From Firefighting To Opening a Meadery With Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery

Legends Behind the Craft

Jeff Herbert is the Co-founder of Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona. He and his wife, Jennifer, built the meadery from scratch into one of the highest-rated beverage producers in the country.

Jeff earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University and spent most of his career as a firefighter for the Phoenix Fire Department. When he was still years from retirement and his wife also had a full-time job, the pair went headfirst into the world of mead. In 2019, the Small Business Administration recognized Jeff and his wife as the Small Business Persons of the Year.

In this episode with Jeff Herbert

How can a retired firefighter shift his career and open a meadery? For today's guest, it started by homebrewing for friends — which eventually led to something greater.

Alongside his wife, Jeff Herbert leads the world's first mead and food pairing restaurant in downtown Phoenix. Their mission is to reintroduce the world's oldest fermented beverage to humankind. How did they grow the brand, and how do they continue innovating?

In today's episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Thomas Hendricks and Bianca Harmon are joined by Jeff Herbert, Co-founder of Superstition Meadery, as he talks about his career redirection after serving as a firefighter for 20 years. Jeff also proudly shares what it was like opening the world's first mead and food pairing restaurant, the challenges he faced, and how he continues to build the brand.