Middlemist Mead
Somerville, NJ · mead, cider and honey sodas · Somerset County
Address 30 East Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 · Website middlemistmead.com
Garden State Circle partnerVerified – see what we checked
Middlemist is a Garden State Circle partner; partnership funds this deeper record and its upkeep. It does not purchase inclusion in any guide or position within one.
What Middlemist Does, and Where
Middlemist Mead is a taproom at 30 East Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey. It pours mead, cider and house-made honey sodas, and it serves coffee. The site says its drinks are brewed in the taproom.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com, middlemistmead.com/visit and middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026. Coffee: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
The founders said on Nov 9 2026 that they had been in the taproom about six months.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
What mead is, in the founders’ words
“Instead of using grains like beer or grapes like wine, we turn the sugar and honey into alcohol. It can taste like a wide variety of things ranging from sweet and honey forward to drier and fruit forward.”
Said by one of the two founders, Ilija Melentijevic or Ryan Guasp, in an interview with Garden State Circle. Our record of the interview does not say which of them said it.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
The site calls mead honey wine: a drink made mainly by fermenting honey, with fruit, hops, herbs, teas and spices added for flavour.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com, Nov 11 2026
The room
| Address | 30 East Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876 Somerset County Directions checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit, Google Maps, Facebook, Yelp, visitsomersetnj.org and the TTB list, Nov 11 2026 |
| Parking | Street parking on Main Street, and public lots less than two blocks away, as the site prints it. Google’s profile lists free street parking, a paid parking lot and paid street parking. checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit and Google Maps, Nov 11 2026 |
| Accessibility | The site prints nothing on accessibility. Google’s profile lists a wheelchair accessible entrance, restroom, seating and parking lot. checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit and Google Maps, Nov 11 2026 |
| Inside | Indoor. A bar with stools, steel fermentation tanks, tables and chairs, long tables, a blue banquette, lounge seating and shelves of plants. Free Wi-Fi, per Google’s profile. checked by us – middlemistmead.com photos and Google Maps, Nov 11 2026 The founders describe a clean, modern room with the steel tanks on display and nearly 300 plants, their own estimate, in a design that draws on solar punk. provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 |
What is poured and sold
- Mead, also called honey wine: honey meads, fruit honey wines, meads made with herbs or blossom honeys, and meads made with hops.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026 - Honey cider.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026 - House-made honey sodas, juices and teas, without alcohol.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit and middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026 - Coffee.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Flights. Staff build a flight to match the guest’s taste, starting by asking whether the guest has had mead and what they usually drink. A flight is four 3-ounce pours, $25.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026. Pours, price and how staff start: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Bottles to take home. The website shop sells 375 mL bottles at $25.00 each, and lists 38 states and districts under Available In, New Jersey among them.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/shop, Nov 11 2026 - The tap list rotates in small batches. The current list is on the business’s Menu page.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/menu, Nov 11 2026 - Food. The site says the taproom is focused on its drinks, and guests are welcome to bring their own food or order delivery.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit, Nov 11 2026
Public events
- The founders said: board games on Mondays, trivia on Tuesdays, a comedy night once a month (free), live music very regularly, crafting such as flower arranging, and book clubs on the regular.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - The county tourism listing, written by the business, names live music and weekly trivia.
checked by us – visitsomersetnj.org/dine-somerset-nj/middlemist, Nov 11 2026 - The Somerset County Library System has published events held at Middlemist: a book club, an adult Dungeons and Dragons event and a Mead & Read book swap, in August and September 2026.
checked by us – sclsnj.libnet.info, Nov 11 2026 - The business posts a monthly events calendar on Instagram, @middlemistmead.
checked by us – instagram.com/middlemistmead, Nov 11 2026
Who may come
- Children are allowed at events, the founders said, because the taproom sells drinks without alcohol.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Dogs: Google’s profile shows dogs allowed.
checked by us – Google Maps, Nov 11 2026
The People
Ilija Melentijevic
Day to day. Reservations, event planning and guest coordination. Brews with Ryan Guasp.
Background. Completed a PhD alongside Ryan Guasp. The founders met at Rutgers University.
The meads. The site says Ilija and Ryan developed the Middlemist meads.
Ryan Guasp
Day to day. Staff scheduling and most of the brewing.
Background. Completed a PhD alongside Ilija Melentijevic. The founders met at Rutgers University.
The meads. The site says Ilija and Ryan developed the Middlemist meads.
Day to day: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026. Background and the meads: checked by us – middlemistmead.com/about, Nov 11 2026.
Visiting, and Booking a Private Party
Most visits are walk-in. For groups under 20, the founders said, it is a walk-in, or a table reserved now and then.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
Google’s profile lists dine-in with table service, and payment by credit or debit card. For a question, use the Contact page on the business’s site.
checked by us – Google Maps and middlemistmead.com/contact, Nov 11 2026
Private Parties
20 to 40
The private section
Movable shelves on casters close off part of the room, with its own stretch of bar. The group walks up to that bar and orders. The Events page offers the private section with dedicated bar access.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/events, Nov 11 2026. Shelves, size and service: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
Up to 130
The whole taproom
The Events page prints 115 seats for large events. The founders said the building’s capacity is 135, with five kept for staff, so up to 130 guests, with added seating to reach 130.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/events, Nov 11 2026. Capacity: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
The Events page names birthdays and celebrations, corporate gatherings with custom hours, private events and large events. The county tourism listing names birthdays, anniversaries and baby showers.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/events and visitsomersetnj.org, Nov 11 2026
The founders usually look for parties of 20 or more. This is a target, not a hard minimum.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
What a host may bring
- Outside food and catering. The Events page says outside food is encouraged and outside catering is fully supported. The founders said a host may use any caterer.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/events, Nov 11 2026. Any caterer: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Decorations are welcome. No glitter and no flames.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Music is fine when the whole taproom is booked. In a partial booking, a group cannot take over the speakers.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026 - Children are allowed at events.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
How to ask
- Send an inquiry with the form on the Events page.
- The taproom confirms availability and talks through the event.
- The taproom plans the drink service and the room setup for the event.
The form asks for name, email, phone, date, time, number of guests, length of the booking (2, 3 or 5 hours) and notes. The Contact page sends event bookings to the Events page.
checked by us – middlemistmead.com/events and middlemistmead.com/contact, Nov 11 2026
Ilija Melentijevic said he handles reservations and event planning.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
What It Costs
A private booking is priced as a venue fee plus a drink minimum. The fee depends on the number of guests, which covers setting the room up for them; on the drink package the host chooses; and on the day. Weekdays cost less than Friday or Saturday.
provided by the business – Nov 9 2026
$25
A flight: four 3-ounce pours
$200
A barista added to a private event
$25.00
A 375 mL bottle, on the website shop
Flight and barista: provided by the business – Nov 9 2026. Bottle: checked by us – middlemistmead.com/shop, Nov 11 2026.
Reviews, As We Found Them
| Google, Middlemist | 4.9 average, 120 reviews. Read Nov 11 2026. |
| Google, Middlemist Coffee | 5.0 average, 18 reviews. Read Nov 11 2026. |
| Yelp | 4.4 average, 16 reviews. Read Nov 11 2026. Read them on Yelp |
What reviewers return to checked by us – from the reviews we read, not all reviews: Google Middlemist, all 120 loaded and the 101 with text read; Yelp 10 of 16, Nov 11 2026
- Many reviews describe a spacious, plant-filled, cozy and relaxed room. Yelp reviews say the same.
- Many reviews describe knowledgeable, friendly staff who guide newcomers through a flight. A few report a slow greeting at the bar, and one reports a rude interaction.
- Reviews mention the range of meads, ciders and non-alcoholic sodas. A few found a mead flat or not to their taste.
- Some reviews mention bringing your own food; some mention games, live music, trivia and book events; a few mention that coffee is now offered. Yelp reviews also mention dogs and coffee.
- One Yelp review says the service and hospitality need work, and that the menu board did not match the flight sheet.
Garden State Circle Verified
Verified means: identity verified, credentials checked where applicable, information reviewed directly with the business, and maintained over time. Middlemist Mead is a Garden State Circle partner; partnership funds this deeper record and its upkeep. It does not purchase inclusion in any guide or position within one.
Last reviewed: Nov 11 2026.
Verification
| Business name | Middlemist Mead. The website prints the name Middlemist; the Facebook page prints Middlemist Mead. checked by us – middlemistmead.com and facebook.com/middlemistmead, Nov 11 2026 |
| Address | 30 East Main Street, Somerville, NJ 08876. The site, Google, Facebook, Yelp, the county tourism listing and the federal list give the same address. checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit, Google Maps, Facebook, Yelp, visitsomersetnj.org and ttb.gov, Nov 11 2026 |
| Federal wine producer list | On the list as a Wine Producer. Operating name: Middlemist. Owner name: NJ ELIXIR COMPANY, INC. Permit number: NJ-W-21055. Premises: 30 E MAIN ST, SOMERVILLE NJ 08876, Somerset County. The list page says it was last updated November 2, 2026. checked by us – TTB list of permittees, ttb.gov, Nov 11 2026 |
| County tourism listing | Listed as MIDDLEMIST, 30 E Main St Somerville, NJ 08876, on the Somerset County tourism site. checked by us – visitsomersetnj.org/dine-somerset-nj/middlemist, Nov 11 2026 |
Source: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), list of wine producer and blender permittees, ttb.gov, read Nov 11 2026. Address and listing: middlemistmead.com/visit and visitsomersetnj.org, read Nov 11 2026.
Common Questions
I’ve never had mead before, will I like it?
If you’ve never tried a honey wine before, we’ll happily guide you through it. Start with a flight and discover what you like. We have a broad selection of flavors including sweet, semi-sweet and dry honey wines to appeal to all preferences.
Do you serve beer or wine?
We specialize in alcoholic honey-based drinks and cider.
Can I host an event here?
Yes! Visit our Events page to inquire.
Is food available?
Currently we are focused on our beverages, but you’re welcome to bring your own food or order delivery from any of the excellent nearby restaurants.
Answers as Middlemist prints them on middlemistmead.com/visit. Three of its questions are not printed here, and one sentence is left off. checked by us – middlemistmead.com/visit, Nov 11 2026
Something out of date?
If anything on this page is wrong, email admin@gardenstatecircle.com and we will check it and fix it. There is no charge for a correction, and it applies whether or not a business participates in Garden State Circle.
Garden State Circle is published by Tiffany and Jake Slowinski.
