ABOUT US
St. Ambrose Cellars
Crafting Mead with Passion
St. Ambrose Cellars grew out of more than 45 years of beekeeping, honey harvesting, and a fascination with everything that can be created from honey. Kirk and Sharon Jones began keeping bees in the late 1970s, building what would become Sleeping Bear Farms and harvesting honey in both Northern Michigan and the Florida Panhandle.
After years of experimenting with meadmaking at home, they decided to take that passion a step further. In the early 2010s, St. Ambrose Cellars was born in Beulah, Michigan, with a focus on creating meads that showcased the honey they had spent decades producing. Traditional still meads soon shared the lineup with something a little different: lightly carbonated draft-style meads and cysers made with fruit, spices, apples, and other ingredients. That approach has become a signature of St. Ambrose, offering a fresh and approachable take on one of the world’s oldest fermented beverages.
Today, St. Ambrose is about much more than what is in the glass. Our property has become a gathering place for Northern Michigan, with live music throughout the year, special events, food, and plenty of room to spend an afternoon or evening with friends. During the warmer months, musicians take the stage on the lawn and in our big red barn, creating a laid-back setting where you can enjoy a mead or beer while listening to artists from around Michigan and beyond.
If you feel like exploring a little farther, head behind the taproom and you’ll find our 18-hole disc golf course winding through the property. What began as a nine-hole course in 2017 has grown into a full 18-hole layout thanks in part to the enthusiasm and help of our local disc golf community. The course is open to both regular players and anyone who simply wants to give the game a try.
At the heart of it all is still the honey. The majority of our meads are made with Star Thistle Honey harvested by the beekeepers at Sleeping Bear Farms here in Northern Michigan, while select meads feature prized Tupelo Honey gathered by our Florida beekeeping operation. From hive to glass, that connection to the bees is what ties everything together.
Whether you come for the mead, the beer, the music, the food, the disc golf, or just an afternoon on the lawn, St. Ambrose Cellars is a place built around good drinks, good company, and the honey that started it all.