Nectar Creek Meadery in Philomath, OR

The mead industry took a big hit last fall when one of the industry leaders Nectar Creek Meadery closed up shop in Philomath, Oregon. Now 2 Towns Ciderhouse --Oregon's largest cidery-- is reviving Nectar Creek and their award-winning and innovative session meads.

As part of the partnership, 2 Towns will be producing Nectar Creek’s mead in its facility in Corvallis, Oregon. Additionally, Nectar Creek’s Co-Founder, Phil Lorenz, has joined the team as brand manager.

More from a press release:

“Phil and I have known each other since we were in preschool,” said Lee Larsen, 2 Towns’ Co-Founder & CEO. “We grew up in the Willamette Valley, and together learned not only how to appreciate good craft beverages, but how to make them as well. Both companies have had close relationships from the beginning, sharing production materials and packaging lines as we were just starting out. The opportunity to work together is a dream. We are extremely excited to make sure Nectar Creek keeps making awesome mead.”

Top Bar from Nectar Creek

The two craft beverage startups' histories have been closely tied since their founding, with Nectar Creek initially occupying 2 Towns' original production facility, which had been a former taxi garage outfitted with modest brewing equipment. With similar equipment needs and industry learning curves, the two companies often leaned on one another to thrive in the extremely competitive craft market. That spirit of collaboration is what eventually led to the recent acquisition.

"As competition within the alcohol industry increased, our business struggled as a result of many factors," said Phil Lorenz. "Despite having a beloved product with a loyal fanbase, we just couldn't make it work at our scale, and unfortunately had to close our doors at the end of 2019. Our communication with the 2 Towns' team continued through that challenging time, as they tried to help us find a way to make it work. Ultimately we found a way to leverage the skills and equipment that 2 Towns has to revive the Nectar Creek brand and make mead again."

The much-loved meadery will be doing a soft re-launch in July 2020, with two classic offerings: Top Bar (Coffee) and Nectarade (Lemon Lime). Both will come in 500 mL bottles with an MSRP of $6.99 and will be made available exclusively through 2 Towns’ Corvallis tap room and their local delivery program throughout the Willamette Valley. A full-scale launch in 6-pack cans will take place starting in September 2020 through 2 Towns’ distribution network.

In August, the offerings will expand to 3 mead varieties: Top Bar, Nectarade, and Cluster (Strawberry-Hibiscus). Each mead will be sold in 6-packs of 375 mL cans for an MSRP of $13.99.

The recipes and flavor profiles will remain very familiar to die-hard fans but the ABV has increased to 8% for all the meads and the packaging design is getting a refresh.

“I am humbled to join 2 Towns as a team member,” said Phil Lorenz, “and I look forward to working with the great folks here to continue making mead. Nectar Creek was built by the hard work of many dedicated people and I cannot wait to keep the legacy going in a new environment.”

At this time the Nectar Creek tap room in Philomath will not be reopening, but the team is looking at possibilities for future endeavors.

Utilizing 2 Towns’ distribution network, Nectar Creek will be available in 375 mL 6-packs, 1⁄2 barrels, and 1⁄6 barrels.

For more information on Nectar Creek, please visit www.nectarcreek.com.

About 2 Towns Ciderhouse

At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and the enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider. For more information on 2 Towns Ciderhouse, visit www.2townsciderhouse.com.

About Nectar Creek

Founded in 2012, Nectar Creek makes meads using unfiltered honey. Their offerings include a wide variety of lightly carbonated meads. As one of the leaders of the resurgence of the mead category, Nectar Creek’s products have been helping bring this age-old beverage into the mainstream. To learn more about the company, track their progress, and see where you can pick up a bottle off the shelf, visit NectarCreek.com, or follow them on social media.