Second City Meadery

Hands down one of the coolest hidden gems in Chicago period! The owner is one of the nicest and most passionate people on planet earth which elevates the taste and process of his craft which you're now wondering about this far in the review... the MEAD. It's amazing. The nectar of the gods. They are all winners. The atmosphere feels like you're hanging out with friends or in a secret club. Come with friends or alone; you'll have a blast and a belly full of mead! Cheers!

Truly an incredible place. The mead is some of the best in the country and the space is so nice. I’m glad they do smaller sample pours so I could try a bunch of different things. 100% worth checking out if you’re in the area

Peter runs an excellent operation here. The meads themselves are exquisite; they are incredibly nuanced, and having had the opportunity to speak with Peter as I sampled, his knowledge and passion for his craft was plainly apparent. Some of the best meads I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing; can’t wait to go back and get another Maple Root Beer

Fantastic time with a wide array of excellent mead. The owner Peter is awesome and incredibly knowledgeable and loves to share what he knows about the process. Loved very moment I was there and can’t wait to go back.

Came in for a flight, loved it so much wanted to take a bottle home to try! The staff are friendly and happy to answer any questions you have. Prices are reasonable, especially considering abv. Excited for this new neighborhood spot and can’t wait to be back!

Excellent service, very good meads especially if you like drinks that are more on the sweet side (I liked the Existence is Pain) but also quality dry meads. The Holiday Christmas Dry, for example. We will definitely be back soon!

Recently went here for the first time. I particularly enjoyed the Coffee Blossom and Oaxacan Forest Wildflower traditional meads but there were a wide variety of flavored meads too, all of which were great. The owner was more than happy to tell us the story of the business and answer all of our questions about the process, ingredients, etc. I'm looking forward to going again in the future!

Great mead and a very kind owner at this hidden local spot!

We finally made it to Second City Meadery yesterday (yes they are now open on Thursdays - apparently in the past they were only open Fridays and Saturdays). Located on Elston a wee bit north of Montrose, Second City Meadery has been open for about 18 months. We tried the Intro Flight, four meads including Session City (grapefruit), Angelic (a "traditional" dry mead), Summer in the City (pineapple and peach mead with coconut), and Barrel Aged Wildflower (Michigan Wildflower aged in a whiskey barrel). Of the four, my love and I enjoyed Summer in the City the most, as it was a sweeter mead but not the sweetest. Our friends went with the splurgier Brewer's Flight. From their flight we tried a sip of the Blue Line (blueberry mead with vanilla and cashew), and we liked it so much that we ordered a glass of it. There was a handy water dispenser for us to hydrate ourselves between tasty sips of mead. While I am still a beer kind of guy, the meads were a fine changeup. Since we live very close by, I imagine we will visit again this summer.

Awesome place. There aren't many meaderies or options for mead, really, within city limits. That being said, this is a must stop for me anytime in the Albany Park area. The interior is bright and colorful. Cool logo too. The service is exceptional. They also have great, chill playing in the background, and at a low / inoffensive volume. There will be something for everyone if you're a mead fan, they have at least 15 different varieties at any one given time. One word of warning -- they don't have a staple mead. What i mean by that is they will always rotate out their stock, so if you like something you better buy a bottle before they stop making it! I recommend getting their intro flight if you're undecided as to which direction you want to go for the night.

Glad I found this place a 5 min walk from me. Owner was a nice guy great to talk to and very knowledgeable. Really enjoyed the product and the "buzz"

First meadary I've been to. Came here with some of my friends. Inside is very spacious and the 2 bartenders there were super nice. We wanted to try it all so we ordered the Intro Flight and the Adanced Flight. These are all sweet and Hugh percentages, so be careful. They do not serve food there so eat something beforehand to soak up the alcohol, but don't get too full. Even though the flights seem like little pours in the small glasses, but it's actually a lot. I would definitely come back again for some mead.

I'm going to gush a little bit - bear with me. I have had mead at Renaissance festivals before, and didn't think much of it....until I stumbled into Second City Mead. Second City Mead is in a whole other class of its own. The mead is phenomenal and ever changing. No two visits to the meadery will be the same - since they're constantly rotating and tapping new bottles. Peter, the owner, is almost always present behind the counter and is absolutely incredible and so kind. I love everything about it - the people, the vibe, the mead! Bring some food, your pup, and some board games for a perfect night out. Also - don't really understand the two star review saying mead isn't wine?? Yes. Mead is sweet. Yes. It's thick and syrupy. Yes. You won't be able to drink much of it. But if you come with the expectation of tasting some delicious meads, you can trust me in saying that it's going to be a delight!

Loved our experience at second city meadery. To be honest, I've never quite found a mead I liked, until coming here. Then I found multiple delicious meads. What I really love about this place is the bright and open interior, dog friendly, and generous flights. The space is perfect for group gatherings, wedding receptions, and would be a great place to start some tabletop games with a group.

Oswaldo was great! Very knowledgeable and offered one of the best services ever received. Definitely went above and beyond. It was my first time trying mead and let's just say it wasn't for me. Oswaldo was still able to recommend something that I was able to enjoy. They definitely have a variety. They offer games and you're able to bring in food.

It was a great experience tasting different meads. The staff were excellent hosts. Service great.

A great place to try many varieties of mead (wine made from honey). Dry, sweet, semi-sweet, still, sparkeling. The proprietor, Peter, utilizes honeys from around the world, blended with various ingredients: berries, wildflowers, barrel-aged, cashew, peaches. Cherries and much more. Laid back atmosphere. Interesting clients. Snacks, but you can bring your own food. Welcoming staff, well-versed on all things honey, bees and mead.

Dear Yelpers, If you like wine, then it's probably best to leave this place alone and let those who enjoy meaderies, enjoy it in peace. Mead, unlike wine, has a very syrup like feel to it. The meads are heavy on the sweetness and can be tough to stomach for the self-proclaimed wine connoisseurs. The vibe is great, with games you can play and lovely service. But honestly, unless you love Port Wines or super sweet wines, this may not be your cup of honey. Your friendly neighborhood wino

Great service, cool building, and top notch mead. One of the best experiences I have had at a meadery-highly recommended for a visit. Many meads were very fruit forward and friendly. All were highly drinkable m, and there's certainly one for everyone.

I like this place a lot. If you haven't tried mead before, it's a delicious sweet wine made from honey and fruit. No one in Chicago does it better. I'll like it more when my insulin is more affordable. Worth every minute and penny spent there.

We came here for the first time on Mead Day and had such a great time! The place is spacious and bright. We tried the beginner and advanced flights and all were perfect. They had a variety of flavors (pineapple, cherry, and more). We brought our own games and food and made an afternoon out of it. A little off the beaten path, but worth it to make it a fun afternoon/night be bringing some takeout and enjoying a new thing.

Fantastic selection of locally made meads, both sweet and semi-sweet. It's great to be able to support a small local business like this!

For those who don't know what mead is, this is an amazing Meadery to start at! Several flight options and very diverse types of meads for everyone!

Every time I think I find my favorite mead I've ever had, Second City makes another incredible mead. Whether I'm going on a date or meeting up to play cards with a group of friends, I love the atmosphere and the friendly staff. If you're in the city, you have to come here!!!

Hands down the best mead in Chicago. I enjoy coming here on the weekends and trying all the new variety of flavors that change often. If you enjoy mead this is the place to go! Super friendly, clean, and amazing flavors.

If you are looking a change of pace from the city's many beer tap rooms, look no further than Second City Meadery. They have a wide range of fruit forward meads on tap each week that will appeal to sweet and dry palettes. The tap room is open and airy. The staff is welcoming and helpful. Their hours are limited and only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Hopefully they can expand their hours soon!

Really fun new spot for mead! Great flavors and unique drinks you can't get anywhere else!