Raging Cider and Mead Co. in San Marcos is the spot for mead and cider lovers! This small and…read moreintimate tasting room specializes in high-quality, small-batch mead and cider, with rotating seasonal flavors that keep things fun. From dry to semi-sweet to fruity or spiced, there's something for everyone. Standouts include their crisp hibiscus cider, traditional mead, and unique barrel-aged options. The space is small, but welcoming, with knowledgeable staff who love to share what they do. It's a great place to try authentic cider and mead. If you don't know where to begin, ask for recommendations based of your palate. They've got a dog-friendly patio, which is a huge plus, and there's plenty of parking, making it super easy to stop by. The patio is shaded and covered by passionfruit vines. There's even an apple tree too! Raging also hosts a variety of events, like trivia nights and food truck pairings, that make each visit a little different. If you're in the area (or even if you're not!), it's well worth the visit. Support a local, family-oriented business doing something unique, and doing it well! Check their hours, since they are only open Friday through Sunday.

I'm into anything old world or vintage so of course I had to go to Raging Cider & Mead Co. I…read moreespecially have a preference for Mead INDEED. Luckily, there was a festival to join them in celebrating the rebirth that Spring brings with music, food, libations, and more...a great time to be had by all. I love that the owners are commited to only locally sourced apples, pears, honey, and other fruit as well as committed to showing love to "ugly" and overproduced fruit which would normally go to waste to instead help financially support farmers. This meadery and cidery is easy to get to...take the Las Posas Exit on the 78 and off of Furniture Row. There's tons of parking. Once inside, I noticed it's an intimate venue with a down-to-earth vibe. There's seating between the tasting room and outdoor patio. Importantly, the staff is very welcoming. I had a MERRY good time! BEST Mead in SoCal!!

For me it's reminiscent of Liberty Station in San Diego & Santa Ana's Anaheim Packing District…read more.. but in a smaller scale. Went straight to Julian's Hard Apple Cidery -we had the flights and did not regret being in line for a while. Plus did I mention about how nice the staff were??? The back outdoor part, is also worth the go! So serene with the 59 degrees Fahrenheit breeze, overlooking some hills, lush with greenery and the sun shining on as birds caw.

Newtopia Cyder is kind of located in a random nondescript area; I missed my turn into the plaza at…read morefirst but you can easily take the next entrance and loop back around the building. We came during happy hour on a Friday afternoon and it was pretty empty, though I can see it filling up later in the evening and throughout the weekend. Very chill vibes and they have board games and a couch seating area if you'd prefer that over tables. I ordered a taster flight to try out 4 different ciders. I had to get the Chai Me a River since that's supposedly their most popular. The chai flavor was strong but personally it's not for me, but glad I still had the chance to try it! I really enjoyed the Apple Soiree and Bludacris though, and unfortunately I can't remember the last one I ordered. Overall, a great spot to chill and grab drinks with friends to unwind. Dog friendly!

I can't say enough good things about this place! Staff is always super helpful. From the first sip,…read moreyou can taste the quality and craftsmanship in every pour. The flavors are bold, clean, and perfectly balanced never overly sweet, just smooth and refreshing. I love their rotating menu and then there's always one non-alcoholic option. Anywho, there is always something new and creative to try, which makes every visit exciting. My current obsession is Banana Apple Bum, it seriously tastes like the banana from Runts candy (in the best nostalgic way possible ). It's fun, unique, and somehow still crisp and refreshing. The value is fantastic for the quality you get, and the vibe is always welcoming and laid-back. If you're anywhere near Scripps Ranch, this spot is a must-visit. I'll definitely keep coming back to see what delicious flavor they come up with next!

I was pretty full but I wanted to sample this Julian Cider. I didn't want to commit to anything but…read morethe good people at the cafe recommended to check out this place. I'm glad I did. AMBIANCE Parking: Street parking in downtown Julian. It can get pretty busy based on the time and season. Vibes: Welcome to Julian! A small town feel as you can experience almost everything within a block. However there are also some cool bars/farms to explore around to. The Cider Mill itself is in the heart of downtown Julian. Shelves filled with jams, preserves, candies, local honey, nuts, dried fruits, and all kinds of nostalgic treats. FOOD / DRINKS Apple Boysenberry Cider (Recommend) I'm a fan of apple but a fan of all seasonal flavors. I enjoyed the sweetness and light tart of the berry flavor - a nice depth of tanginess that just felt lively. CUSTOMER SERVICE Friendly and welcoming. Ondean served me a sample of the drinks and they were great! TL;DR OVERALL 4.5 Stars. Good selections, good products, and a pleasant experience. I love the small town feel as they're attentive with the details and interaction. Julian Cider Mill isn't anything flashy just your good old reliable snack shop when you need it. TIPS * Great place to stop and go for snacks, cooking flavors, or samples like their ciders!

I read some good reviews on this small business spot. I even checked out videos on YouTube to get…read morean idea what this store is all about. As we walked in, I was so impressed with how many products they were offering. Lots of different honeys, candies, ciders, sauces, pickled vegetables, toys, beef jerky, snacks, and so much more. Absolutely, loved the samples of apple ciders. They were offering cherry and boysenberry flavors. We enjoyed the boysenberry cider so we had to get a cup of it. Although, I felt it was pricey for a small cup of cider where I gulp it in a minute. Really refreshing since it was a nice day out in Julian. The staff were very inviting and nice. Store is small, so when it got busy we had to leave. Worth checking out when you are looking for something to do in Julian.

I was in need for some Mead. Twisted Horn came to mind since I came across it on Eventbrite on…read moredifferent occasions. Honestly, it was kind of tricky locating it based on my GPS but I found it. There was no problems with parking which was great. As compared to the outside, inside was a very pleasant surprise. I loved the decor and Nordic/Viking vibes. The friendly guy behind the counter was really helpful in my decision to go with Musashi. I took a sip and thought to myself, "Ohhh Mead INDEED!". What a nice escape!! My honey-wine was a winner. To the Yelp Community at large, you're in for a swwweet treat. :-)

This place is a gem. Very clean and organized, a cool Nordic vibe and they have a ton of board and…read morecards games to play with friends, and trivia night. Their flights have number tags by the glasses, and you order cider by number. The meads and ciders are really good quality, the flavors are complex and not overly sweet. The servers are very knowledgeable and helpful about all their beverages. Very cool place to just visit and relax and have a drink.

A good friend of mine loves their cider and wanted to go after a bike ride. I'm not a cider fan…read morepersonally, but I do like to eat! I ordered the TV dinner with brisket, macaroni and cheese and slaw. I also ordered their lemonade, which they did not have enough of to pour me a full serving. The bartender gave me a cup with a little bit of it, and it tasted good. I ordered a sweet tea in its place and asked for lemons, but they don't have lemons. The tea came out and it was OK but seemed like it either came from concentrate or was made a couple days ago. I mixed in the bit of lemonade that I had and that was good as an Arnold Palmer. Our food came out almost immediately. My macaroni and cheese and brisket were barely warm. The macaroni and cheese had heavy Velveeta shells and cheese vibes... just OK but nothing special. The brisket had a very good flavor but was very dry. It came with barbecue sauce, but I'm not a fan of barbecue sauce so I ate it like it was. The slaw was excellent. My friend got an order of fries which were delicious, I ate a bunch of them. She also got these jalapeño peppers that were wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese and I think pulled pork. She seemed to like them a lot, but she said that she's gotten them before a few times and every time they've been different The bartender that served us was really nice, she was happy to make recommendations. I thought the interior of this business was really nicely put together. Very clean and well organized.

The ciders are all pretty solid and the bartenders are friendly…read more I walked here 3 miles from my hotel only to find that the kitchen here closes an hour early . It would be really helpful of the business actually communicated this .

Amongst all the wineries in Temecula, there is Batch Mead tucked away just outside the main part of…read moretown. I personally like mead more than wine, and upon my visit to Temecula, I was excited to be able to try this place! We came in during a lull, and the owner Derek was there to personally serve us. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly an excellent maker of mead. He even has a variety of fun events you can sign up for like Viking nights where they have axe throwing and turkey legs, as well as Mead-Making classes with the man himself. We went with two of the flights: the new seasonal flavors and the classics. I was a big fan of the seasonal flavors, they were sweet and crisp, and the different fruit flavors really shone through. I liked the Thor's Courage the best of the classics flight, it was a sparkling mead that tasted the most like just classic honey mead. We asked for a recommendation based on our likes, and he offered us a glass of the Golden Butter Bee Mead, and it tasted as good as it sounded. It kinda was what I think Butterbeer should taste like. We ended up taking a bottle home. He also shared with us that he started his company in 2019, right before the pandemic, and he was able to survive by using his own truck to deliver mead all over the country. If that isn't a testament to his dedication to the craft and the quality of the mead, I'm not sure what is. Will definitely be back when I'm by Temecula, and I want to try to make one of the events sometime soon!

Batch Mead was an unplanned stop on our Temecula wine tour, as we both have an affinity for mead as…read morewell so we wanted to take a break to switch it up a bit. I could not have been more happy to have had the chance to come here! Derek is extremely friendly, and Batch Mead hosts multiple monthly events from their viking nights to their mead making courses; he is so incredibly knowledgeable in his craft, it is delightful to just sit and take the time to listen to him talk about his passion. Built into an industrial park (like many breweries today), the decor was incredibly tasteful and I really appreciated what he was able to do with the space to make it warm and welcoming, down to the glasses he used to serve the drinks. Now to the Mead itself, we ordered two taster flights as well as a glass of the Golden Butter Mead. To sum up my feelings about the entire ensemble, absolute perfection! Of all the mead I have had (which is a surprisingly large amount), Batch Mead blew my mind. If I was ever to try and describe what good mead should be, Derek's would be what I was describing to a tea. They ranged from semi-sweet to very sweet, but were all absolutely amazing and worth the drive up to Temecula alone. I will not only be returning, but this will likely become a staple in my drinking rotation!