TRIBUTE™
The Cemetery Mead
A Legacy Bottled. A Story Preserved. A Toast to Those Who Came Before.
The Story Behind Tribute
Three years ago a fallen cemetery oak revealed a hidden colony deep within its trunk. More than fifteen feet of comb filled the hollow heart of the tree. The honey harvested from that hive was dark, rich, and unlike any honey we had worked with before.
Using only honey, water, and yeast, we created a traditional mead and allowed it to mature for three years in oak barrels. The result is Tribute: a 16% traditional mead created from a single extraordinary source and released in an edition of only twenty-six bottles.
“… The initial smell of this mead was such a surprise, immediately hit with a dark rooty sweet note that has a smokey after smell that sticks with you for a second. The major note i experienced was a sweet earthy almost berry note is the best i can describe it as. The first taste was as smooth as any whiskey or malt that I've ever experienced.”
- Austin, 2026 Tasting of Tribute
A Living Tradition
Long before modern wineries and commercial breweries existed, mead was created to mark the moments that mattered most.
It was shared at weddings, victories, harvests, births, funerals, and gatherings where families remembered those who had gone before them.
At Vinland Meads, we strive to continue that tradition.
We believe mead is more than a beverage. It is a vessel for stories. A way to preserve memory. A way to gather around a table and remember the people whose lives shaped our own.
Tribute was crafted in that spirit.
Not simply to be consumed, but to be shared.
Not simply to be collected, but to be remembered.
Bee Extraction of the Cemetery Bee’s
Purchasing a Bottle
Tribute is not available through online checkout.
Collectors interested in acquiring a bottle are encouraged to contact Vinland Meads directly.
While bottles may be eligible for shipment where legally permitted, all purchases are handled individually and discussed directly with prospective owners.
To Inquire About Purchasing
Phone: (903) 484-6018
Contact Form Button:
Discuss Bottle Ownership
The Bottle Registry
Every bottle of Tribute carries its own history. It’s Price Doubles for each bottle that is sold.
Bottle #1
Owner: Cecil White
Sale Price: $200
Cecil White became the first steward of Tribute and established the opening price of the collection.
Bottle #2
Owner: Josh Crim
Bottle #3
Status: Donated to Charity
Bottle #3 was gifted to support charitable fundraising efforts.
Bottle #4
Status: Sold Privately
The purchaser chose to remain anonymous.
Bottles #5 - #25
Status: Available
Remaining bottles are held by Vinland Meads and released individually.
Current Available Bottle: #5
Current Price: $3,200
“Tribute exceeded the hype for me. It was dark, smoky, and complex right from the nose, with wood smoke, peat, maple, and even vanilla notes coming through in fucking waves. What really stood out was how much it changed from smell to taste and from sip to sip. It felt layered, deep, and alive… like the story behind it actually made it into the glass and I didn’t want the story to end.”
- Sean, 2026, Tasting Tribute
Only 25 Collector Bottles Will Ever Exist
Tribute, known as Cemetery Mead, began in the hollow of a fallen oak tree standing in the center of a family cemetery near Ben Wheeler, Texas. Deep within the trunk was an ancient hive filled with dark honey unlike anything we had ever encountered. That honey became a traditional mead aged in oak for three years and released as one of the rarest meads ever produced by Vinland Meads.
Each bottle is individually numbered. Once a bottle is sold, it is gone forever.
Current Bottle Available: #5
Current Price: $3,200
Location: Vinland Meads
6504 State Highway 31 East
Murchison, Texas 75778
Phone: 903-484-6018
Legacy Ownership
Tribute was never intended to be simply another mead.
It was created as a record of a place, a family, a hive, and a moment in time that can never be repeated.
Only twenty-five collector bottles exist.
Each bottle represents a chapter in the continuing story of Tribute.
Honor Your Ancestors. Raise a Glass to Legacy.
A Living Legacy
Unlike the twenty-five collector bottles, Tribute is not locked away.
Bottle #26 was opened by Clyde and Sarah Hays on June 7, 2025, during a ceremonial first pouring at Vinland Meads.
Today, guests may still experience Tribute through guided pours served at the tasting room. Each pour includes the story of the cemetery hive, the creation of the mead, and the traditions that inspired it.
In this way, Tribute continues to fulfill its original purpose:
To bring people together.
To tell stories.
To honor ancestors.
To raise a glass to legacy.
Tribute Pour Experience
Now Pouring Bottle #26
Beginning June 7, 2025, Clyde and Sarah Hays began ceremonially pouring Bottle #26 at Vinland Meads.
This is not a standard tasting.
Each pour includes the story of the cemetery hive, the creation of Tribute, and the traditions that inspired its making.
Guided Tribute Pour
$166 per ounce
Available exclusively at:
Vinland Meads
6504 State Highway 31 East
Murchison, Texas 75778
Reservations are recommended.
A Tribute to Those Who Came Before
Many of you know that Sarah Jill was a Crim before she became a Hays.
Tribute was never created as a marketing project or a collector's item. It began as a way to honor the people who came before us. The family members whose stories shaped us, whose sacrifices made our lives possible, and whose memory deserves to be carried forward.
When Tribute was first shared publicly, Sarah described it this way:
"Today is a special day as I pay tribute to my beloved Crim family members who have passed on.
This moment has been four years in the making, and I'm honored to finally share it with you.
We celebrate their legacy and the memories that continue to live on through us."
Tribute is our reminder that those we love are never truly gone while their stories continue to be told.
Bee Extraction of the Cemetery Bee’s