clean environment; sustainability is woven into the very fabric of the company.

The first building on the premises, the main store, is a 200-year-old dilapidated barn that they preserved, though bulldozing it and building new would have been easier. Abundant flower gardens, dotted with traditional beehives and iron sculptures, grow along wandering pathways with signs educating visitors about bees, plants, and honey. With time came the actual meadery where the magic happens, which before had been located in a rented warehouse. A cafe with a green roof followed, and a large outbuilding for events.

Visitors to Včelovina can enjoy a tour of the meadery, set up to be both functional and atmospheric. Of note is the barrel wall where they are experimenting with ageing mead in barrels from different kinds of spirits. Children are led around the garden on educational walks about bees and beekeeping while parents can sip their drinks (adult or otherwise) under the scenery of the castle and forest. The site also hosts special events, such as Medokvas, meaning honey yeast, and Christmas Night Lights, truly a magical winter atmosphere.

The company developed their flagship mead called Včelovina, which means bee-wine in Slovak, differing from other meads in that they use three types of honey, ferment at lower temperatures, and use a particular kind of yeast. Včelovina Special especially is a unique mead. First, the three types of honey are mixed with a variety of herbs and spices, and after the fermentation period it ages for six months in oak barrels, gaining wood notes and a unique taste via micro-oxidation.

The Honeycraft mead line is made with traditional recipes, with one type of honey and the addition of herbs, spices, or fruit. Over the years they have added Medobeer (beer fermented with honey), honey ciders and even Medovica, a honey distillate.

Due to their attention to detail in production and taste, their products have come back from international competitions with many awards. In fact, their meads have been chosen as the Best Mead in the World twice by the Apimondia Congress, held by the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations every two years. Včelovina Special won in 2013 and Honeycraft Classic Mead in 2019.

For Stan Harciník, their meads have a signature waxy-like texture, which is unique among Slovak meads. In fact, the meadery is one of his favourite places to take guests. “I enjoy showing international guests something they are not expecting, that Slovakia really produces one of the best honey wines around. The bonus is that the whole production is located in a very well executed area, where we can show them not only typical local fruits, flowers, and trees but also share knowledge about bees and the local region.”

You can learn more about Včelovina on their website, which includes an e-shop, and of course visit them in person in Smolenice, Slovakia.

Včelovina: Golden Liquid of Alcohol History

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