Brothers Drake Meadery & Bar

Columbus, United States

4.6

Open now

31 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 614-388-8765
Website:
www.brothersdrake.com
Address:
26 E 5th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201
University District, Short North
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.8 miMack Hall
0.8 miCOTA 82,80
1.2 miCABS North Dorms
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Ambience
Hipster
Noise Level
Average
Music
Live
Good For Dancing
Yes
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Has TV
No
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Columbus) 15:58 Sunday, 13 July 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Wednesday 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Thursday 5:00 pm – 2:00 am
Friday 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday 1:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Every day we work to source the most local, pure, organic and fresh ingredients to craft our meads. To us, ‘local’ is not just a buzz word — it’s our guiding principle. Local makes our mead the highest quality. Local supports our beekeepers and farmers. Local means integrating spirits from Ohio, local art and music into our Meadery & Bar located in the heart of Columbus.

History

Established in 2008.

Woody and Eric Drake started making mead in 1994 and after winning numerous homebrew awards, the idea of forming a business took hold. Brothers Drake opened in 2008 and in 2011 moved to 26 E. 5th Avenue to increase production and connect more people together around mead, art, music, and community!

Meet the Business Owner

Oron B.

Business Owner

Oron is the mastermind behind bringing mead up to date in Columbus Ohio. His background in supply chain management and finance have been a strong foundation for the growth of his local company. He saw Brothers Drake as a way to make an entrance into the brewing industry without being ‘just another brew’. His unique honey based products have a strong following in Ohio and are poised to take over the East Coast. Mead has had a resurgence in the past couple years, driven at the top with Brothers Drake and his second meadery, The San Francisco Mead Company.

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31 reviews of Brothers Drake Meadery & Bar

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
The tour was so much fun. The guide was informative and funny, and there were lots of tasty samples. Definitely recomend the tour!
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Did the tour with samples, the speaker was interesting and clearly excited about his craft. The tour area was tiny, but seemed to be everything available.
Trying the immature product was fun. Learning about the inequities of Ohio a alcohol laws was interesting. Maybe a smidge too much info about small business, but it worked.
The bar was clean and comfortable. The food truck was good.
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
One of the cooler concepts in Columbus. A bar that offers the unique style that is mead as well as a great cocktail list that also incorporates the mead into most if not all of their cocktails. Don’t forget to check out the seasonal flavors.
They’re in a cool spot off of high, kind of behind Kroger. Pretty easy parking situation and in walking distance from some other cool spots.
Brothers Drake has their own food truck that is always on site. If they’re open, it’s open and boy is it good.
On top of the drinks and food this spot is great for live music. They bring in local band and charge a small cover for a night of local entertainment.
Place rating: 5
Westerville, OH
This place is awesome. My wife and I came here pretty close to when it first opened and the taste of their mead has only improved to exceed our expectations.
We had the pleasure of meeting the owner and he is awesome. He is passionate about this place and is probably why they are so successful in making it a great experience.
They have great musicians and bands play here on certain nights.
The taste of their mead is wickedly awesome. How the heck do you make mead taste exactly like coffee, Apple pie, habanero peppers, and pb&j? Seriously perfect and the other more normal meads are to our liking as well.
The service is spectacular and inviting. Definitely put this place on your checklist of things to do in Columbus.
The C-​Bus is also accessible and close by so you can easily transit to other cool places.
Place rating: 5
Loveland, OH
Had a great time! Would totally do it again.
Place rating: 5
Pensacola Beach, FL
I live in Pensacola Fl, but on a visit I discovered the Brother’s Drake. What an eclectic space, the mead was amazing and the food truck added a nice twist. I will be back.
Place rating: 4
Alexandria, VA
This place was awesome! We came for the tour and had a great time. You can tell that everyone who works there really enjoys what they do and are really knowledgable about the mead. There were some crazy flavors that really shouldn’t work… but they do! Seems like a chill place to hang out with friends.
I heard that have live music often, and when we were there, there was a DJ on stage. It would have been cool to enjoy the music if we were just enjoying mead. However, we were there mainly for the tour. The place is quite small so as a result we did have some trouble actually hearing the guy giving us the tour.
Next time I’m in Columbus I would love to visit here again!
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Great addition to the Columbus scene. My husband and I discovered this almost unintentionally and have continued to come back for more. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and they’re always coming up with new and exciting flavors.
Favorite of all time is the sour paw paw. Next favorite is the PB&J. But the standards are great too. If you’re going to get a tasting flight anywhere, you get it here. So unique and fun to test out!
Also have a great tour (and usually a groupon for it somewhere). On the tour we tasted fresh Ohio honey and it was LIFE CHANGING.
Great place to being out of town guests. Our friends from Texas demand we go every time they’re in town.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Great experience. The tour person was enjoyable and the time slipped by quickly. We tasted 3 different meads. The Apple Pie was fantastic. They sell it by the bottle to take home. The location is interesting as it has an area for live music and there is a food truck in front to satisfy your tummy. Overall a very pleasant experience.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
I have been interested in giving this place for a while. We actually had our first taste at Kingsmakers. My sister was obsessed with the Apple Pie and she demanded we came the the meadery for more! She really wanted to get a flight because she has never had one. I felt so bad for the bartender because she literally wanted to try everything! Poor guy kept having to give her taste tests. He was very positive and helpful even though she was being annoying. The plus side is that I got to try the samples too. Mead is so unlike any other drink I have experienced and Brothers Drake really magnifies their flavors and makes a beautiful creation.
Oh in the end my sister got a bottle of the Apple Pie!
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
Came here after I went to the San Francisco Meadery, the owner insisted I check out the sister (or brother?) branch.
The staff didn’t welcome us when we walked in, nor did they even come check in on us after we sat down, kind of strange.
I had the standard flight and it was all delicious! The location is just to the side of short north, and the atmosphere on a Friday night was great. I would definitely recommend coming, I just hope the staff is friendlier to you!
Place rating: 4
Dublin, OH
Brothers Drake is a unique local place. They offer food via a food truck, mead (house made), local beer, local liquors (e.g., OYO, Watershed, etc.), and speciality cocktails as well as having an area for live music. Unfortunately, we don’t visit Brothers Drake often due to how far it is from where we live, but when we get a chance, we don’t miss out!
We came down for a Wet Darlings show on a Saturday evening with a couple friends and it did not disappoint. The venue was a great location to hear the bands (3 total) and have a few drinks. The good thing is, you don’t have to like/​enjoy mead to drink since they have other options now.
A couple «cons»… they have no parking lot, so you need to park on the street (not in the lot across the street, unless you want a tow bill at the end of the night). Two, it’s fairly small, particularly when it’s cold and they can’t open the doors to use the outside. Three, there is minimal seating. There are some seats around the bar and on the outskirts of the place, but the middle section is meant for standing room only to watch the various acts.
In the end, we will definitely be going back whenever we get the chance. It’s local, supports other local businesses and musicians, and it has good service and great people! What more could a person ask for?
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
I absolutely LOVE this place. From the atmosphere, to the music, to the drinks, to the staff. Everything about it is awesome. April (the girl who does the live music booking) is a complete rockstar!
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
We went here on a Friday night and it was fantastic. We stayed for a couple hours since the atmosphere and drinks were so nice. We did the Side A flight of meads and then bought a glass of our favorite. I loved the Apple Pie because I like sweet drinks. All of the meads we sampled were good; I mean none of them were gross or bitter. The atmosphere was sort of dark and cozy. I want to go back and try more of their meads.
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Perfect spot for Meade and signature cocktails. I loved the flight of mead. Each with its own taste profile. I ended the night with a hot shot! A jalepeno infused mead; it is wonderful. Be prepared for the heat of the shot to hit you. Sip it like sake.
One suggestion: use round or block ice for those signature drinks. The crushed ice made it lose some of its taste and grandeur. All in all… will return for a taste and tour soon!
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
Columbus is becoming more and more of a dining destination, and Brothers Drake is one of the best examples of how the city is becoming a foodie’s dream. Unlike beer, wine and liquor, mead is almost nowhere to be found across the U.S., and to have a place that brews it from scratch is pretty awesome.
I’ve been to Brothers Drake in past years, but recently was there over the holidays to do their mead tour. Being a huge English literature nerd, I love «Beowulf» and so love the idea of drinking the same stuff that King Hrothgar used to drink inside Heorot, the ancient English mead hall referenced in the famous epic poem.
Mead is an alcoholic beverage fermented from honey and can be similar to beer or wine. In the case of Brothers Drake, they use unpasteurized honey from central Ohio to make their wine-​style mead. They tend to be on the sweeter side, but ask the bartender for recommendations as some are on the drier and cleaner tasting side.
I highly recommend doing the tour because it includes tasting of half a dozen mead flavors. The tour is normally $ 11, but we got a LivingSocial 2-​for-​1 deal and it came with a collectible glass!
It was a bit annoying that we signed up for a 1PM tour, but it didn’t actually start until after 2PM (yikes!) when more people arrived. The tour was just standing in the back room which is pretty small, and listening to Eric, the co-​owner, who was great at dishing out a ton of information about how the mead is made, and giving us pours throughout the discussion. According to Eric, the honey is from the bowling green area of central Ohio, and Brothers Drake buys 30,000 pounds of unpasteurized honey a year to make their product, which takes 4 to 5 weeks to brew. Their traditional mead takes about a year to age. The concoction is made with honey, water, yeast and no sulfites, with a ratio of 3 pounds of honey for every gallon of water.
As a plus, Brothers Drake also has a stage and live music here on weekend evenings, gender neutral bathrooms, and an in-​house food truck that serves authentic Japanese cuisine by a Tokyo-​trained chef! Currently the Japanese food truck is not operating through March as the chef had to temporarily go back to Japan to help with family.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Love this place! Great mix of music and the variety of beers taste wonderful. Definitely hang out with a group of your friends in the evening. The staff is nice and the crowd is a mix of people.
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
I love talking about Brothers Drake, especially when I’m trying to convince friends to visit me in Columbus. If you’ve never had mead before, checking out this place is a must. They have many different flavors, and though I haven’t loved them all, I’ve never been disappointed in my choice. They have seasonal flavors as well, so there is always a reason to go back. Also, they offer tours of their brewing facility, so check in with them about it so that you can learn more about the process. It’s about as local as it gets.
In addition to providing unique drinks, they are also a music venue that hosts many local shows. I’ve enjoyed most of the groups that I have happened upon there. If you’re looking to chat with someone, maybe check the schedule first to see what music is there (and note that there sometimes is a cover), because it can be loud.
I think the only negative is that the drinks are more expensive than most places, but it isn’t a huge deterrent.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
UPDATE: I went back for the Bourbon Barrel Apple Pie release (along with a few other Bourbon Barrel products) and this place had a line out the door 15 minutes before opening! 11AM and the bar is packed with people buying cases of their product — which as always, was super delicious!
They also collaborated with a local baker (The Beard and the Baker) who made cookies and brownies with the Brothers Drake Apple Pie mead — and they were superb as well! You could really taste the apple pie mead flavor through the other ingredients and it was nice to enjoy whilst sipping on the Bourbon Barrel Apple Pie.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Just made my first trip here and also had my first experience tasting mead. I have to say I was very impressed and wish that I would have discovered mead much sooner. We went today for the release of meads aged in bourbon barrels. Tried several varieties and really appreciated the variety of meads that they produce from dry to sweet. Locally sourced products are also a nice touch. We bought a few bottles to take home with us and we will definately be back to enjoy more mead along with live music!
Place rating: 5
Murfreesboro, TN
Made a special trip out of my way to Brothers Drake based on the reviews of my Unilocal brothers and sisters and was not disappointed. In a word, this place was the BOMB!
I found a very chill bar, with a a cool band playing mellow tunes, with people hanging around having drinks outside (but inside the fenced-​in area). I made my way to the bar and the barkeeps gave me time to absorb the menu of drinks and select my poison.
I had two glasses of the heady brew and it is so much better than canned mead, there is no comparison. I had to stop because I was driving but oh, I wanted to stay!
Consider yourself blessed, Columbus OH!
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Brothers Drake is oh so close to me, but since every time I’ve gone they’ve had a cover, I just moved on. The covers are usually only $ 5, but I’ve heard they can be higher, and I just never wanted mead enough to pay. I want to drink, honestly, and don’t care too much for a band. Plus, it’s usually super packed, which is a good thing, but I wanted to take the time to try a bunch of different meads without being rushed. My advice: go there earlier on a Saturday.
The bartender, while not the conversationalist, was very helpful in describing all the different meads for us after we ended up getting the two different flights available. It’s a pretty good deal for 9 different meads, and it was more than enough to give me an unexpectedly strong buzz. The apple pie was the favorite (Apparently everyone’s favorite), but I also really liked the Honey Oak and Ginger Verve. I can’t say I’m a converted fan at this point, as some of them tasted like wine but with a liquor after burn for me that I wasn’t a fan of, but I think after a few tries I could get on board. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but that’s just the way alcohol is.
On top of the mead, they do have local beers and liquor to choose from. The stage area isn’t huge, but you can definitely fit a good amount of people there, and there’s more space out on the patio. Tokyo GoGo is slinging out food there almost everyday, and their menu is listed on the back of the Brothers Drake menu. We tried a bunch which was delicious, but I’ll save that for a separate review. What I can say is that I’m beginning to understand the fascination with the mead Brother’s Drake is producing, and I’m right there on the edge of fandom. We will be back to see how that goes.
Place rating: 4
Canal Winchester, OH
This place is so awesome. I think we’ve taken every out of town visitor here for some mead cocktails and live music. Such a neat place that embodies the local vibe of the Columbus community and it’s culture. I’d give it 5 stars, but the last time I came, one of my guests needed food stat and I had to make a (literal) run for Mikey’s Late Night Slice and back so she could eat something substantial (the options from the food truck outside of BDM did not fit the bill :)). Anyway, love this place!
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Mead is what they do best.
Great venue for live music too.
Jazz Wednesday is awesome.
Patio can be fun when it’s nice out. Nice ambience and atmosphere.
April, the manager, is very friendly and all about supporting local music bands and booking them for shows throughout the week.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
Brothers Drake. I don’t know what it is about this place that I vibe with. I love the free jazz on Wednesday that I’ve never been to Yeah, I know that might sound obscure, but let me live my life!
Brother Drake offers live music, local events, waffles, mead, and the vibe is so chill. I love the space and how it’s set up. If you get there early enough you can grab a table, a drink, and hang out with your friends until the music starts.
I also love that there is a dedicated food truck on the premises so you don’t have to go far to eat.
Did I mention there is a bourbon barrel mead? DELISH!
Place rating: 5
Lebanon, OH
I have nothing but nice things to say about my experience at this fantastic gem. I had no idea we had a meadery here in Ohio and when I stumbled upon the website I knew I had to make a trip up here. The décor is very hip and inviting. The staff was so friendly I felt like they were friends I hadn’t seen in a while. And the tour was wonderful. Charming guide and generous samples. I was impressed with the whole operation and their commitment to locally sourced ingredients. I will return!
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Good music and good drink make the world go round!
Although I’m not a huge mead fan, I am a huge fan of live music. And, if mead happens to be present, I’ll try it. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy the Mead Shandy. It tastes like a perfect summer beer, which is right up my alley.
In the nice weather, this place packs the perfect combination having a great lineup of musical artists. Check the website for the schedule. I really loved attending Wednesday jazz recently. It’s great hearing some local talent. Also, the place is pretty perfect in the summer when the patio is open and live music is playing. Pure bliss!
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
*Disclaimer! I no longer live in Columbus… but I realized that I hadn’t reviewed Brothers Drake prior to moving & I’m missing home a bit right now… so I’m throwing in my 5 stars TODAY*
Brothers Drake is that local place that you go to relax and enjoy some mead. My personal favorite? Apple Pie. I have spent many days (and evenings) hanging out on the patio. I have attended many of their shows and seminars.
If you’re in Columbus and reading reviews… just go. You will have a good time. Promise. The staff is ridiculously friendly and the drinks are all great. Well, maybe not so much the hot shot. That’s there… you know, on second thought, have yourself a hot shot. Just to say you did it. Just to be a champion. The hot shot is hardcore.
Anyways, Brothers Drake is the place to go for community… for that local flare. If you’re just going for a drink or two (or 6)…or maybe to check out a local band/​artist… you’re going to enjoy yourself. There’s a decent amount of seating but I’ve found that the earlier in the evening you can get there — the better. There’s also a food truck that you can order from, from within the establishment. So hunger won’t be an issue here.
Enjoy an apple pie for me, because I miss Brothers Drake right about now. :)
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
Went here for an event and it was really packed (it was during the daytime too). Their drinks are good and there was a food truck outside when we went so that was a plus.
Even though parking isn’t the most convenient, the environment is worth it enough to make a trip if you haven’t.
Place rating: 5
Columbus, OH
I should probably update my review so my lame break-​up story isn’t my most recent post about Brothers Drake since it’s so much more than a place to go drown your sorrows (although I’m thinking it’s pretty good for that too).
I still don’t really like mead, although whenever someone comes to visit, I’ll share the flight with them. I usually ask for whatever kombucha is available — sometimes it’s local bottles, sometimes it’s actually on tap. They also do have some sodas if kombucha or mead are not your thing. Coming earlyish on Saturdays is the best time for me, since I can walk over from my apartment, get a drink, order something yummy from Tokyo GoGo, and grab a seat for people-​watching. The bartenders are always super nice and the food is always delicious (though I tend to overestimate how much fried food I can eat, even if it is delicious enoki and chicken).
It does get crowded later in the evening when the live music starts up, so I tend to duck out before it gets too oppressively close for introvert comfort.
Place rating: 4
Columbus, OH
I’ve only been to Brothers Drake once, but so far it has been one of my favorite spots to grab a drink, listen to music and hangout with friends.
I think that Brothers Drake’s relaxed atmosphere is a big draw. I find both the bartenders and patrons to be friendly. It has somewhat of a hipster vibe, but not entirely as the crowd is pretty diverse.
I’m new to the mead scene, but I found most of the meads to be too sweet for my palate that’s accustomed to drinking IPA beer. There is somewhat of a resemblance to dessert wine. I did enjoy their «Wild Sweet Annie» mixed drink consisting of Wild Ohio Mead, OYO Whiskey and ginger liqueur. Their version of the Moscow Mule was also good.
I went on Wednesday night, which is their Jazz night. The band playing was outstanding. The bar itself is cozy and intimate, with enough seating for approximately 30 people. There is a nice patio area which is great for warm summer nights and conductive for conversation.
The fact that there is usually an awesome food truck outside is another added bonus. Overall, the live music and unpretentious environment make Brothers Drake an awesome bar to relax and unwind over a drink. I’ll be back.