Hello, this is Yazawa from ANTELOPE.
The temperature in Shiga has reached a level that makes it feel like midsummer already. As the heat rises, I would like to provide a reminder regarding how to store our mead.

〈DO NOT STORE ON ITS SIDE〉

With few exceptions, our mead is currently packaged in 500ml bottles with screw caps. Unlike crown caps, storing these bottles on their sides may lead to leakage due to increased internal pressure.
There are two main reasons for this pressure buildup and subsequent leakage:

1. Expansion of gas due to rising temperatures inside the bottle.

2. Tiny gaps forming in the cap due to vibration.

We have implemented various measures to prevent this (such as heat-expanding the caps before tightening them to improve the seal), but this summer is particularly hot, and storing or shipping the bottles on their sides increases the risk of leakage.

When informing customers or shipping our products, please ensure they are never stored on their sides.

---
There are many reasons for this, but the biggest factor is that "there are no inexpensive alternatives." I, too, want to ask if an excuse is really just an excuse.

Currently, there is a global shortage of glass bottles.

From the very beginning of our production, our desire to "create a drink for everyone to share, not just for one person" has remained unchanged. That is why, despite much opposition, we have consistently produced our mead in 750ml bottles. However, for the reasons above, it is only natural that glass bottle manufacturers would pull the rug out from under small-scale producers like us, and we have lost the right to a stable supply of 750ml bottles.

We once imported 750ml glass bottles through a food inspection process, but in our attempt to be cost-conscious, we ended up with thin bottles. We had to recycle over 90% of the 10,000 bottles we imported, which caused significant inconvenience to our retail partners.

Because of this, we are now using the current bottles, which are the closest in size to 750ml that we can source consistently. Domestically, production cannot keep up with the demand for 500ml bottles that use crown caps and can be supplied stably.

Once the situation stabilizes and the yen becomes stronger, we plan to return to using glass bottles that we import ourselves. For now, however, we intend to do the best we can with our current bottles, and we ask for your kind understanding.


〈Storage Instructions〉

Store in a cool, dark place.
The "dark place" part is, if anything, more important. If placed in a spot exposed to strong sunlight, even a durable mead will deteriorate faster.

As for temperature, room temperature is fine. By "room temperature," we mean 28°C or below. In temperatures above that, the rate of deterioration will increase; stability is higher at 20°C than at 28°C, and higher still at 12°C than at 20°C.

However, this stability varies by type of alcohol. Mead is less prone to oxidative deterioration than others, so it degrades more slowly than typical alcoholic beverages and is generally fine stored at room temperature.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
info@antelopemeadery.com

0 commentson [Important] Regarding product storage methods