Flagstaff, Arizona · Independently verified, merit-based, not a popularity contest.
Last reviewed 2026-06-03
Drinking Horn Meadery is the 2026 Centurion Award winner for Best Meadery in Flagstaff, Arizona. Independently verified and selected by published criteria. Last reviewed 2026-06-03.
Flagstaff drinks well for a mountain town. At 7,000 feet, where Route 66 cuts through downtown and the night sky is dark enough to be certified, a tight-knit scene of brewers and mead-makers turns local honey and mountain water into some of Northern Arizona's most distinctive pours.
These are the 2026 Centurion Award winners for breweries and meaderies in Flagstaff — selected on a published, merit-based methodology and independently verified, not voted up in a popularity poll.
Perched at 7,000 feet in the Ponderosa pines, Flagstaff pairs Route 66 history with one of Arizona's most spirited small-batch drinking scenes — a high-country mountain town where local honey, mountain water and a certified Dark-Sky night make for a craft-beverage culture all its own.
How winners are verified. Every Centurion Award winner is independently verified before selection — we confirm how long the business has operated, the depth and authenticity of its reviews across platforms, its local ownership and standing, and its recognition in the wider market. No business pays to be considered, and the full process is published. Read the qualification process →
Why it won: Flagstaff's award-winning meadery — Mazer Cup and Valkyrie's Horn gold medals, a decade of small-batch mead from local honey, and a downtown Mead Hall that's become a community fixture.
★★★★★4.9Restaurant Guru · 449 reviews
Drinking Horn was born in the Flagstaff pines in 2014, when Evan — a fish biologist from a family of beekeepers — brewed thirty gallons of mead in five flavors for his and Kelly's wedding. The party drained every drop and barely touched the beer, which felt like a sign (the word “honeymoon,” after all, traces back to mead). A turn on Guy Fieri's Food Network show six months in turned a quiet wholesale plan into a downtown taproom, and Whole Foods shelves within the month.
Today the Mead Hall on Route 66 pours around twenty-five small-batch meads made from all-natural, locally sourced honey — traditional and spiced metheglins, bright fruit meads, and seasonal one-offs — in a warm, wood-and-honey room built for board games, weddings and slow high-country afternoons. The ethos is right there on the glass: Live Simply, Drink Simply, with a genuine devotion to the bees behind every bottle.
Highlights
Gold Medal — Mazer Cup International, the world's largest mead competition
Gold Medals — Valkyrie's Horn (Metheglin and Lemon-Raspberry meads)
~25 small-batch meads made from all-natural, locally sourced honey
Featured on Guy Fieri's Food Network show
Mead Hall opened 2020 — a downtown Route 66 taproom & community space
Stocked in Whole Foods; locally owned since 2014
Tours offered
Mead Hall taproom: Flights and pours of ~25 rotating small-batch meads on Route 66.
Traditional & Metheglin meads: Classic honey and spiced meads, including a gold-medal metheglin.
Fruit meads: Including the gold-medal Lemon-Raspberry.
Online mead shop: Order bottles online and find stockists via Find Mead Near You.
Private events & weddings: The Mead Hall hosts weddings, game nights and gatherings.
Verification at a glance
✔ Independently verifiedOperating since 2014
Gold Medal — Mazer Cup International (world's largest mead competition)
4.9★ on Restaurant Guru (449 reviews); 140+ reviews on Yelp
Listed on Discover Flagstaff (official DMO) & the Flagstaff Chamber
Stocked in Whole Foods; small-batch and locally owned since 2014
Mr. Centurion says“Mead is the oldest libation in civilized company, and Flagstaff keeps it in worthy hands. Gold from the Mazer Cup, honey from local hives, and a hall where strangers leave as friends — Drinking Horn has more than earned its horn.”
Drinking Horn Meadery is the 2026 Centurion Award winner for Best Meadery in Flagstaff. It pours around 25 small-batch meads from locally sourced honey, has won gold at the Mazer Cup International and Valkyrie's Horn competitions, and runs a downtown Mead Hall on Route 66.
Is Drinking Horn Meadery worth visiting?
Yes — it holds a 4.9★ aggregate (449 reviews on Restaurant Guru, 140+ on Yelp), was featured on Guy Fieri's Food Network show, and offers about 25 rotating small-batch meads in a welcoming Mead Hall built for flights, board games and gatherings. It's locally owned and has operated since 2014.
How are Centurion Award winners chosen?
Winners are selected on a published, merit-based methodology and independently verified — we confirm operating history, the authenticity and volume of reviews across platforms, local ownership and standing, and wider market recognition. No business pays to be considered. It is an award, not a popularity contest.
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The Centurion Awards recognize verified excellence in every market, selected by published criteria.
Winner 2026Best Meadery