River & Timber

For a long time, I have enjoyed making my own wine. In my early 20’s, I first tried using bread yeast and a can of grape-juice concentrate – the frozen kind, shaken together in an empty milk jug. It was less than okay, but I did cut most corners of the process. A few years later, I took a swing at mead. The process is very similar, sugar plus yeast equals alcohol. Since then, I’ve made a few batches but had always felt like an outlier. Mead has its role in the mainstream, but show me a movie outside of a Nordic setting where the characters enjoy a glass of mead.

Imagine my enjoyment, when I stumbled upon a store filled with golden bottles of mead at Kalama’s Mountain Timber Market. Despite its small footprint, the tasting room is hard to leave – once you step in, the hum of the market almost entirely disappears due to the purposely sound-dampening layout of the room. A robust bookshelf not only acts as a wall, but provides visitors the chance to peruse while enjoying their honey wine.

Silver Cat Farms is a growing business that is bringing the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage to the dinner table. Owned and operated by Antony, the winery is modest but artisanal, and every step is deliberate in delivering a uniquely delicious product. See for yourself how each bottle passes through the hands of a passionate maker.

Silver Cat Farms can be reached online at their website or their Tasting Room at the Mountain Timber Market in Kalama, WA.