"Aurea 13" won the "Grand Champion PRO 2026," the highest honor at the tournament.

*　At this time, there are no confirmed plans for the resale or rebottling of Aurea 13. We will announce any resale information on our Instagram and website, so we would appreciate it if you could follow us there.

In 2026, at one of the world's largest mead competitions, "Mead Madness Cup PRO 2026," the mead **"Aurea 13," produced by the Yasu, Shiga-based meadery 〈ANTELOPE Meadery〉, was awarded "Grand Champion PRO 2026," the competition's highest honor.**

According to official award records, this is the first time a Japanese meadery has won the Grand Champion title in the competition’s PRO category.
The highest honor at one of the world's largest competitions: Click here for results.

The winning mead, Aurea 13, achieved a near-perfect score of 98 out of 100 points. Click here to view the scoresheet.

The Mead Madness Cup is an international professional mead competition with entries from professional and amateur meaderies from around the world, primarily in Europe. The PRO category is open only to commercial breweries, and entries are judged comprehensively on aroma, taste, balance, technical skill, and overall perfection. This year, 777 types of mead were entered.

The Grand Champion title is the highest honor in the competition, selected from the top-rated entries in each category, and represents the pinnacle of quality in the global mead scene. This award is a symbolic achievement, demonstrating that mead brewed in Japan is recognized by global standards. Official announcements and details are also available in our press release. (Click here for more details)

About the winning mead "Aurea 13"

The "Aurea 13," which won the Grand Champion PRO 2026 title, is a sparkling traditional mead made using domestic honey harvested by Mr. Shiomi of the beekeeper "Yo-Bo-Ya" in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Grand Champion Winner "Aurea 13"

Aurea is Latin for "golden."
Our goal was to express the unique characteristics of honey nurtured in Japan's climate as a liquid of pure gold.
At ANTELOPE, we brew mead using Mr. Shiomi's honey every year, but in 2025, we refreshed our recipe. As an attempt to create two completely different styles from a single honey, we designed "Aurea 13" and its counterpart "Aurea 31" simultaneously.

The ability to derive different structures from the same honey is the true depth of mead—a challenge that would be impossible without the strength of the raw ingredients.
Aurea 13 is designed to maximize the natural aroma of the honey while providing a light effervescence and an elegant acidity. Despite its accessible 6% alcohol content, it offers a sophisticated structure and a lingering finish. This award is not just for the brewery; it is also a recognition on the world stage of the value of the honey nurtured by Japanese beekeepers.

From Yasu, Shiga to the World

ANTELOPE was founded in 2020 as Japan's first mead-specialized brewery based in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture. We work with the simple ingredient of honey, exploring the fusion of local Japanese agricultural products and fermentation culture to brew a diverse range of mead styles.
In recent years, we have transitioned to using domestic honey and expanded our facilities, focusing on enhancing our production systems and quality control. This Grand Champion award is a testament to the international recognition of our continuous efforts to improve quality.

Future Outlook

ANTELOPE plans to release a new lineup starting March 15, 2026. With this award as a catalyst, we will further strengthen the promotion of mead culture within Japan and our expansion into overseas markets.
Through mead—an ancient yet new alcoholic beverage—we aim to continue being a presence that connects people to each other and people to the land.

Comments from the Representative

"I am deeply honored that we could win the Grand Champion title at one of the world's largest mead competitions from our local base in Yasu, Shiga, and that the value of Japanese honey has been recognized globally. While continuously questioning the significance of brewing mead in Japan, I have challenged the world with our quality. I do not see this award as a finish line, but rather as a stepping stone for the further development of Japanese mead culture."