Kinsale Mead Co Tour: Discover Ireland's Honey and Mead Making History
5.0
157 Ratings
Kinsale

Join us on a one-hour tour of Kinsale Mead Co and discover the fascinating history of mead making in Ireland. Taste our delicious mead and learn all about the art of mead production.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • P17 XV10 - About Kinsale Meads | Light and Refreshing | Fermented Off dry (12% ABV)
    Myths & Legends | The evolution of mead through history | Stories about Myths, Legends & Kings in Ireland
    Bee Judgments & Honey Tasting | Ancient Irish Bee Laws | Tasting of 3 unique raw honeys | Learn about all about bees, honey & biodiversity |
    Bee to Bottle |…
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What's Included
  • Free car parking next to the meadery
  • Alcoholic beverages
Meal Options
  • Selection of Kinsale Mead Co.’s award winning meads - A guided tasting of our award winning meads will conclude the tour.
Additional Information

Join our delightful one-hour tour and embark on a journey through the rich history of mead. The tales of mead and honey span thousands of years and are deeply connected with Ireland’s myths and legends. Sample the honey used in crafting our exquisite mead. Discover the fascinating process of mead-making. Delight in a guided tasting of this uniquely…

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Location
P17 XV10
Walking - Leave Kinsale Tourist Office right, take a right and right again. Left up Featherbed Lane, first right, in 50m up the steps/ramp, through the gates, past the Post office. Driving - Turn at the Garage, follow the road over the small roundabout, past Lidl, through the gates - free parking.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(157 Ratings)
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Cheerssacramento
Jan 7, 2026
Best Mead is in Kinsale!! - We had a lovely mead tasting at Kinsale Mead Company. Tasting costs €12 per person. The four varieties were ALL excellent and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and friendly about the immediate and far regions. We were hard pressed to decide which ones to walk away with. Lol. Such a dilemma to have. We live here now so we walked out with 2 of our favorites and will be back for more. I highly recommend Kinsale Mead Company. We had our first glass at a local pub and that’s why we knew we had to go directly to the actual company for a tasting!
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Mariy909
Nov 7, 2025
A must experience! - This intimate tour was perfect! The right blend of educational, fun, and hand on that we look for in a tour. It was a comfortable homey setting and the staff made us feel truly welcome. Plus, the mead was delicious!
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Sylviabchoi
Oct 31, 2025
First and only meadery in Ireland! Great tasting. - What a fun afternoon activity! Zara was a lovely host who told us all about the history of mead and the saints with some cheeky humor. We started the tour with a small mulled mead and then had the signature range (Wild red, Atlantic dry, Hazy summer), plus an extra pour of what was available - the Merlot and the Dark forest honey mead. We also got to walk through the meadery, with the barrels where they ferment the mead and process it. We also tried some honey, and got to taste from a special barrel of local honey. They also offer WiFi, and have one restroom in their tasting room, which has a counter with four high stools as well as four small tasting tables with stools. The bottle are so beautiful and great for gifting (there is a 3 mini sample set) and they sell the plastic air bubble packaging to protect your precious bottles for transport for only 2 euros. It’s a little tricky to find at first, but it’s at the end of the building by the fence next to Lidl, by a vet. We highly recommend visiting the only mead producer in Ireland! They’re also sustainably-minded and Origin Green certified.
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Sorchaspud
Oct 29, 2025
Fun tour for all the family - We were a large family group & enjoyed learning about the history of mead & the taste testing. Zara was an entertaining tour guide and great with my son who kept interrupting her to ask questions (we are working on this!). The mead was delicious & loved learning about the Saints in Ireland. This was great for age 8 to 80, which was the age range of our group! The kids coloured in & enjoyed hearing the old Irish stories and tasting the honey. If I were to give a small bit of constructive feedback, it would be that the 'Irish love drinking' rhetoric is a bit clichéd for an Irish audience. Otherwise a great tour.
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Caroline
Oct 24, 2025
Absolutely terrific tour! - Zara was brilliant!! I usually struggle to stay engaged on tours, but it was fascinating and the mead was delicious (far better than any I’ve tasted in the UK!)
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932natez
Oct 21, 2025
Wonderful Experience -- Thank You Kinsale Mead Co. - My wife and I were fortunate to come across Kinsale Mead Co. as part of an optional excursion with Vagabond/Driftwood Tours (thank you to Eamonn, our wonderful guide for encouraging us to go). We participated in a tour of the facility and were presented with an excellent history of mead in general, but also specific to Ireland. Then on to the tasting! Now, I've tried many, many types of alcohol in my life, but never mead. Let me tell you that few drinks are as smooth as mead. It is sneaky -- at 12% or 13% alcohol by volume (depending on which flavor), you'd think that you would certainly taste the alcohol, but no. So delicious and easy to drink. Naturally, we had to buy a couple bottles of our favorites that we sampled, which for us were the Wild Red Mead and the Hazy Summer Mead, but really they were all delicious. Kate Dempsey was well prepared and of course had padded bottle protectors for our flight home, so no worries there. The bottles arrived home safe and sound. A big thank you to Kate and Denis for your warmth, your hospitality, and your excellent mead. If you're reading this and you have the opportunity to travel to Kinsale, make sure to add this stop to your trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Getaway536426
Oct 17, 2025
Must Do Activity While in Kinsale - We had a fantastic time touring the facility and learning the history of bee keeping and mead making in Ireland. The mead was amazing. We purchased a bottle to bring home and wish we could have some shipped to the US! This was the best mead I have ever tasted!
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Kathleenmd9259au
Oct 5, 2025
Excellent! - The most education and delicious! Kate & Denise are lovely! The MEADE was magnificent! Coming BACK! Fabulous experience.
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Emiirishman
Oct 1, 2025
It was really worth it! That's a good idea. - Intrigued by this drink of which we have always heard so much but which we had never had the chance to come across. What better occasion being on vacation not far from Kinsale? The explanations provided by Denis, the very nice and affable owner, and the small following tour made us take a dip in this unusual reality in our latitudes. And then bees, a precious asset that we must preserve! It was worth it, thanks Denis, proud Corkman! Greetings from Lara and Emiliano, from Lake Como, Italy.
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Matthi9378ot
Sep 28, 2025
Worth it! - Zara was very funny and informative. She kept us captivated with the history and making Meade. Be aware the Meade is so good you will want to take one of every type home with you.
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Check Availability
From $29
From $29
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).