Good old mead — a very ancient-sounding drink, right? Especially when we invoke it with old stories like Odin of Asgard or the poem “Beowulf.”
“Wine made from honey,” as Melody Stout described it. And, if you’re in the mood for that kind of drink, she and her husband Kyle are ready to serve it as new owners of a mead business with a new location near the Lehigh Valley.
The Stouts are the new owners of Space Time Mead & Cider Works, which opened a new location in early November at the Quakertown Farmers Market at 201 Station Road, Unit 217, in Richland Township.
Customers can sit down to enjoy mead and cider, sample drinks and purchase bottles at the market.
“I think the complexity that honey adds to a drink is really remarkable,” Melody Stout said. “It adds flavor, it adds a mouthfeel to it. It adds kind of a depth to the drink that other wines might not have. It’s often sweet and I like sweet things generally, although it can be dry as well. And it’s just the way that the beverage is formulated, I don’t know, agrees with me.”
Melody was assistant township manager for East Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, before leaving to oversee the business full time. Kyle still works as a sales representative for Arbor Fence Co.
The couple have been brewing mead and participating in competitions for years, but until now were unable to sell their drinks.
“Melody really enjoys mead making and I’m someone who loves marketing, so it kind of both went together,” Kyle said. “And Melody was saying for a while … ‘I think I can make mead the rest of my life.’ “
Melody said they were planning to open their own business, but while buying equipment from Space Time founder Dan Schreffler, he offered them a chance to take over.
Schreffler opened Space Time in 2018 at 419 S. Blakely St. in Dunmore, Lackawanna County, where the business will also continue to operate. It was meant to be a relaxed retirement business, but it ended up taking up more time then he anticipated.
The transaction for Space Time ownership hasn’t finalized yet, but Schreffler hopes for the Stouts become majority owners by the end of the year, calling them “fantastic mead makers.”
“There’s other things I want to do,” Schreffler said, even though he plans to help and still make mead occasionally.
Melody Stout said the Quakertown Farmers Market location is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Dunmore location is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. most Saturdays, and will expand to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday in February.
AndroMeada, has notes of honey suckle, mango, and candied lemons leading to a honey and spearmint finish is available Space Time Mead & Cider Works in the Quakertown Farmers Market on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Richland Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Melody Stout and her husband Kyle are taking over Space Time Mead & Cider Works, which sells mead and cider at the original Dunmore location and the Quakertown Farmers Market on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Richland Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Melody Stout and her husband Kyle are taking over Space Time Mead & Cider Works, which sells mead and cider at the original Dunmore location and the Quakertown Farmers Market on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Richland Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Melody Stout and her husband Kyle are taking over Space Time Mead & Cider Works, which sells mead and cider at the original Dunmore location and the Quakertown Farmers Market on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Richland Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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AndroMeada, has notes of honey suckle, mango, and candied lemons leading to a honey and spearmint finish is available Space Time Mead & Cider Works in the Quakertown Farmers Market on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Richland Township. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
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Lehigh Valley retail and restaurant news in brief
Legends Cigar Bar held a grand opening Friday at 154 Northampton St. in Easton. It offers memberships, alcoholic beverages, cigars, appetizers, live music and private events.
After 44 years in the Lehigh Valley, the paperbag will close its storefront Jan. 31 at The Shops at 3900 Hamilton in South Whitehall Township.
Mr. Tacos opened Jan. 4 at 1601 W. Liberty St. in Allentown, manager Luis Estrada said. The menu lists foods such as tacos, burritos, taco salads, enchiladas, chilaquiles, quesadillas, nachos and desserts. It’s open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Caring Hearts Clothing Closet and More announced it will hold a grand opening at 5 p.m. on Feb. 11 for its new location at 241 Lehigh Gap St. in Walnutport.
Sundaes on Broadway has gone up for sale at 101 S. Broadway in Wind Gap, real estate agent Jody Karam announced. It opened in 2024 as a rebrand from the former Sweet Nanny’s Candies and Ice Cream Creamery.
In other news
Winter restaurant weeks are back in several Lehigh Valley communities.
Easton Restaurant Week runs Jan. 18-24, Winter Restaurant Week in Historic Downtown Bethlehem is Jan. 25-31, East Penn Restaurant Week is Feb. 22-28 and Slate Belt Restaurant Week March 2-8.
In addition, the seventh annual Emmaus Soup Crawl is on from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 7. Sample soups from participants including Yergey Brewing, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop and Green Earth Marketplace.
This year’s event includes two separate trails; tickets are available on the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce website. A maximum of 100 tickets are available for each trail.
In other soup news, the 16th annual Souper Bowl will occur at 1 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Musikfest Café at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Local chefs will showcase their best soups in this culinary competition.
Tickets are available on the ArtsQuest website.
Retail Watch is a weekly column covering retail and restaurant news in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question, tip, or want to see something in the area? Contact retail reporter Graysen Golter at retailwatch@mcall.com.