Salt Spring Island Mead Company (SSI Mead Co.)

Salt Spring Island Mead Company, based at Mystica Farm & Apiary, is a true farm-fermented meadery where the honey and much of the fruit come straight from the island. The lineup splits into two camps: easy-drinking session meads, lighter in alcohol and built around bright flavours like soured cherry and apple, and richer show meads, dessert-style honey wines that lean into fruit-infused depth, such as a blackberry honey wine. Rare BC honeys and 100% BC fruit are the foundation, giving these meads a genuine sense of place and a craft, small-batch character throughout.

This is an intimate, appointment-only experience rather than a drop-in tasting room, which is part of its appeal. Booking ahead means a private, unhurried tasting and a chance to talk through how mead is made, from honey and fruit to bottle, in the calm of a working farm and apiary. For visitors curious about mead, an ancient drink enjoying a modern revival, it is an ideal introduction.

Salt Spring Island is the cultural heart of the Gulf Islands and a magnet for food and drink lovers, and SSI Mead Co. fits right into a day spent chasing local farms, cheese makers, and the celebrated Ganges market. Because tastings run seasonally and by reservation, with the meadery reopening for the warmer months, planning ahead is essential, but the reward is a personal welcome you simply will not get at a busier stop. Popular bottles do sell out, a reflection of just how small and hand-crafted the production is. If you want to understand what makes BC honey and island fruit special, a thoughtfully booked visit here is well worth the effort.