I mean, probably.
Imagine Hrothgar’s mead hall from Beowulf, as if it were a happy place and not at all terrorized by a man-eating troll every night. Serving the best mead the Danes could muster. Hearing the latest gossip and boasts from all over. Meeting new friends and business partners, listening to skalds tell their stories in verse.
Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery, in Portland, Oregon, is that mead hall for the modern day. Not strictly Norse in its medieval theme (you might hear Lord of the Rings music in the background), but with viking shields adorning the walls and the raven banner prominently displayed, I think of Wyrd as my local mead hall.
Wyrd Hall is more than just tasty fermented honey in a medieval fantasy setting. They also have the excellent judgment to keep some Ridgewalker Brewing (an excellent establishment in its own right) beers on tap and an amazing food cart outside. But I mean more than that. It’s an atmosphere, a vibe, and a place where people can come for arts and commerce, even. Wyrd Hall connects its community the way those old mead halls would have done for their communities.
People have responded. Sometimes wearing elf ears. Sometimes in full viking garb. Costumed patrons complement the roaring fireplaces and the medieval artistry on the walls and add to the feel that you’ve stepped out of the city and into a fantasy tavern.
Wyrd Hall is a good partner for many a local artist and artisan in Portland. Drink and Draw every Wednesday night is absolutely for all levels of drawing. Thursday nights call out for Dungeons and Dragons and other games. Sunday nights are Mead and Magic (the Gathering) nights. Mead and Read nights with local authors began in October, with the owners generously opening their main tables for some of us professional scribblers.
Wyrd’s first Mead and Read night was also my first ever author reading. For a Norse fantasy author, the venue couldn’t have been more perfect.
Coming up on 25 November 2023 is their Small Business Saturday vendor night, where you can buy all sorts of local artisan wares.
With all that personality poured into the establishment, it’s easy to focus on the location over the wares. Owner Travis Sigler always intended it to be a tasting hall. “Come try our meads and hopefully take a bottle home,” he said.
Wyrd has many bottles to take home, and limited releases rarely last long. I opened a bottle of Oakenshield recently. Aged in whiskey barrels, this is on the dry side of Wyrd’s offerings and was a lovely pairing as I sat by the hall’s main fireplace.
More recent is the release of Lagertha’s Oath, a blueberry vanilla mead.
It would be irresponsible of me not to mention that Wyrd Hall ships its meads to most US states. You can even get a bottle of Lagertha’s Oath that way. For now.
Apologies to those outside the US. I hope you all can find local mead halls as good as this one. If you do, email me about it!
Written for Norsevember 2023.