A Part of the Pittsboro Community Since 2010 and Racking Up the Awards

Starrlight Mead, NC oldest meadery, opened in Pittsboro at the Chatham Mill in September of 2010. By 2014, we were starting to outgrow the space and started planning for a new location. At the end of October 2018, we moved into our new, much larger, location at The Plant and helped create the Chatham Beverage District. Now we have more room for events, mead club parties, and hanging out with friends.

Scroll down to see our community involvement and awards

Community Love

We try to share our good fortune with the community as we can. We regularly support these great non-profits:
Carolina Tiger Rescue - Saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild through rescue and education.
Pretty in Pink Foundation - Providing uninsured and under-insured breast cancer patients in North Carolina with financial assistance for quality, life-saving medical treatment.
CLAWS, Inc - Helping wild and exotic animals, through educating the public as well as rescuing and rehabilitating those animals in need.
Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill - Caring for families in life-altering moments, days and months that children spend in area hospitals.
Chatham Artists Guild - Connecting artists and the community for over 30 years.
And many others - United Way of Chatham County; Orange, Durham and Chatham County Arts Councils; and the NC Botanical Gardens.

Starrlight Mead Awards and Honors

2025 - Gold Medal - Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition - Mesquite Traditional

Silver Medals - Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition - Spiced Apple

Bronze Medals - Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition - Off-dry Traditional

2024 - Gold Medal - NC Mead and Cider Competition - Blueberry Off-dry

Silver Medals - NC Mead and Cider Competition - Chamomile Herbal, Peach, &

Barrel Aged Trad

Bronze Medals - American Wine Society - Cranberry Orange & Kickin’ Cranberry Orange

2023 - Double Gold Medal - American Wine Society Competition- Gallberry Blossom Traditional

Silver Medals - NC Wine Competition - Gallberry Blossom Traditional, Cloer Pyment &

Lavender Herbal

Silver Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Cloer Pyment

Bronze Medal - Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition - Gallberry Blossom Traditional

2022 - Best in Show/Double Gold Medal- NC Mead, Cider, & Fruit Competition - Spiced Apple

Bronze Medals - Finger Lakes International - Blueberry Off-dry, Ebling Reserve, &

S'more Wildfoam

Bronze Medals - Honey Board Mead Crafters Competition - Blueberry & Apricot Off-dries

Best in the Triangle - Finalist, Locally Made Mead - Indy Weekly

2021 - Gold Medals - Finger Lakes International - Honeyed Blackberry & Chai Herbal

Silver Medal - NC Mead, Cider, and Fruit Competition - Chamomile Herbal

Bronze Medal - NC Mead, Cider, and Fruit Competition - Blackberry Off-dry

Reader’s Favorite Local Craft Beverage - Chatham Magazine

2019 - Double Gold Medal - Finger Lakes International - Wildfoam Traditional

Gold Medal - Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition - Ginger Herbal

Silver Medals - Finger Lakes International - Nordic Blend Herbal & Gallberry Traditional

Silver Medal - Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition - Honeyed Blackberry

Bronze Medal - Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition - Off-dry Pear

Bronze Medal - American Wine Society Coemption - Blackberry Off-dry & Nordic Blend

Reader’s Favorite Local Craft Beverage - Chatham Magazine

Best in the Triangle - Finalist, Locally Made Wine, Cider or Mead - Indy Weekly

2018 - Best in the Triangle - Finalist, Locally Made Wine, Cider or Mead - Indy Weekly

Bronze Medals - Finger Lakes International- Blackberry Off-dry, Nordic Blend Herbal,

Sourwood Traditional, & Gallberry Traditional

2017 - Gold Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Pomegranate Pink Peppercorn

Silver Medal - Finger Lakes International - Off-dry Pear

Silver Medals - NC State Fair Wine Competition - Off-dry & Sourwood Traditionals

Silver Medals - Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Comp - Spiced Apple & Sourwood Trad

Silver Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Honeyed Aromatic Roast           

Bronze Medals - Finger Lakes International - Off-dry & Sourwood Traditionals

Bronze Medals - Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Comp- Off-dry Traditional & Off-dry Pear

Best in Triangle 2017 - Locally Made Wine - Indy Weekly (inaugural year for category)

Small Business of the Year - Chatham Chamber of Commerce

2016 - Gold Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Sourwood Traditional

Bronze Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Off-dry Pear

2015 - Double Gold Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Semi-sweet Traditional

Best in Class - Meads - American Wine Society Competition - Semi-sweet Traditional

Silver Medal - Finger Lakes International - Pomegranate Pink Peppercorn

Silver Medal - Finger Lakes International - Semi-sweet Traditional

Silver Medal - American Wine Society Competition - Spiced Apple

Bronze Medal - NC State Fair Wine Competition - Off-dry Traditional

2014 - Bronze Medal - Finger Lakes International - Pomegranate Pink Peppercorn

2012 - Bronze Medal - Mazer Cup International - Off-dry Traditional