American Meadmaker GREEN BENCH MEAD & CIDER A Look at Green Bench
HAY MAYKER MEADERY Q&A With AMMA & Adam Crocket
THE GREAT ALE YEAST EXPERIMENT Findings on Different Yeasts
Fall/Winter 2016
Features
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GREEN BENCH MEAD & CIDER A LOOK AT GREEN BENCH
HONEY: DIFFERENT FLOWERS, DIFFERENT FLAVORS A GUIDE FOR TASTING HONEY
HAYMAKER MEADERY Q & A WITH AMERICAN MEAD MAKER AND ADAM CROCKETT
VINOSHIPPER EXPANDING COMPLIANT, DIRECT TO CONSUMER SALES
MYTHIC MEAD NEW MEADERY SPOTLIGHT
MEAD GIVES BACK THE DOMRAS CUP MEAD COMPETITION RAISES FUNDS
THE GREAT ALE YEAST MEAD EXPERIMENT FINDINGS ON DIFFERENT YEASTS
MEAD RESEARCH RESEARCH BY AMMA
WHAT IS THE MEAD ACT AND HOW CAN I HELP? IMPROVING THE MEAD COMMUNITY
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AMMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AMMA BYLAWS AMMA MEADERY LIST
American Mead Maker ISSUE 16.2 • SUMMER 2016
EDITOR Jeff Herbert superstitionmeadery@hotmail.com Jeff has been working as a Wildland and Structure Fire Fighter/Paramedic since 1999. He is a founding member of AMMA and has owned and operated Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona since 2012.
ART DIRECTOR Paul V. Reiss paul@meadist.com Paul runs a small multi-disciplinary design company in Boston. He also manages Meadist. com, a mead-centric blog focused on expanding the appreciation of modern meadmaking.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor kookoolan@gmail.com Chrissie has been making mead since 1997. After 13 years at Intel Corporation as an engineer and engineering manager, she now owns Kookoolan Farms and Kookoolan World Meadery in Yamhill, Oregon.
ASSISTANT EDITOR Jennifer Herbert superstitionmeadery@hotmail.com Jennifer Herbert retired from a career in health and safety management, and founded and manages Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to another issue of our Journal, American Mead Maker, the only mead publication of its kind. This year has been an exciting one for the mead industry with many new meaderies starting up, and established producers expanding their operations. We continue to be the smallest but fastest growing sector of the US alcohol business. From entrepreneurial mead makers, to home brewers, to consumers, and the media, the list goes on as far as why we are expanding the world of mead. But I believe the common denominator of our success is that mead is so exciting and delicious for those who make it, and those who drink it. When the AMMA was established, and as it developed, the big picture goals have always been to first unite the mead industry, and then to change the system. The industry has come together as never before, and continues to solidify its bonds. Changing the system means two primary things, increasing the awareness of mead to become a beverage that all drinkers are aware of, and changing the way that we are regulated by the federal government. When you google the word mead, you will see an amazing array of media coverage that really didn’t exist 5 years ago. From America to Asia to Europe, from menus to International festivals, from bottle shares to birthdays, mead is here to stay. Mead awareness is growing exponentially, and the industry is very young with incredible potential. When it comes to changing the system, the AMMA leads the charge. Our first major success happened in February of 2015 when the TTB issued the FAQs on Honey Wine/Mead. Based on the efforts of the AMMA Legislative Committee, including Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor, Ken Shramm, and Brad Dahlhofer travelling to Washington D.C. to meet with TTB officials, the governing agency overseeing our industry reevaluated several aspects of the Code of Federal Regulations. This document has already helped mead makers many times to be able to label their products as they see fit, and as the consumer expects. During the process of working to effect change at the federal level, the AMMA Legislative Committee earned quite an education. After working with lawyers, congressional staffers, Representatives and Senators, and related industry groups, the AMMA drafted unprecedented legislation, and had it introduced as H.R. 6000, the MEAD Act. If you are like me, you may be a bit tired of not having your voice heard or your interests represented by our political process in general. It is normal to become complacent and disconnected from the extremes of politics. Leaving all other issues behind for a moment, when it comes to the fair regulation of the mead industry, you now have a real chance to make a difference. As a matter of fact, if you do not get involved, the status quo will continue, commensurate with our frustration with formulation, taxation, and labeling requirements. So read the piece by Brad Dahlhofer on the MEAD Act, and take advantage of his suggestions to facilitate change, right now. With a concerted grassroots effort we can cultivate the support required to compel our leaders to pass the MEAD Act. With your help we will change the system. Until Next Time,
Jeff Herbert MEADMAKERS.ORG • 5 •
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members, I hope you have had a productive summer, and I am happy to provide you with several updates from the American Mead Makers Association. After a discussion, the board voted and approved a Meadery In-Planning membership option, which provides access to all Corporate membership privileges, at half the cost. It’s a membership level that is good for two years only, and is designed to help meaderies succeed during their planning phase. I am happy to report that we currently have 9 members in this stage of development. Our membership levels have grown on all fronts including Corporate, Individual, & Trade. We are also investing in our Website, so
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look for more improvements over the next several months. The inaugural International Mazer Conference will take place next year, in and around the International Mazer Cup; the conference is being spear headed by Vicky Rowe. We are learning how to do this, and we will make the event something we can expand on as we grow. This year we will be pulling from the board and members for presenters. If you are interested in presenting, or finding out more, please contact Vicky Rowe at gotmead@gotmead.com. The legislative team has been very busy, in the drafting of the ‘‘Mead Equality And Definition Act of 2016’’ or the ‘‘MEAD Act,’’ which was introduced into the 114th Congress, by
Mark Sanford, U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina. We would like to thank Mike Tripka for his role in helping with this as well. The National Honey Board, who I have been striving to convince that they should be helping to market mead, has finally started to see the light. I am quite hopeful that in 2018 we can get them to include us in their budget. For those who don’t know, the National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses of honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. I have been involved with the Honey BEE[r] Summit for the past two years, where the NHB has been helping to
educate brewers on the advantages of making braggots. It was interesting to learn that the Disney company received funding from the NHB for keeping the honey bee section of the Jungle Book…so by being innovative, I believe that we can get funding to greatly expand the awareness of mead in America. A few mead focused bars, and restaurants are opening across the country, with articles in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Miami New Times, Draft Magazine, and NPR. Please post about any mead news you learn on our website, or on the AMMA Facebook group. Looking at the defining ingredient in mead, the good news is that the wholesale prices for honey have
fallen from the record high in 2014, by $.08 per pound, this past year. The bad news is that more honey is being illegally imported into the United States. The U.S Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, are looking for help with trying to identify and locate honey that’s being imported from China. The Special Agent in charge is Michael J. Leonard, he can be reached at (781) 941-6160, if you have any leads. Preventing counterfeit honey from ever being associated with commercial mead production is in all of our best interests.
bilities for an Executive Director of the AMMA. Thank you for being a part of the mead industry, and the AMMA, have a great fall., Sincerely,
Michael Fairbrother
The board continues to meet regularly, and while it is evident that we are all very busy running our own companies, we the board are working to define the role and responsi-
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Green Bench Mead & Cider BY BRIAN WING
A few years back, I was brewing beer commercially for Tampa Bay Brewing Company and also spending nights/weekends making mead and cider for Southern Brewing & Winemaking, just a mile or two down the road. It’s a bit cliché, but the Tampa brewing community has always been very much a family. Back in those days, it was especially true and there was a lot of mobility around town. So, four or five years ago, I was working at Southern with Khris Johnson, who was in plans to open a new brewery across the bay in St. Petersburg. He and I had spent many nights at Southern drinking bottles of Zombie Killer (B. Nektar was just starting to distribute in Florida at the time) and Dupont cider – we’re
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both French cider fanatics – and we got to talking about including mead and cider at the new brewery. Our mission was pretty straightforward. We wanted to make great mead and cider, of course, but we also wanted to show folks in the area what Florida was missing out on. At that time, the only cider available was the mass market, sticky sweet stuff and the mead was virtually non-existent, unless you knew where to search. So, we looked at education as a big part of the mission, and that has continued all the way to the present. In the tasting room, we want to give the customer a chance to try a number of different styles. Some will be familiar and
some will not, but the point is to show them that there is much more variety than they may be accustomed to. When I first started making mead as a hobby, I gravitated toward the big, high-alcohol styles, since they were about as different as it gets from the beers I was brewing at the time. I still make (and enjoy) those styles, but when the hot weather rolls in, I start looking for something with a lighter touch. So, I started to play around with session meads; using ingredients that I can find fresh locally, like watermelon, mango and kumquat… and of course, the best orange blossom honey on the planet. I was also adding a light carbonation to most of
these, which helped to bring out the delicate floral nose. At some point, I started to think of these as my idea of “Florida meads.” Subtle sweetness, and a touch of bubble – sometimes with fruit, sometimes without – but always a relatively delicate presentation of honey, water and yeast. That’s an area of mead making that we have had success in and where I’d like to continue exploring. When we were just starting to get the mead and cider side of the business kicked off, I was using jumped-up homebrew equipment – I’m sure that’s pretty familiar to most mead makers – so, we had rows of buckets and 5
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gallon corny kegs that I used for both fermentation and carbing. That helped as I scaled my old homebrew recipes up and tested new ones, but we outgrew that setup almost instantly. From there stepped up to 200 liter flat-bottom stainless tanks with a few 30-gallon poly conical fermenters mixed in. We still use those tanks today, but have since added in a half-dozen 600 liter tanks for our core brands. That’s given us the capacity to start very limited keg distribution here in the local area. All this time, I have been using ambient air temps to control fermentation and even crash my fermentations when needed, but our next expansion that’s in
of the country in number of operating meaderies, but it’s just starting to really take off. The Tampa Bay area is already setting itself up to be the epicenter of mead in the state, much as it is for beer. Jared Gilbert at Cigar City Cider & Mead has his cans all over the place, and if you venture into his tasting room in Ybor, you can pick from about two-dozen taps worth of cider or mead, or hit up one of his mead making classes. I’m also really excited to see Chad Wiltz of Garagiste working on his meadery buildout in Tampa. He’s already got a devoted following (of which I count myself a member), and his mead is going to make a big contribution to the local landscape. There are also a good number of bars around the state that have taken a particular interest in serving mead and cider from all over the world. That sort of exposure to the public is exactly what we need; both to inspire more interest in the hobby and also get more folks looking for the locally made brands. From a philosophical perspective, we don’t think of the craft beer and mead worlds any differently. At Green Bench, we are committed to using the best ingredients we can get our hands on; creating new flavors and new experiences with anything we ferment. In that way, they are very similar, but I do have my personal preferences as well.
the works will include 2000 liter stainless jacketed tanks and a brite, since the Florida summer makes air-cooling very difficult at that volume. I do have to give credit to the CoolBot for making it possible up to this point. My fermentation chamber and cold room are both outfitted with a 10K BTU window air-conditioning unit and a CoolBot. Even in August, I have the flexibility to run both into the low 40’s without the expense of a traditional walk-in refrigeration unit. The Florida mead scene is a lot like the Florida beer scene about 5 years ago. We may be a bit behind the rest
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I brewed beer at home and then commercially for a number of years, but there was something that always drew me to mead and cider. If I had to take a guess at why that was, I’d say it was the simplicity of it. Anyone that has brewed beer is familiar with the many steps in the process, and the myriad types of equipment used. When I would make a new mead or cider, 90% of the work was in the recipe planning. What flavor combinations would work together, what effect the different sweetness levels would have on the final impression, the yeast choice, the aging profile; all of that work happens before anything goes into the fermenter. Once that’s done, and you mix everything in the fermenter, you’ve just got to control the fermentation. There is a minimum of processing done to the ingredients which appealed to me; they get to speak for themselves. If the idea you had in your head was a good one, the final product should be as well. We have a lot of things in the works right now! Both the brewery and meadery are planning for a major expansion in 2016/2017 that (among other things) will include a massive increase in our barrel-aging program. That will open up room to experiment with spontaneously fermented ciders and also to play around with sour meads, so I am looking forward to that.
For the Cantillon fans, we’re honored to announce that Green Bench played host for this year’s Zwanze Day on October 1st. That just so happened to be the 3rd anniversary of our grand opening at Green Bench, so we added to the craziness with a bottle release on the same day. In 2015, we were lucky enough to receive a bronze medal for a cyser at the Mazer Cup. The recipe for that has always been one of my favorites and was actually the very first recipe I ever wrote years ago. It’s remained relatively unchanged since then, so it’s fitting to be selected as the first mead bottle release from Green Bench.
Also, we’ve been dipping our toe into the urban beekeeping hobby, with a hive on the roof of the brewery. It’s done amazingly well, and I’m working on some limited seasonal releases, showcasing the changes in the honey as the year goes on. We’re working with one of our local colleges to maintain the hive and train new beekeepers, and I’d like to see many more hives up there in the future – we have loads of palmetto, mangrove and wildflower within reach for the bees and no shortage of space on the roof of our building.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 11 •
HONEY DIFFERENT FLOWERS, DIFFERENT FLAVORS BY CARLA MARINA MARCHESE
Beekeepers know exactly when it’s time to harvest the honey from their hives. Each of the hexagonal beeswax cells that was once gleaming with nectar has been magically transformed into honey, which the bees seal closed, like corking a bottle of fine wine. Honeybees are ingenious, as they know that in order to keep their honey sweet, sticky, and viscous, the water content must be 18% or less. Honey is composed primarily of the sugars fructose and glucose, which gives honey its sweetness, and other trace amounts of enzymes, amino acids, phenolic acids and proteins. It is nearly an impossible task to transform nectar into a complex supersaturated solution by dissolving 80% sugar into less than 20% water. Somehow, by flapping their wings, worker bees skillfully evaporate the excessive moisture. This makes honey naturally hygroscopic, or moisture grabbing, so it perpetually tries to return to its natural bal-
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ance of 36% water. If beekeepers extract their honey before the bees have blessed it, the high water content can activate the naturally occurring yeast in the honey, causing it to become overly runny and ferment prematurely in the bottle. Those customers expecting a sumptuous honey experience might very well be disappointed, but for those looking to make spontaneously fermented mead, this quality could be divine. Honeybees have been making honey for thousands of years and man has been hunting it for at least 8,000 of them. This is remarkably depicted in the renowned Spider Caves’ pictographs in Valencia, Spain. Once reserved exclusively for the wealthy and royals, honey was considered an ac-
ceptable form of payment for taxes during Julius Cae- Darwin called the honeycomb a masterpiece of engisar’s reign. Today, beekeeping is sweeping the nation neering. Next, workers inside the hive create ventilainspiring apiaries from humble back yards to majestic tion by flapping their wings in order to reduce the water rooftops in major cities, even the White House is pro- content of the honey. Once the honey is ripe, a worker ducing honey – and it’s undeniably ambrosial! Capti- will close or cap the cell with more beeswax to keep it vated by its diverse colors, complex aromas and flavors, safe and sanitary. Since a hive collectively survives year honey is seducing the culinary world as the next cov- round, and bees spend the coldest days inside their hive, eted artisanal food. Worldwide, the honeybee pollina- they will make and hoard honey for their colony to contion of agricultural crops contributes nearly 210 billion sume in times when there is no flower nectar available. dollars annually; producing essential commodities like Honey is a bee’s source of carbohydrate, and pollen is coffee, chocolate, and cotton, not to mention a laundry their source of protein. list of other fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, grains, herbs and spices we consume everyday. Dairy products Varietal honey is also known as uni-floral or single-orand game also benefit from bees, and the grasses we igin, and is produced from primarily one type of flower feed livestock taste better when properly pollinated. In – think orange blossom, buckwheat or clover. Each floral the United States there are hundreds of identified plants source contributes a unique range of sensory characterthat provide nectar and pollen for bees, and thousands istics depending upon its terroir. We have come to assomore around the world. ciate the word terroir with fine wine - the soil, climate and the geographic region responsible for the unique It is the female worker bee that begins foraging for nec- characteristics expressed in each bottle. Goût de Tertar at three weeks old to make honey, by scouting out roir, in French loosely translates to “Taste of Place” and flowers within a four-mile radius from her hive. Having this age-old concept can be justifiably applied to hona keen sense of smell, she will land inside the nectary ey for exactly the same reasons. Terroir dictates where of a flower then sip the sweet liquid with her straw- a particular flower will grow, when it will bloom, how like tongue called a probiscus, similar to an elephant’s much nectar it will produce, and even the bee’s ability trunk. Once her honey sac is full she will carry it back to forage. Nature decides the quality and quantity of evto the hive. It is during the flight back that the remark- ery honey harvest. Most varietal honeys are produced able process of turning nectar into honey begins. She in limited quantities, some are quite rare like sourwood will add some of her own enzymes, specifically inver- or apple blossom. There are other major floral sources tase, which breaks down the sucrose rich nectar into the available nationally like clover, blueberry blossom and simple sugars, fructose and glucose. When she arrives alfalfa. Wildflower honey is sometimes referred to as at the entrance of her hive she will transfer her boun- million-flower honey, and is produced from many unty to a younger female house bee that will place it into specified floral sources in a particular region. The senone of the vacant beeswax hexagonal cells that make up sory qualities will change depending upon the season honeycomb. Why a hexagon shape rather than round or and region. Honey connoisseurs welcome nature’s unsquare? The six-sided hexagon is the strongest, most ef- certainty as it is what makes honey an unpredictable ficient shape in architecture that is able to hold the most taste experience. amount of honey in the least amount of space. Given that the cell wall thickness is only 0.005 cm, Charles Now let’s consider when a colony of honeybees is sur-
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 13 •
rounded by 10 acres or more of one floral source. They will gather nectar primarily from that source producing a varietal honey with a distinct color, aroma and flavor. Timing is crucial and beekeepers must be knowledgeable of the bloom period – some may last for only two to three weeks, and colonies must be at their peak strength when that nectar begins to flows. Mother Nature must also cooperate by bestowing temperatures above 50 F (most bees physically cannot fly at temperatures much lower than this). Rain and wind can whisk nectar and pollen from a flower literally robbing bees of an entire nectar flow until the following year. This is the terroir of honey at work. Despite that fact that there are hundreds of nectar-baring plants in the United States, domestic beekeepers only produce about 1/3 of all the honey consumed in the US. Given nature’s unpredictability, and the fact that a honeybee makes a mere 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her entire life, pure honey is a special substance. Then add into the mix the disappearing bee phenomenon, loss of natural habitats, big agri-
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cultural chemicals, and you might wonder how much honest honey really gets made. Relationships with local beekeepers and honey packagers can insure that you are purchasing what you expect. In order to meet the demands of the American sweet tooth, a considerable amount of honey is imported, blended or pasteurized for commercial distribution in order to maintain a consistent product. Yet it is still possible to obtain good quality honeys from around the world, at a premium price. Noteworthy single-origin honeys like lavender from France, chestnut from Italy or thyme from Greece hold high marks on the adventurous eater’s spoon. Why is varietal honey becoming so wildly desirable? With the farm to table movement and the popularity of beekeeping, Americans are rediscovering the authentic flavors of our land, and honey is the only raw sweetener produced by nature that offers a multi-layered tasting experience. Some swear by local honey, but all good quality honey has the same inherent properties – a low
pH, and its hygroscopic qualities that makes it difficult As you taste, concentrate on the flavor notes and when for bacteria to thrive. Exploring varietal honey is a re- they show up in this process, the flavor is in the details. warding sensory experience not to be missed. Are they weak, mild, bland or assertive? Are they long lasting or have an abrupt ending? Feel the weight of the Let’s take the terroir of honey one step further. It is pos- honey in your mouth; does it feel smooth, gritty, velvety, sible to taste the difference between an orange blossom creamy or runny? These are the general flavor families honey from the groves in Florida and orange blossom for honey. You are not limited to only these descriptors honey from the deserts of Arizona, or the intense malty when discussing the aromas and flavors of honey. We New York Buckwheat, from a dark smoky California av- experience flavor as a combination of taste, texture and ocado honey. With sensory training, you can learn to aromas. identify the unique qualities of a honey by evaluating the color, aroma, texture and flavors using a method The best way to learn about honey is by tasting it side by developed in Italy. The method has been used for thir- side to compare and contrast each of the sensory qualty years and involves writing tasting notes using hon- ities. In your travels, whether it is to your local farmer’s ey-centric descriptors to create your individual flavor market or an exotic trip to a remote location, never miss memories. Sensory analysis is a valuable tool that can the chance to pick up a few jars of the honeys produced be useful in identifying the floral source of a honey and in the region. If you have the chance to visit a beekeepthe region it was produced in. Tasting honey using sen- er they will be thrilled to share their passion and latest sory methods can be as complex as the work of an oe- harvest with you. If you are looking for serious sensory nologist or wine sommelier. training in honey checkout The American Honey Tasting Society where you will find in depth training in the sensory analysis of honey.
A HONEY CONNOISSEURS GUIDE FOR TASTING HONEY
For more info visit: americanhoneytastingsociety.com
Applying the method of sensory analysis to honey is similar to how we evaluate wine, olive oil or coffee. Following is a brief overview of what you are looking for, as you begin your honey tasting journey. VISUAL: The color of honey is related to the floral source and mineral content of the soil. There are seven designated colors: water white, extra white, extra light amber, light amber, amber, and dark amber, with tones ranging from yellows, greens, reds, deep purples and even black. TASTE: The five taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami are experienced on the tongue. On a global scale you will find that not all honeys are just sweet, some are sour, salty and quite bitter. Yes, there are honeys that have a savory, umami quality. AROMA & FLAVOR: Roll the honey around the glass or better, smear it with a spoon, stick your nose inside, inhale. The aroma of honey does not always match the flavors. Scoop up a generous sample of the honey with your spoon, coat your tongue, let it melt to body temperature allowing the flavors to slowly unfold. Inhale through your mouth.
Carla Marina Marchese is the founder of Red Bee Honey and the author of HONEYBEE, and co-author, with Kim Flottum (editor of Bee Culture Magazine) of The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey. She is a member of the Italian National Registry of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey, which led her to establish The American Honey Tasting Society (AHTS). Marina is a regular guest speaker for the National Honey Board. This year she will be a honey judge for the annual Italian honey competition – Tre Gocce d’Oro, and served on the inaugural honey committee for The Good Food Awards.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 15 •
Haymaker Meadery Q & A with American Mead Maker and Adam Crockett • 16 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
AMM: What aspects about your personality, and/or any founders or key people in your company, translate into your philosophy or products? AC: I have a background in brewing and the beer industry, and a lot of that has affected my mead making. We do a lot of barrel aging and utilize techniques that might seem more at home in a brewery. We wanted to create a meadery that was truly different from what we had found up to that point. I am seeing several other meaderies taking the same approach as we have recently. I think this will really help advance mead in general. AMM: What is the local scene like? AC: The scene in our area is very brewery focused. Philly is an advanced beer and craft beverage market, with that comes the good and the bad. The good, a lot of people know what mead is so we don’t have to educate them first. I find a lot of people in this area are looking for mead as well. The bad, a lot of people know what mead is and they have had some bad ones, or they have a one dimensional view of mead. This is the hardest hurdle to overcome. They have already made the decision that they do not like mead. In general our local market is warming up to mead. We are definitely gaining popularity because of cider and the gluten free movement.
AMM: What are your most popular products? AC: Our most popular still mead is Parlor, a mead made with wildflower honey, bitters, orange and lemon zest, and aged in a bourbon barrel. It’s a play on the classic Old Fashioned. Our most popular sparkling mead is Sweet Leaf, an 8% mead made with American hops. We also have a lemon basil sparkling mead that does very well. AMM: What new projects are you working on? AC: I am always working on new projects, my mind never stops. I am currently working with some fun ingredients like cucumbers and grapefruit. I have great ideas for them but just need to figure out how to showcase them the way I would like. AMM: What makes Haymaker Meadery unique? AC: We make meads with various flavor combinations and layers. Most of our meads will not fit into the pyment or melomel categories because we have more than one ingredient in it. I will make some more traditional mead, but right now I am having a lot of fun creating new recipes. We also like to make short meads and drier meads. AMM: What has been your experience with the TTB?
AMM: What is the statewide scene like? AC: Statewide mead is doing really good. I know of 4 other meaderies in PA besides ourselves and a few in the planning stages. Pennsylvania’s liquor stores are state owned, that makes things more difficult. But they have recently passed some new laws that make things more accessible, such as mead and/or wine being able to be sold to brewery tasting rooms. AMM: What were your goals in starting a mead business, and have they changed?
AC: Don’t get me started, I am just looking for some consistency with them. AMM: What would you like to see happen in the mead industry? AC: I think the most important thing to help advance the mead market into the mainstream is for everyone to work together. If we support one another, help each other out, and spread the word of mead together, we will all grow together.
AC: My goal was to make the best mead possible and share it with as many people as possible. They have not changed.
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The “Secret” to Expanding Compliant, Direct to Consumer Sales BY THERESA DORR I work for VinoShipper, and I believe that my company and the mead industry share a common goal. We both want to introduce more people to mead. Our business helps wineries ship their products directly to consumers, and in certain cases we can even act as a distributor. Nearly 100 meaderies have compliantly opened their direct to consumer sales to over 30 states with zero risk, an easy set up, and no monthly fees. It’s easy, affordable and effective. Ben Alexander from Maine Mead Works of Portland Maine reports that “Direct-to-consumer sales through Vino-shipper is a fast growing revenue category for us, and their pricing and the resulting profit margins are very attractive.” Regulatory compliance is often seen as too complex, expensive, and time consuming for small meaderies to tackle. No doubt, most meaderies have looked into adding a state to their shipping network, only to find that after the cost of getting a permit, the complexities continue. Part of this is due to collecting, filing, and paying sales taxes which vary by ZIP code and state. Add in age
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verification, volume, quantity limits, and even managing shipping issues with broken bottles or lost packages, and it’s easy to see why so many meaderies choose to solely ship within their own state. This caps their ability to increase sales and greatly restricts their own success. That is…until they learn about VinoShipper. VinoShipper manages the regulatory compliance and provides meaderies of all sizes with a network of compliant direct to consumer states. In just a few minutes meaderies can register for VinoShipper and start to expand sales across the country. With registration each winery is provided with a fully compliant shopping cart which can be added to most websites. The shopping cart can also be added to Facebook pages in as little as five minutes. There is no risk as VinoShipper does not charge a signup fee or a monthly recurring fee. The fees are low and applied only when a sale is made. “The fee is worth the value, since we do not have the capacity to obtain
permits to sell in other states,” states Sam Schiebold of Golden Coast Mead in Oceanside, California. Sam continues, “The shopping cart was incredibly easy to add to our website as well as to our Facebook Page.”
ties. “We are currently in the process of planning for the holidays, and we want to let our local customers know they can ship gifts to their family and friends” said Micah Mailand, Tasting Room Manager of Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona.
VINOSHIPPER MANAGES THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND PROVIDES MEADERIES OF ALL SIZES WITH A NETWORK OF COMPLIANT DIRECT TO CONSUMER STATES.
Beyond the shopping cart, meaderies are leveraging sales through Mead Clubs. In general, clubs offer loyal fans the opportunity to register for automatic and recurring purchases of mead. People who register for a club provide payment information and select to either pick up their bottles, or have their purchases shipped. The revenue can add up. If you manage 300 members with releases being $60.00 each, four times a year, this totals $72,000 annually. Clubs are a great way to keep people experiencing your new meads. Securing credit cards and processing payments can be daunting. Recognizing this, VinoShipper provides every account with a fully compliant club management solution which makes processing club releases easy.
I asked Diane Currier of Honeygirl Meadery in Durham, North Carolina why she decided to try VinoShipper and she replied, “As a small business owner I wear many hats…we have plenty of paperwork to keep up with, in addition to the main tasks of making our mead, bottling it, and then marketing and selling it one bottle at a time to customers, as well as delivering it to retail accounts. Before VinoShipper, when our customers asked if we shipped, we said No. We’d have to have a license in every state we ship to, and we just aren’t big enough to handle all of that. When we learned that VinoShipper would manage the licensing and paperwork for the states we ship to, and for a reasonable fee, we knew that we had found our shipping partner. VinoShipper makes it easy for us to manage a full shipping program, across the country, without having to take on several more reporting tasks and paperwork headaches. The signup was incredibly easy, and I wish we’d done it earlier.” VinoShipper helps you say goodbye to the difficulty of understanding, investing and managing regulatory compliance. When a meadery registers with VinoShipper they are able to enter their own wines, set their prices, and include any discounts. Each meadery remains in control of their brand and business. When a meadery decides to maintain their own permits, VinoShipper provides signature ready reports for each state. All of which makes managing direct to consumer compliance affordable for any size business. By expanding the number of states to which a meadery can compliantly ship to, it opens new sales opportuni-
“Is mead really wine?” This question comes up all too frequently and VinoShipper continues to be an advocate for meaderies. Several times shipping companies have decided that mead is not wine so it cannot be shipped. Whenever this happens, VinoShipper has stepped up to educate the organizations and has been successful in keeping mead recognized as wine for shipping purposes, and on keeping the shipping companies informed. In support of the growing mead industry, VinoShipper has established a web page solely for meaderies. This can increase the visibility of participating meaderies as people search for meads in general, by a specific state, or by name. Every meadery who registers with VinoShipper and adds their products to their account is listed on the mead page. Many small business owners ask, “Why should I even offer to ship my products when all of my clients are local.” I hear this all of the time, when in fact, often the clients are only local because you do not offer shipping. Once you let your loyal fans know that they can send your mead to friends across the country, you will see sales increase. Since I started working with meaderies at VinoShipper, I have seen this proven true, time and time again. I look forward to hearing from you, and answering any additional questions that you may have. Contact VinoShiper today at 866-678-8466 or Register today at https://vinoshipper.com/getting-started. You may find a list of meaderies using VinoShipper at www.VinoShipper.com/Mead
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 19 •
NEW MEADERY SPOTLIGHT
Mythic Mead Hello, my name is Shauna Scheets and my husband is William LeFave. We founded the veteran-owned and operated meadery Mythic Mead LLC in Boise, Idaho with a primary production facility located in Garden City, Idaho (just outside Boise). Allow me to give you a little background as to how Mythic Mead came to be. It was shortly after my husband, one of the owners, William LeFave, received his medical retirement from the army that we decided that we were too young to retire (fully). While we were quite busy with everything from working with Veterans Affairs (the VA), to parenting our toddler son, my work with Hewlett-Packard, and writing, we found that something was lacking. We needed to find something that we loved, but that could also accommodate his disability on an as needed basis, since being a mechanic for rotary engines (like those on Apache and Blackhawk helicopters) was no longer an option for him. I found the caregiving requirements of my new life didn’t function with my work schedule, and so I left the world of information technology, and project management of a secure military network, for a life that was a little closer to home. I also needed something that expressed the career-side of me, so the idea of a new business, while at times daunting, was something I also wanted to pursue. We had already been making mead on the homebrewer scale for several years, and our friends, and people we knew in the bar industry, kept requesting more of what we made. Soon, we found that the late night talks about a hobby of passion, and repeated requests to make our mead available, while giving Idaho its premier dedicated meadery, grew into the initial seedlings that would become the commercial entity that is Mythic Mead. The scale has now grown to the smaller end of commercial, projected to run a seven barrel system (or approximately 1000 liters, or 260 gallons) every month. Aside from scale, however, much of our process remains the
• 20 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
same. We are still dedicated to using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients (such as Pacific Northwest honey, berries and herbs) and we never back sweeten our product with sugar. This results in a superior product that is natural, gluten free and tastes great (at least in our opinion - but why not try for yourselves and find out if you like it?). While we offer traditional meads, you will also find much of the Mythic Mead product has been aged in oak with varying levels of char to provide different levels of that “smoky” taste. We find that aging in oak melds the flavors nicely, and can take any biting bitterness and turn it into a fuller and more enjoyable product.
PEOPLE WE KNEW IN THE BAR INDUSTRY, KEPT REQUESTING MORE OF WHAT WE MADE Aside from the fact that we have no local state meadery, the beverage scene in Idaho, and especially in Boise, is vibrant for craft beverages featuring everything from beer to wine to several distilleries. However, there was no location dedicated to the production and sale of mead, so what began as a pipe dream started getting real numbers and business planning. This is where my project management experience was helpful, as well as expert advice from Michael Fairbrother at Moonlight Meadery, Sergio Moutela at Melovino, Andrew Berg at Vintner Vault, the American Mead Makers Association [AMMA], our local chapter of SCORE and the Small Business Administration. Mythic Mead started to become a viable commercial endeavor. Completely self-funded, Mythic Mead has taken its time to open alcoholic production and sales, but with a little luck, and rather a bit of patience and determination, everything will be official and ready-to-go as of fall 2016.
I would like to be able to say what our experience with the Tobacco Trade Bureau has been, but it can be summed up in just two words: “still waiting”. It’s hard to find anything comparable to ‘the speed of government’. Due to this and other variables, the first batch of Mythic Mead will hit likely sometime this fall. As to our experience with the rest of the mead and craft brewing and winemaking industries? I personally can say from experience that I have never found a more fun or knowledgeable and intelligent group of people to work with (and I’ve worked with quite a few). At one of the hardest times in our lives, help came from an unexpected corner: mead. We all have difficulties, but mead has helped me and my family to confront and conquer ours, as I am sure it will continue to do. Mead gave my husband something to work for and to think about, that was not his injury. It gave me a sense of self outside of the home again. It let us feel that our son had parents whom he could be proud of. I can only hope that Mythic Mead will further help the industry, and humanity in general, as much as it has helped us. Looking back, everything has been a rather incredible and unexpected journey leading us to Mythic Mead’s birth. Though there have been some struggles, I can honestly say that I can’t imagine this world or my life without Mythic Mead, and that I, for one, am glad that it was an idea that refused to die. We thank everyone for their incredible support and interest to this point, and would like to remind them that they can find our non-alcoholic swag, such as flat-bottom and traditional horn mugs and stemless wine glasses, available for purchase now on our website, https:// mythicmead.com. We also encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Google Plus, where you can find the latest updates on the business. This fall, please join us in celebrating one of the newest kids on the block, as Mythic Mead diversifies into a joyous array of flavors while adding further depth to an already wonderful mead industry. As always, at Mythic Mead we invite you to Be Mythic, and to try Mythic Mead.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 21 •
Mead Making “Bootcamp” THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 2017
Under the direction of Chik Brenneman, UC Davis Winemaker, students will learn how to make mead in a one-day hands-on course. Following a traditional mead recipe students will learn about honey selection, create a fermentation and then bottle a mead.
Beginner’s Intro to Mead Making FRIDAY & SATURDAY JANUARY 13-14, 2017
Explore this fascinating fermented beverage from its rich history to its recent rebirth in America. The short course is coordinated with several of the leading mead makers in the United States, and with faculty and staff from the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. • 22 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
Mead Gives Back
( picture of Domras organizers Mike Tripka and John Wilson presenting a check to Katie of Ronald McDonald House at the SBL monthly meeting)
THE DOMRAS CUP MEAD COMPETITION RAISES FUNDS FOR THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA The 18th Domras Cup mead only competition in Savannah, Georgia was a success in more than one way. Not only was it the largest ever for Domras (140 total entries), but we put on an epic post-judging low country boil, with pulled pork and a May River oyster roast. Additionally, the competition also benefited a local charity, the Ronald McDonald House. Organized by the Savannah Brewers League (SBL), the Domras Cup has been a mainstay mead only competition for amateur mead makers. Entries, judges, and stewards from all over the country came to Savannah in February. SBL wanted to do more than just give back quality feedback for the entrants. They figured that giving to the community would be a way to not only promote mead awareness, but provide a needy charity,
funds for their mission. Ronald McDonald House of Savannah was chosen for their work and commitment to providing a respite for families whose children are being treated at local hospitals for critical illness or injury. While there is some national support, most of the funds needed are raised locally. 100% of those funds stay in the community. All entry fees were earmarked for donation, as were the proceeds from an auction held after the competition. Local businesses chipped in to defray the cost of running the Domras. Meals, supplies, and monetary donations were received. In the end, the SBL was able to present a check for $1905.00. We thank all who entered, and those who worked to make this event a success.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 23 •
THE GREAT ‘ALE YEAST’ MEAD EXPERIMENT BY BILLY BELTZ As a growing number of people have discovered, mead is a delicious beverage that is currently being reinvented by creative commercial and home mead makers across the country. One aspect of making mead that makes it both exciting and frustrating is the relative lack of data available on ingredient selection and other factors. Compared to beer brewers or grape-wine makers, mead makers are often left to their own experimentation to discover the results of going outside traditional best practices.
meads made with ale yeasts.
One best practice that has become entrenched in mead making is the exclusive use of wine yeasts. Yet recent experimentation by commercial and home mead makers has revealed positive results using ale yeasts, including unique aroma and flavor profiles and shorter aging time to get to an enjoyable product. However, there still exists very limited published data on the impact of using various ale yeasts for mead.
The first batch would be made with Orange Blossom honey from San Diego, and the second batch would be made with Desert Wildflower honey from San Diego. Some of the floral sources for the Desert Wildflower honey included sage, buckwheat, and alfalfa.
THE PROJECT
The author had previously experimented with myriad different ale yeasts for mead, resulting in a wide- range of aroma and flavor profiles. The yeasts that had produced the most consistent results were included in this experiment. Additionally, there is a good amount of data on the use of Wyeast 1388 for mead (spearheaded by Bray Denard, PhD), so that yeast was also included. The full list is below; all of these are liquid ale yeasts:
The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the favorable and unfavorable elements of a selection of different ale yeasts for mead, and provide additional data points to assist mead makers when considering ale yeasts. Although there was one wine yeasts used to provide a point of comparison, this experiment was not designed to compare meads made with wine yeasts to
• 24 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
Since one of the possible benefits of using ale yeast is short aging time, there was a desire to evaluate meads that were relatively young. There was also a desire to evaluate the impact of each yeast across more than one type of honey varietal. Due to space limitations, the fermentation would need to be done in two different batches, and each batch would include nine different yeasts.
YEAST SELECTION
• WLP001: California Ale Yeast (White Labs)
• WLP002: English Ale Yeast (White Labs)
ever that was not possible for this experiment, so the vials of yeast were pitched directly into the mead must.
• WLP004: Irish Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP007: Dry English Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP028: Scottish Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP041: Pacific Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP300: Hefeweizen Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP500: Monastery Ale Yeast (White Labs) • WLP545: Belgian Strong Ale Yeast (White Labs) • Wyeast 1388: Belgian Strong Ale Yeast • Wyeast 3711: French Saison Ale Yeast Yeasts previously tested that were not part of this experiment include WLP013, WLP023, WLP 051, WLP080, WLP090, WLP510, WLP530, WLP590, and WLP644. Additionally, Lalvin 71B-1122 was chosen as the wine yeast to use as a comparison. Lalvin 71B is a very popular dry yeast used by many commercial and home mead makers.
FERMENTATION PROCESS The meads were fermented in 1-gallon carboys. Starters are usually recommended for liquid yeasts to ensure healthy yeast population and correct pitching rate, how-
The first batch of mead was started on 7/11/15 and made with Orange Blossom honey and nine different ale yeasts. For the second batch, the decision was made to include six of the original ale yeasts from the first experiment and add three new yeast choices, including one wine yeast. The second batch was started on 8/29/15 and made with Desert Wildflower honey. Both batches involved the same preparation and fermentation process. The honey was mixed with bottled spring water in a two 5-gallon glass carboys. Once the same gravity was established for both 5- gallon carboys, they were distributed to the nine 1-gallon carboys and the different yeasts were pitched. The Staggered Nutrient Addition (SNA) regimen that was used involved a mix of Fermaid O, Fermaid K and DAP totaling 350 ppm of Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN). The nutrients were added in four stages: in the must prior to pitching yeast, at 24 hours, at 48 hours, and at 72 hours. All meads were fermented in a chest freezer set at a constant 66-68 degrees. Mead requires consistent degassing during the first part of fermentation in order to release the CO2 trapped in the must, so each mead was aerated by vigorously shaking the carboys twice a day for the first five days. Also, as is common practice for mead, water was not added to the airlocks until the final nutrient addition was added on day four. All meads completed fermentation between 14-21 days. Starting and final gravities are listed below:
Figure 1: Gravity Readings
Figure 1: Gravity Readings Starting Gravity 7/11/15 Yeast Strain WLP001 WLP002 WLP004 WLP007 WLP545 Wyeast 1388 WLP028 WLP500 Wyeast 3711 WLP041 WLP300 Lalvin 71B
(Orange Blossom)
Final Gravity 11/5/15 (Orange Blossom)
Starting Gravity 8/29/15 (Wildflower)
Final Gravity – 11/5/15 (Wildflower)
1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 1.095 N/A N/A N/A
1.002 0.998 1.000 0.996 0.998 0.999 0.996 0.995 0.996 N/A N/A N/A
1.105 1.105 1.105 1.105 1.105 1.105 N/A N/A N/A 1.105 1.105 1.105
1.006 1.005 1.008 1.003 1.002 1.006 N/A N/A N/A 1.006 1.002 1.004
Tasting Panel
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 25 •
The meads were evaluated by a tasting panel of mead makers and judges in San Diego and the greater Southern California region. The panel consisted of six individuals including: • Petar Bakulic, President of the Mazer Cup International, Mead Judge with sensory training and
TASTING PANEL
RESULTS
The meads were evaluated by a tasting panel of mead makers and judges in San Diego and the greater Southern California region. The panel consisted of six individuals including:
The first thing that was evident from the tasting panel evaluations was how much impact an individual yeast strain can have on a finished mead. Each yeast produced its own aroma and flavor profiles that were clearly distinguishable from the others. Certain ale yeasts displayed much higher levels of fruity esters that seemed to enhance the perceived sweetness of the mead, while others seemed to emphasize an acidic tartness that produced a drier mouthfeel. Some yeasts strains had a significant impact on aroma and taste while others were more neutral and showcased the honey varietal.
Petar Bakulic, President of the Mazer Cup International, Mead Judge with sensory training and well-known as “Oskaar” from the GotMead forum and podcast. Frank Golbeck, CEO and Head Mead Maker at Golden Coast Mead and BJCP Certified Mead Judge. Mary Anne Bixby, Mead Judge and longtime host of National Mead Day in San Diego, CA. Greg Lorton, BJCP Certified Mead Judge/National Beer Judge and mead maker of 25 years. Michael Hawkins, BJCP Certified Mead Judge and home mead/cider maker. Eric Holden, BJCP Certified Mead Judge and National Beer Judge and multiple-time medal winner at the National AHA Competition. The tasting panel gathered at Golden Coast Meadery in Oceanside, CA on Thursday, November 5th. The judges were provided with three flights of six meads, judging each flight before moving on to the next. The first flight consisted of orange blossom meads with yeasts WLP001, WLP002, WLP004, WLP007, WLP545, and Wyeast 1388. The second flight consisted of wildflower mead with the same yeast strains as the first flight. The third flight consisted of the final six meads, three orange blossom with yeasts WLP028, WLP500 and Wyeast 3711 and three wildflower meads with yeasts WLP041, WLP300 and Lalvin 71B. During the blind tasting the judges were served meads in random order and asked to evaluate both the aroma and flavor profiles of each mead using a scale of 1-4, with 1 being “poor”, 2 being “fair”, 3 being “good”, and 4 being “excellent”. The judges were also asked to comment on tasting notes for each mead. Additionally, each judge was asked to select their favorite and least favorite mead from the first two flights.
• 26 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
Figure 2.1 displays the aroma and taste results for batch of mead made with orange blossom honey, and Figure 2.2 displays the results for the wildflower batch. The individual scores from each judge were added together resulting in total scores for both aroma and flavor for each yeast strain. There was no clear consensus from the panel as to which strains were the most favorable or least favorable. In fact, as demonstrated in Figure 3.0, there were two different strains that were a favorite of one judge and least favorite of another. The honey varietal used played a major role as well; one judge chose the same yeast strain as their favorite for one batch and least favorite for another. There were, however, some themes that were uncovered by the data. WLP001 and WLP002 received the most positive evaluations and each was chosen as the favorite five times. WLP004 and WLP545 had the most negative evaluations and were chosen by several judges as the least favorite. WLP041, which was only used for the wildflower batch and therefore not considered in the favorite/least favorite evaluation, received the highest total score. And it was very interesting to see that 71B, which is a popular yeast for many mead makers, received a score similar to the lowest scoring ale yeasts.
Figure 2.1: Orange Blossom Test
Orange Blossom 22 20 18 22 16 20 14 18 12 16 10 14 8 12 6 10 4 8 2 6 0 4 2 0
Orange Blossom
Aroma Taste Aroma Taste
001
002
004
007
545
1388
028
500
3711
001Desert 002 004 Test 007 Figure 2.2: Wildflower
545
1388
028
500
3711
Figure 2.2: Desert Wildflower Test
Figure 2.2: Desert Wildflower Test 22 20 18 22 16 20 14 18 12 16 10 148 126 104 82 60 4 2 0
Wildflower Wildflower Aroma Taste Aroma Taste
001
002
004
007
545
1388
041
300
71B
001
002
004
007
545
1388
041
300
71B
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes chart (see other attachment) MEADMAKERS.ORG • 27 •
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes chart (see other attachment)
Further Discussion
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes Yeast Strain WLP001
Petar Bakulic
Frank Golbeck
Mary Anne Bixby
OB: Honey aroma is distinct, floral, fruity, citric, slight petrol character. Floral honey flavor in the finish. WF: Raw honey in the nose. Some fruity character, quince and citrus. Unfermented honey flavor, not hot, more balanced than some others.
OB: Bubblegum to concord grape in nose. Crisp and refreshing. WF: Nice nose. Rich honey. Nice body. A bit hot on the upper palate but nice. Creamy. Favorite (OB)
OB: Nice orange blossom aroma. Smooth mouthfeel and nice finish. WF: Raw honey aroma, sl chocolate in the taste. Smooth mouthfeel. Favorite (OB) Favorite (WF)
WLP002
OB: Yeasty and somewhat astringent, honey and flowers in the nose, honey character on retronasal. WF: Floral notes, honey aroma, yeasty and fruity like apple, pear, peach. Smooth with less alcohol bite than others. Balanced, develops well along the palate. Favorite (WF)
OB: More citrus and honey in aroma than others. Nice balance with honey, citrus and acidity. Finish lingers. WF: Lots of honey in the nose. Intense honey and great body. A bit sweet but still clean in finish. Favorite (WF)
OB: Seems sweeter than others. Some honey arom very slight metallic taste. WF: Tangerine aroma, slig raw honey flavor, slight harshness.
WLP004
OB: Yeasty, estery, petrol, chalk, alcoholic. Citrus, sandalwood, dry, thin, bready, musty. WF: Soft floral notes, apple and quince, estery, some tropical notes. Citric flavor, honey character is distinct. Good balance. Least Favorite (OB)
OB: Bubblegum in nose. Medicinal. WF: A bit mousy in the nose. Woody, disjointed. Upper palate/retronasal is sub optimal. Rubbery.
OB: citrus aroma that dissipates after standing. WF: Some sulfur in aroma Taste is not very distinct.
WLP007
OB: Faint floral notes, honey aroma, alcohol, mineral, somewhat hot. No sweetness of note, some acid. WF: Honey aroma pronounced, floral character, apple, fruity, sweet aroma profile. Candy. Round mouthfeel, warming. Least Favorite (WF)
OB: Lightest nose but orange blossom comes through. Citrus and acid, minimal honey on finish. Alcohol is noticeable. WF: Nose has lots of wildflower. A bit plastic. Apple, then honey. A bit unfermented honey in the finish.
OB: Moderate honey arom Slightly acidic. WF: Pronounced raw hone aroma, also in taste. Least Favorite (WF)
• 28 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
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Greg Lorton
Michael Hawkins
Eric Holden
OB: Alcohol and orange blossom in aroma. Low fusels, smoother than some of the others. WF: Honey sweet aroma. Mild flavor, low acidity and tannins. Low fusels. Favorite (OB) Favorite (WF)
OB: Very light rubber/chemical aroma, much less orange blossom character, low heat with smooth finish. WF: Nice honey aroma, slight fruity esters, plum. Low alcohol present, smooth and light finish.
OB: Fruity esters mix with underlying honey varietal. Alcohol burns the nose. Apple and blueberry notes. WF: Raw honey aroma and some woody sage notes. Very smooth, no alcohol hotness.
OB: Lots of esters, orange blossom honey aroma. Mellow, lacking tartness, almost insipid. Some fusels in finish. WF: Medium honey aroma, low alcohol in nose. Alcohol evident in finish, tart finish.
OB: Mild honey character, low phenolics, fruity esters which balance slight sweetness. Low alcohol on finish. WF: Raw honey aroma, sweet fruity esters. Sweetness is balanced nicely with light astringency and a touch of acid in finish. Favorite (OB) Favorite (WF) Medium-high orange blossom character, some chemical aroma. Low acidity with slight tartness and a bit hot. WF: Light honey aroma on the raw side, low heat with a slight vegetal character and medium acidity in finish. Least Favorite (OB)
Big apple notes, honeycrisp. Orange blossom mingles with the esters, very smooth. Alcohol is not unpleasant. WF: Raw floral honey notes that are balanced with some alcohol. Sweetness noticeable in flavor. Favorite (OB)
OB: Alcohol in aroma. Slight rubbery flavor. Dry side of semi-sweet. WF: Mild honey-sweet aroma. Relatively lighter body. Low tartness and acidity. Least Favorite (WF)
OB: Medium orange blossom honey aroma. Dry, low acidity, creamy flavor. WF: Apple, caramel/honey aroma. Raw honey lingering in flavor. Slight prickly CO2, alcohol in the finish.
OB: Medium chemical/petrol aroma, light acidity with medium pheonlics, lingering heat. Slightly sour in finish. WF: High raw honey aroma, apples, low phenolics. Mild sweetness balances the alcohol, finished with hint of fruit.
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes
OB: Good orange blossom notes. Clean, very little yeast derived character. Hot alcohol. WF: Floral and fruity esters of cherries and blueberries. Alcohol is noticeable but not hot. Some acidity not seen in other examples. Least Favorite (OB) Favorite (WF) OB: Smooth orange blossom with a lemony note. Lemon character more noticeable in flavor. Alcohol is noticeable but not hot. WF: Raw floral honey, sweetness is noticeable. Big honey notes, roses and cherries.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 29 •
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes OB: Fruit aroma, honey, floral, yeasty, bready, a little hot, some astringency. More full and round than others WF: Floral, fruity aroma, yeasty, some acrid yeast notes. Somewhat hot. Honey flavor is distinct, semi-dry with medium body, lingering finish. Favorite (OB) OB: Floral aroma, yeast Wyeast 1388 esters, citrus, honey aroma, some petrol. Hot from alcohol, honey flavor is discernable. WF: Candy, apple, pear, white flowers, some alcohol in aroma. Flavor of honey, fruit, citrus, stonefruit, some alcohol heat OB: Aroma with floral, fruity, WLP028 honey, citrus notes. Flavor includes honey, citrus, alcohol, yeasty, woody. OB: Some yeasty funk, WLP500 woody, honey, alcohol, fruity acidity in aroma. Some citrus, heat, phenols, vitamin C in flavor. A bit papery. OB: Aromas of yeast, bread, Wyeast 3711 honey, alcohol. Flavor includes honey, citrus, spice, fruit, woody notes. WF: Citrus fruit, sugary, WLP041 candy, caramel, butterscotch in aroma. Flavor is semisweet, fruity, hard candy, stonefruit, pear. Good. WF: Fruity, Floral notes of WLP300 pear and apple. Flavors of Figure 3.0:honey Tasting Notes and citrus with warming finish.
WLP545
Lalvin 71B
WF: Some sweet notes in aroma including apple, citrus and some yeast. Flavor is warm, dry, yeasty, woody, tobacco, citrus, astringent.
Figure 3.0: Tasting Notes
• 30 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
OB: Bubblegum aroma. Mouthfeel has an acidity and astringency that’s out of balance. WF: Fair amount of unfermented honey in the nose. Flavor is a bit vegetal in the finish. Least Favorite (OB) Least Favorite (WF)
OB: Very little honey aroma compared to others. Astringency in finish. WF: Slightly soapy. Least Favorite (OB)
OB: Not much aroma, apple notes. Tart, dry, astringency. WF: Raw honey in aro Citrusy tartness. Dry, m acidity. Mild aroma and flavor. Some fusel hea Least Favorite (OB)
OB: Bubblegum, citrus aroma. Nice balance between dry and fruity. WF: Some melon in the nose. Bright foretaste. Drier body. Nice finish
OB: Lighter aroma than some others. Slight astringency in finish. WF: Moderate honey aroma, some fusels, slightly acidic.
OB: Slight tart aroma. Orange blossom honey evident. Yeasty flavor, alcohol in flavor, some WF: Spicy apple aroma some cinnamon. Vege flavor, tart, mild CO2. L aroma, didn’t care for f
OB: Nice. Light. Many flowers.
OB: Butterscotch aroma. Slightly hot in finish.
OB: Lots of orange blo aroma. Flavor is mode tart, some fusels, dry.
OB: Great nose. Beautiful first notes. Refreshing.
OB: Tartness and some fusels in the nose. Not a fan of the flavor.
OB: Mild, neutral hone aroma. Mild flavors, so fusels in the finish.
OB: Malty. Chimay-like.
OB: Very mild aroma. Good taste but uninteresting.
OB: Can perceive a tar in aroma. Flavor is mild some alcohol heat.
WF: Rich honey. Creamy. Fuller body. A bit tropical.
WF: Apple aroma. Perfumy, floral taste.
WF: sweet honey arom more moderate honey tartness balances well, heat in finish
WF: Light honey in nose. Fuller body. Nice phenolics on finish. Honey well expressed.
WF: Fruity nose with hints of melon. Apple cider in taste.
WF: Fruity apple esters honey flavor, some alc heat.
WF: Lemon. A bit hot/rubbery. Not as integrated.
WF: Slight toast in the aroma, some fruitiness. Cinnamon in the taste.
WF: Sulfur, rubbery aro mild honey flavor with finish and noticeable fu
some slight
OB: Light floral notes, good representation of orange blossom honey. Short finish with some acidity and low astringency. WF: Some chemical/rubber notes in aroma. Medium-high amount of alcohol present, chalky, harsh finish. Least Favorite (WF)
OB: Smooth orange blossom aroma with buttery notes. More acidic than others. Dry, almost astringent. WF: Much drier than some others, bready/yeasty character. Woody sage notes in aroma and flavor.
OB: Light orange blossom aroma, some concord grape, light phenolic aroma. Some sweetness present, slight spice and pepper flavors. WF: Low honey aroma with a tough of menthol, apple, fruit, cinnamon. Mild alcohol balances well with acidity. Drier finish. OB: Some chemical aroma with light raw honey. Medium tartness, sharp alcohol in finish. OB: Low honey aroma, high phenols, dry/acidic flavor with medium high alcohol finish.
OB: Less orange blossom notes. Spicy character of light clove and peppercorn. Some alcohol. WF: Citrus notes, hot alcohols are quite noticeable. Flavor has a bready/yeasty note. Least Favorite (WF)
rtness d,
OB: Slight citrus notes and light fruit in aroma, mild spice and phenols, warm finish.
OB: orange blossom notes are low, has almost a graham cracker character, hot
ma, flavor, , slight
WF: Pear, passionfruit, tropical, peach, pineapple. Smooth finish, well balanced, low heat.
WF: Very clean floral character, woody and earthy. On the sweet side. Alcohol is well balanced
s, mild cohol
WF: Light fruity esters, yeasty character. Light acidity, marmalade and apple. Smooth finish with hint of spice. WF: Slight honey aroma, woody, mousy, straw. Slightly acidic flavor, medium alcohol finish.
WF: Fruity, wine-like character. Hot with some astringency.
ma. mild d at.
y
e fusels. a, etal in Liked flavor.
ossom erately
ey ome
oma, dry usels.
OB: Orange blossom notes are big, alcohol is hot but not unpleasant. Some fruity esters with hint of blueberry OB: Citrus notes with tropical fruit, banana and mango
WF: Woody, almost grassy character, some pineapple notes. Alcohol is noticeable and on the hot side.
FURTHER DISCUSSION Hopefully this experiment provides some useful data points to assist mead makers when considering various ale yeasts. There were, however, several limitations to the experiment. As with any yeast comparison, using the same fermentation process for every yeast is actually not allowing each yeast to thrive in their most optimal environment. For example, some yeasts prefer more nutrients than others, and some produce more off-flavors at higher temperatures than others. These yeasts were all evaluated young; they will continue to mature, and the aroma and flavor effects will continue to evolve differently with time. Since this tasting was done with young meads, the comparison between the wine yeast (71B) and the other ale yeasts could be deceiving. Further experimentation (and publication of results) needs to be done to truly compare ale yeasts with wine yeasts for mead.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank White Labs for generously providing yeast samples, Golden Coast Mead for hosting the tasting panel, The Homebrewer shop in San Diego for equipment (and moral) support, and his lovely fiancé Suzanna for allowing an army of 1-gallon carboys of mead to take over the house for several months. Billy Beltz is an award-winning mead maker, BJCP Certified Mead Judge, and proud member of QUAFF Homebrew Club in San Diego, CA.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 31 •
Mead Research The American Mead Makers Association recently convened a Research Committee. This committee is being chaired by Jeff Herbert, and so far several people have volunteered to be a part of the new group. The goal of the AMMA Research Committee is to support and report on qualitative and quantitative mead research. One of the notable efforts of the AMMA board, has been to work with UC Davis to teach courses on mead making and to establish the first mead industry/academia partnership. The honey and pollination center at UC Davis has already begun research on the composition of honey, and as funds allow, more research will be conducted on mead making. This program falls under the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, which is the preeminent wine school in the world. If you would like to donate to this cause, and contribute to the future of the mead industry, UC Davis has set up a Mead Research Fund which can be accessed through this website: https://give.ucdavis.edu/AHPC/HPCMRES Another way to support this effort is to enter your home made mead or commercial mead in the Mead Free or Die Competition. Michael Fairbrother has already generously donated proceeds from competition entry fees to UC Davis. Maintaining your AMMA membership will also provide funding for additional projects as they are designed by the Research Committee members. Moving forwards
• 32 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
we also will plan fundraising efforts, and we hope that you offer your support when opportunities arise. With all of us working together, there is so much potential in what we can accomplish. This is an exciting time to be a part of this growing industry. Below we will introduce you to two of our collaborators on the Research Committee:
CARLOS BASSETTI, HEAD MEAD MAKER AT SUPERSTITION MEADERY At Superstition Meadery we are deeply interested in, and committed to, barrel aging a range of different meads and ciders. We believe that time spent in a barrel can contribute a depth and complexity that is hard to duplicate. To demonstrate the many facets of different barrels, we are in the process of designing an experiment in which we will age the same semi-sweet wildflower mead in as many different barrels as we can get. The mead will be 13.5%, with a finishing gravity of 1.020 or 5.08 brix. We will age the mead for 6 months in each of the different barrels, and bottle a portion of the batch without barrel aging. We are currently planning to use the following barrels, depending on availability: Bourbon, scotch, tequila, rum, port, red wine, white wine, and medium toast new American oak. Moving forwards, we have always been interested in barrel toast levels from light to heavy char, different beverage barrels from Norwegian Aquavit to Hungarian Tokaji, oak from different
regions of the world, and barrels constructed from wood other than oak. We have had many successes at Superstition using a variety of barrels. In many cases, a great mead has been transformed into something truly spectacular given a few months’ time. It is our hope that this project will give other meaderies a baseline of knowledge and familiarity with flavor contributions from different barrels so that they may more confidently venture forth into the world of barrel aged meads. In addition to barrel aging we have become increasingly interested in using coffee in unique ways. In an effort to better understand this ingredient we have designed a system so that we may evaluate different coffees on an equal footing. We currently have three steps in our evaluation process. Step one is to evaluate the beans in a brewed coffee. We use an Aeropress, and mix 10.6 grams of medium ground beans with 4 fluid ounces of 180 degree Fahrenheit water. The mixture is allowed to steep for two minutes, then it is pressed and evaluated. Step two of the evaluation is a cold brew infusion. We mix 29 grams of medium ground coffee with 8 fluid ounces of filtered water and allow it to steep for 12 hours. The grounds are filtered out and the coffee is evaluated. Beans which pass these sensory evaluations are evaluated in a 13.5% semi-sweet wildflower mead with a finishing gravity of 1.020 or 5.08 brix. 4.5 grams of unground coffee in a 750ml bottle are allowed to steep for 3 days before being evaluated. These distinct evaluation steps allow us to sample many different varieties of coffee. Our tasting notes from these evaluations lets us pair the beans with complementary and interesting flavors existing in current meads, or inspires us to create something new entirely. When we find time we are also planning on conducting an experiment in which we evaluate the impact of different grinds and contact times of coffee. After transitioning into our new production facility, these barrel aging and coffee projects will commence, and we plan to be able to report back with results in 2017.
KIRK REEDY, QUALITY ANALYST AT B. NEKTAR MEADERY Hello fellow mead makers. I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I entered the world of mead and craft beverage production about two years ago when I joined the team at B. Nektar. At B.Nektar I serve as head of quality control, and have spent my time establishing
an analytical laboratory, processes to maintain our production quality, and the implementation of new production technologies. I have a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural Technology, with an emphasis on Enology. I have over ten years of experience in wine production and have worked in both the Michigan and Oregon wine industry. I have worked in various capacities at notable Michigan wineries such as St. Julian, Chateau Grand Traverse, Brys Estate, and St. Ambrose Cellar as head winemaker before briefly working in Oregon focusing on Pinot Noir. I have multiple years of alcohol retail sales experience as well as home brewing, winemaking, and mead making. I have always been interested in fermentation sciences, which leads me to you as a research committee member. As a research committee member it is my intention to share with our community my experience both past and present, while emphasizing production needs and techniques, and analytic methods for commercial meaderies. Much of the work I am doing currently involves practical applications focusing on developing processes aiding in the growth of production. While this is my current focus due to my responsibilities at B. Nektar, I maintain both quantitative and qualitative records of my work. With that said I am excited for the opportunity to work with the research committee and other members of our industry as we collectively develop our craft. Some of the things that I am currently working on include: Expanding analytical procedures, yeast and yeast nutrient selection and regiments, Barrel program establishment, and refining clarification and filtration processes as they relate to our production model. My short term goals are to provide our community with qualitative experience and observation in these areas. Our production challenges may be different than other facilities, but I believe all of our shared experiences will prove beneficial to the mead industry. As for long term expectations, I hope to look more in depth on yeast strain selection focusing on kinetics and sensory impact. With so many commercial strains of yeast available I believe that it is crucial to assemble a data base for our industry to draw upon. As with all my endeavors I welcome any input or participation that is offered. I am excited to join you as we further develop and elevate our industry. Cheers!
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 33 •
What is the M and How Can BRAD DAHLHOFER ABOUT THE MEAD ACT The MEAD Act stands for the Mead Equality and Definition Act. It was introduced into the United States Congress and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee on September 13, 2016 by Representative Mark Sanford (R) from South Carolina, and was co-sponsored by Representative Paul Tonko (D) from New York on September 26th, 2016. The MEAD Act is based on the efforts of the American Mead Makers Association (AMMA) to achieve tax equality for producers of mead, and to eliminate certain federal restrictions which will allow mead to compete with other alcoholic beverages. The AMMA members are made up of commercial mead makers, suppliers to the mead industry, and the consumers who enjoy drinking mead as their alcoholic beverage of choice. You can read the text of the MEAD Act here: https://www. congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6000
FIX THE DEFINITION OF MEAD We want to replace the government’s narrow definition of mead (a honey wine that is sometimes made with
• 34 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
hops), to one that represents what is generally accepted by the commercial mead makers, and the general consumer population. The definition would: “Allow, in the production of mead, the addition of wholesome fruits (including fruit juices, fruit puree, fruit extract, or fruit concentrate), vegetables, spices, and other ingredients suitable for human food consumption that are generally recognized as safe for use in an alcoholic beverage, but only to the extent the addition thereof contributes to less than 50 percent of the total Brix of the mead.”
ELIMINATE THE FORMULA REQUIREMENT If a mead is made with the ingredients allowed in the new definition of mead, then there should be no requirement to submit a recipe, known as a “Formula”. The government currently requires an approved formula before a meadery can begin production. This is a big problem because: • The Process is Slow: Formula approval takes at least 30 days if submitted online and can be much longer if the government has a lot of formulas to review.
MEAD Act n I Help? • It Delays Production: Meads can take a long time to make, and a meadery can’t begin making a mead until the recipe has been approved. So it forces an unnecessary delay in the production process. • It Adds to the Cost of Mead: The added planning and delay is an expense to the meaderies. Rent, utilities and payroll are still due, but waiting on a formula to be approved delays revenue to support the business. This cost ends up going into the cost of the bottle to the consumer, making mead more expensive than it should be. • It Stifles Creativity: Many meaderies want to explore and innovate to provide something fun and exciting to the mead drinkers. This is something the craft beer industry does continuously and is a part of its culture. If mead can not enjoy these freedoms then it will always lag far behind the beer culture. Imagine if restaurants couldn’t change any recipes or create new dishes unless it first got them approved by the government. How do you test new products in the market quickly?
MAKE MEAD WITH ABV LEVELS EQUAL TO WINE
The TTB currently only allows mead to be made and labelled as mead, if it is between 8 and 14% ABV. The Act will allow meaderies to produce meads within the same range as wine; 0.5-24% ABV. Mead made with 0.5-7% ABV does not require label approval, and mead made with more than 14% ABV has to be labelled as “Other than Standard Wine” or another descriptor directed by a TTB label specialist. If a mead is made according to our proposed definition, and fits within the ABV guidelines for wine, it should be permitted to be labelled appropriately.
EQUAL TAXES FOR CARBONATED MEADS The tax on mead skyrockets when mead makers add carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to a mead to make it carbonated. Tax on carbonated meads jumps from $1.07 per gallon to $3.30 – $3.40 per gallon (depending on method of carbonation). That’s $0.674 per 750ml bottle. The added cost is charged to the wholesaler, and by the time it reaches the consumer, the tax can cost the consumer $1.40 more per 750ml bottle after additional state taxes and markups. The Cider industry is already allowed to carbonate their products without a carbonation tax penalty, and they
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 35 •
also pay a lower tax rate on lower alcohol ciders (below 8.5% ABV). We are only looking for equality. Our proposed language matches that of the Cider tax.
WE WANT TO REPLACE THE GOVERNMENT’S NARROW DEFINITION OF MEAD
OKAY, HOW DO I HELP For the MEAD Act to succeed, we need to get the US Congress to vote on and pass it, before it can move to the Senate for another vote, and then off to the President to sign it into law. This might sound hard, and it is, but if we all do a little work, this is very achievable. In 2015, the hard cider industry got the CIDER Act approved in very much the same way. We can do this!
CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPERSON We need to stir up support for the bill. The first way to do this is to get your congressperson on board, and preferably become a co-sponsor (See Contact Info. section at bottom for Rep. Sanford’s staff contact person). This is the single most important thing you could do. Find out who your congressperson is, and write to them. You can find your congressperson here: http://www. house.gov/representatives/find/ When you find your representative, click on their name and you should be taken directly to their website.
FORTIFIED MEAD Fortification is the process of adding distilled wine spirits to wine. This is how modern Port wine is made. The wine spirits are added after or during fermentation. When added during fermentation, the increased alcohol levels stop the fermentation process and leave the wine more sweet. Allowing meads to be fortified like its wine cousins will allow for a greater variety of products to be available to the consumer, and stabilize the mead for long-term aging at the meadery.
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Most (if not all) members of Congress have a Contact Us/Me on their website. They may also have a way of requesting a meeting. At the very least, send an e-mail or make a phone call asking for their support for the MEAD Act. Reference H.R. 6000. You could even copy and paste the About the MEAD Act section above to save time. In addition to e-mailing your congressperson, we encourage you to setup a meeting with them. You can even request that the AMMA Legislative Committee have a member join you. Alternatively, we can help brief you before your meeting.
ALERT YOUR LOCAL MEDIA If you want to take up the next charge of action, get your local media involved. It’s relatively easy to find the Contact Us section of your local newspaper, television station, food bloggers, etc. In fact, it’s just as easy to find them for the State or National level media as well. Every media organization in America loves an underdog story. This story will be no exception. Be sure to add information to help them understand how this is relevant to your area, or how this affects your business. A story that isn’t relatable is a story that is not likely to get written.
SOCIAL MEDIA As a meadery, a mead related business, or as an individual, you can promote this grassroots effort on your Facebook page, and on other social media outlets. Passion is our greatest common denominator in the mead industry, so share yours and inspire others to take action. Contact your local homebrew clubs, engage your staff and customers, and your friends.
amma@bnektar.com www.bnektar.com • More information on how to get involved • Setup meetings with congressperson(s) • Press contact • General AMMA Info
CONGRESSMAN SANFORD’S OFFICE Peter Dodge Legislative Assistant Office of Rep. Mark Sanford (SC-01) U.S. House of Representatives 2201 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-4001 (202) 226-1615
CONTACT INFORMATION
Peter.Dodge@mail.house.gov
AMERICAN MEAD MAKERS ASSOCIATION
We will be providing updates on the MEAD ACT section of the AMMA website, as well as the newsletter and the AMMA Journal. We will be looking for volunteers to help organize and track our efforts, so if you’re interested, please let us know.
Brad Dahlhofer
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
Vice President / Legislative Committee Chairperson – American Mead Makers Association Co-Founder / CEO – B. Nektar Meadery (Ferndale, MI)
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 37 •
AMMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Michael Fairbrother Moonlight Meadery
VICE PRESIDENT + LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR Brad Dahlhofer B. Nektar
SECRETARY
TREASURER
Colleen Bos Bos Meadery
Phil Lorenz Nectar Creek Honeywine
SMALL INDUSTRY MEMBER + PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR
SERGEANT AT ARMS
Jeff Herbert Superstition Meadery
Sergio Moutela Melovino Meadery
INDUSTRY LIAISON
INTERNATIONAL LIAISON
Ken Schramm Schramm’s Mead
John Way Sunset Heights Meadery (Canada)
LARGE INDUSTRY MEMBER
HOME MEAD MAKING COMMUNITY LIAISON
Mike Faul Rabbit’s Foot Meadery
Vicky Rowe Got Mead
EX-OFFICIO Chrissie Zaerpoor Kookoolan World Meadery
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AMMA BYLAWS [As amended September 1, 2015]
ARTICLE I AMMA DEFINED SECTION 1. NAME
1.Promoting and celebrating the growing independent, traditional and innovative culture of American craft meaderies. 2. Providing a unified voice to vigorously defend the mead industry through legislative and regulatory action.
The American Mead Makers Associ- 3. Fostering transparency within the ation, Inc. is a professional, scientif- Association. ic and educational nonprofit corporation, hereinafter referred to as the 4. Supporting and encouraging the Association or AMMA. The Associa- responsible enjoyment of mead. tion shall make decisions for its operations and administration based 5. Providing stewardship for the mead industry. on these Bylaws.
SECTION 2. MISSION STATEMENT The AMMA is an industry voice for meaderies within, or doing business in the United States. This voice is communicated through the press, marketing activities, public relations and by working on legislative issues. We support research and advances in safety, sustainability, education, technology and raw materials related to mead making. Political influence is exercised to secure fair legislative and regulatory treatment. We are committed to assisting meaderies in producing quality meads by cultivating new ideas, publishing information on best practices and supporting competitions. AMMA believes in promoting the living and active mead culture which is thriving among craft meaderies, home mead makers, and mead enthusiasts.
SECTION 3. CORE VALUES:
SECTION 2. CORPORATE MEMBERS Any commercial winery that makes one or more meads as part of their product line. One employee/owner will be identified as the primary representative and will be the sole voting person for their membership. Dues cover up to five employees as named by the company.
SECTION 3. TRADE MEMBERS
Any business or organization that provides products or services to the mead industry. Trade members will 6. Educating mead makers and con- receive special member benefits. sumers about the diversity, flavor and quality of mead.
7. Improving the economic health of American craft meaderies individually and collectively. 8. Promoting ethical and legal trade practices. 9. Building relationships and collaborating with our industry partners.
ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP AND DUES SECTION 1. DESCRIPTION OF MEMBERSHIPS
SECTION 4. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS This membership is for the home mead maker or other individual who wishes to support the mead industry. Individual Members will receive special member benefits.
SECTION 5. LIFETIME MEMBERS Any individual or corporation who has been approved by the previous bylaws as Lifetime Members. These members are grandfathered into the current and any future bylaws. However, no new Lifetime Memberships will be honored.
The following classifications of Association memberships include: Corporate, Trade, Individual, International and Lifetime. The Board of Directors will set the fee structure and can change it on an annual basis. MEADMAKERS.ORG • 39 •
SECTION 6. MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES.
the Association and establish the policies for compensation, conditions, and requirements for such employment. It shall determine and authorize all expenditures stipulated elsewhere in these Bylaws.
All members in good standing are entitled to Association privileges, are eligible to serve on Committees, vote in Board elections, shall be en- By Super Majority Vote (8 out of 11 titled to use the Association logo in votes), the Board may: marketing or in identifying themselves as a member of the Associa- A. Appoint, or remove any Board tion, and will be invited to attend the member or Association member annual business meeting. B. Change the membership dues
SECTION 73. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS & DUES. Any person or corporation wishing to become a member of the Association shall complete a membership application and pay the associated dues on-line. Annual renewals are due January 1st of each calendar year. No grace periods will be honored.
ARTICLE III BOARD AUTHORITIES AND POSITIONS SECTION 1. AUTHORITIES The elected Board, hereafter be referred to as “the Board”, shall consist of 11 members representing domestic and international mead making interests, as defined below. Term limits are two years and no elected Board member may serve more than two consecutive terms in the same position. By majority vote, the Board may negotiate agreements, enter into contracts with individuals or groups, and authorize payment of fees for services rendered to the Association. It may authorize the employment of individuals to perform services for
• 40 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
C. Amend, alter, or repeal these Bylaws D. Amend the Articles of Incorporation of the Association
SECTION 2. PRESIDENT The President shall conduct all Board meetings and the annual business meeting. The President shall approve meeting agendas, serve as the point of contact for the media, and have the authority to call meetings of the Association and the Board. The President will submit a quarterly progress report to the Sergeant at Arms and write a Letter from the President in each quarterly journal issue.
SECTION 3. VICE PRESIDENT
In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President. In addition, the Vice President shall also serve as the Chair of the Nominating ComF. Authorize the sale, lease, or ex- mittee and will submit a quarterly change of all or substantially all of progress report to the Sergeant at the property or assets of the Associ- Arms. ation E. Adopt a plan of merger or adopt a plan of consolidation with another corporation or entity
G. Authorize the voluntary dissolution of the Association or revoke pending proceedings for the Association’s dissolution H. Adopt a plan of distribution of assets of the Association I. Amend, alter, or repeal any resolution of the Board By simple majority vote the Board shall have the authority to do any of the following under any circumstances: A. Adopt and amend the annual budget for the Association and establish policies for organization expenditures; B. Create and eliminate Committees and/or task forces to be made up of at least one board member.
SECTION 4. SERGEANT AT ARMS The Sergeant at Arms will ensure all bylaws and traditions are respected by everyone. It is the responsibility of the Sergeant at Arms to make sure certain parliamentary procedures are followed, according to Robert’s Rules of Order. He or she will assist the President in maintaining good order and discipline at all Association meetings and functions. Also, any proposed bylaw changes, complaints, or suggestions for consideration by the Board will be submitted to the Sergeant at Arms. The Sergeant at Arms will facilitate internal communication with each Board member and Committee Chairs monthly to resolve issues and to ensure forward progress. A
quarterly progress report from each board member (Except the Ex-Officio) and Committee Chairs will be forwarded to the Secretary to be included in the next Board Meeting. The Sergeant at Arms will submit a quarterly progress report to the Secretary.
SECTION 5. SECRETARY The Secretary shall be responsible for taking minutes and distributing minutes at all Association and Board meetings, as well as preparing and distributing meeting agendas. If the Secretary is absent from any Association or Board meetings, the President will appoint an alternate to take minutes. The Secretary will assemble progress reports received from the Sergeant at Arms, edit as necessary and present at board meetings. The Secretary will maintain the Association calendar of events, due dates, action items, elections and any other pertinent time-lines. The Secretary will forward reminders of critical activities to the Sergeant at Arms to ensure accountability and write a quarterly progress report.
SECTION 6. TREASURER
SECTION 7. INTERNATIONAL LIAISON
SECTION 10. LARGE INDUSTRY MEMBER (PRODUCER OF >40,000 GALLONS/YEAR)
The International Liaison will own or work for a commercial meadery located outside of the United States. The Large Industry Member will He or she will serve as the point of own or work for a large commercial contact for all international meade- meadery and will serve as the point ries wishing to communicate with of contact for all commercial meathe Association, promote AMMA deries making over 40,000 gallons membership and activities out- of mead per year. They will promote side of the United States, and report AMMA membership and activities on international meadery issues to large meaderies and report on to AMMA. He or She will submit a issues pertaining to larger producquarterly progress report to the Ser- ers. He or She will submit a quartergeant at Arms. ly progress report to the Sergeant at Arms.
SECTION 8. HOME MEAD MAKING COMMUNITY LIAISON
SECTION 11. SMALL INDUSTRY MEMBER (PRODUCER OF <40,000 GALLONS/YEAR)
The Home Mead Making Community Liaison will not be employed by a commercial meadery and will The Small Industry Member will serve as the point of contact for all own or work for a small commercial individual AMMA members, promeadery and will serve as the point mote AMMA membership and acof contact for all commercial meativities to home mead makers and deries making under 40,000 gallons clubs, and report on amateur mead of mead per year. They will promote making issues to AMMA. He or She AMMA membership and activities will submit a quarterly progress reto start-up and small meaderies and port to the Sergeant at Arms. report on issues pertaining to smaller producers. He or She will submit a quarterly progress report to the SerSECTION 9. INDUSTRY geant at Arms.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for managing funds, securities, re- LIAISON ceipts, and disbursements of the Association as well as: Submitting The Industry Liaison will own or a monthly financial report to the work for a commercial meadery. He Board, submitting an end of year or She will maintain (Association finance report and a proposed budpaid) memberships with other craft get for the next year at the annual beverage trade organizations such meeting, collect membership dues, as the Brewer’s Association, Wine maintaining the bank account, subAmerica, etc. They will serve as the mitting a quarterly progress report point of contact with the craft beer, to the Sergeant at Arms, and the hircider, distilling and wine making ing of professional services to assist communities as they build relationwith the preparation and submisships and promote mead. He or She sion of forms to the IRS and state. will submit a quarterly progress report to the Sergeant at Arms.
SECTION 12. EX-OFFICIO The Ex-Officio is a voting board member appointed by the board to serve in a consulting position. The Ex-Officio previously served as an elected board member and their experience will offer continuity and advice on issues to the current board.
SECTION 13. VACANCIES.
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 41 •
In the event that an elected board position becomes vacant for whatever reason, the Board shall appoint an individual to fill said vacancy except when the President position becomes vacant. The Vice President will become President and the Board will fill the Vice President’s vacant seat by appointment. The person appointed shall assume all the rights, duties and responsibilities of the appointed office for the remainder of the term. Any appointment whose service is less than one year shall not count against that person for term limits as prescribed in this Article.
ing Committee. By December 1st, the Committee will publish and announce an online election.
SECTION 2. Voting for the election shall be complete by midnight on December 15, at which time the Nominating Committee shall count the votes and report the results to the Board. The nominee receiving the largest number of votes for each of the positions to be vacated shall be the elected Board Member. Ballots shall keep the voting members’ identity confidential.
SECTION 3.
ARTICLE IV NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS
SECTION 6. ELECTION TIMEFRAME Even Years • President • Secretary • Treasurer • Large Industry Member • Small Industry Member • Ex-Officio
SECTION 14. RESTRICTIONS No elected Board member may be living within the same household as any other Board member. Additionally, to ensure diversity among Board members, no elected Board members may work for the same company.
week prior to the Annual Association Business Meeting.
In case of tie votes or if there are no nominees for a position, the Board shall decide the action to be taken.
SECTION 4.
Odd Years • • Vice President • Sergeant at Arms • International Liaison • Home Mead Making Community Liaison
Election results will be certified and • Industry Liaison published by the Board by December 31. Newly elected Board members will assume authority once they are installed at the next Annual Association Business Meeting the following March.
ARTICLE V COMMITTEES SECTION 1.
SECTION 1. SECTION 5. TRANSITION
There shall be regular Committees By October 1 of each year, the Board of the Association as needed and shall convene a Nominating Com- All outgoing Board Members shall defined by the Board of Directors. mittee consisting of 3 members: hand off the provisions of their poExcept where otherwise specified (1) The Large Industry Member, (2) sition to the incoming Board Memin these bylaws, all Committees are the Small Industry Member, and (3) bers, in person, at the Annual Asadvisory to the Board and shall have Chaired by the Vice President. The sociation Business Meeting. This no authority to disperse monies or Committee shall canvass the As- includes but is not limited to docuenter into contracts unless othersociation’s eligible membership by ments, passwords, contacts, bankwise authorized by the Board. email requesting suggestions for ing information, etc. If the outgoing possible nominees for Board posi- or incoming Board Member cannot Appointments to all such Committions that are open based on term make the Annual Association Busitees shall be subject to approval by completion. Results of the canvass ness Meeting, the provisions must the Board prior to invitation to serve will be reviewed by the Nominat- be relinquished and delivered one
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on such Committees. Chairpersons for Committees will be appointed by the Board.
shall be from January 1 to December 31.
There is no limit to the length of time Committee members may serve. Each Committee shall fix and establish its own rules of procedure except as otherwise provided in these bylaws and shall meet as provided by such rules and shall also meet at the call of its Chair or any other two members of its Committee. Committees will keep minutes of each meeting to be filed with the Secretary. The Committee Chairperson will then communicate to the Board.
SECTION 3. The board shall review and approve/ reject all institutions utilized by the association for banking or investing services.
SECTION 1. The Board of shall specify the annual dues and assessments of members based on recommendation from the membership. It shall determine reimbursement to be paid to Board members and the compensation policy for full time staff of the Association, but no member of the Board may vote on any question involving compensation to be paid to him or her. The Board shall approve and be responsible for a fiscal budget delineating all income and expenses for the Association’s overall operations including but not limited to administration, publications, conferences and investments. It shall order an independent financial audit of the Association every other calendar year and an annual independent financial review in interim years.
ARTICLE VII MEETINGS AND QUORUMS
During any formal meeting of the Association, Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry M. Robert shall be used to guide the parliamentary practice of the Association.
SECTION 2. BOARD MEETINGS The Association shall conduct a minimum of four Board meetings annually. The time, place, meeting format and agenda items for each board meeting shall be recommended by the Secretary and approved by the President. The agenda format shall conform to the following template: I. Roll Call – Sergeant at Arms (must have a quorum of 6 to continue) II. Call to Order – President III. Board Reports a. President
SECTION 2. The fiscal year of the Association
IV. Discussion and Action Items (a vote is required) a. Discuss, amend and approve Board meeting minutes of (DATE) (attachment V. a.) b. Other order of Action c. Other order of Action, etc.
SECTION 1. RULES OF ORDER
ARTICLE VI FINANCES
d. Treasurer
b. Vice President c. Secretary
V. Committee Reports VI. Agenda Items to be Considered for Next Meeting (include date) VII. Adjournment – Sergeant at Arms
SECTION 3. ANNUAL ASSOCIATION MEETING The Association shall hold an Annual Business Meeting open to all members of the Association. Notice of the Annual Association Meeting shall be given to each member by email with no less than one months’ notice. The notice shall state the time and place of the meeting and will also be posted on the Association website.
SECTION 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS Special meetings for members of the Association, including the Board, may be called by the President on written request. The time, place, meeting format and agenda items for each special meeting shall be recommended by the Secretary and approved by the President. Notice of the special meeting shall be given to each member by mail, phone or electronic means. The notice shall state the time and place of the meeting
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 43 •
SECTION 5. QUORUM
SECTION 7. MEETING PARTICIPATION
SECTION 2. LIMITATIONS ON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS.
A quorum of six (6) Board members for transacting business at meetings Any Board meeting may be held by Upon the dissolution of the Associshall be required to ratify any votes. conference telephone, video screen ation, any assets shall in first priority Proxy votes shall be counted by de- communication, or other commu- be applied to final payment and distermining the number of members nications equipment. Participation charge of all liabilities and obliga(including members attending by in a meeting under this Section shall tions of the Association. Any assets proxy) in good standing present. A constitute presence in person at the which are held under stipulations proxy vote shall be valid only when meeting if both the following apply: requiring their return transfer, or it consists of a legible written as- (a) each member participating in the conveyance upon dissolution of the signment of the vote of a member meeting can communicate concur- Association shall be distributed in in good standing. rently with all other members, and accordance with the requirements. (b) each member is provided the Any remaining assets shall be conThe Board shall meet at least four means of participating in all matters veyed to such organizations or intimes a year for regular business before the Board, including the ca- stitutions then existing within the meetings and at such other times as pacity to propose, or to interpose an United States of America which are deemed necessary by the President. objection to a specific action to be dedicated to perpetuation of objecAt least one of these meetings will taken by the Association. tives similar to those of the Associbe face-to-face. The President shall ation and which are specified in the set the date and time of each regular plan of distribution adopted by the meeting based on agreement of a SECTION 8. VOTING Board, provided that such entities majority of the Board and an agenare tax exempt under Section 501(c) da will be sent to all Board members (6) of the Internal Revenue code as The Board as defined herein shall prior to the meeting. Special meetamended or under such succeeding vote on motions brought before it. ings of the Board shall be called, provisions of the Code as may be Other officers or agents appointed with due notice, by the President in effect at the time of dissolution. by the Board and persons invited by or on written request by four memNo portion of the Association’s asthe Board may participate in Board bers of the Board. Upon majority sets remaining after satisfying final meetings but shall not vote. Each vote, the Board shall be entitled to operating obligations may be convoting member of the board will adjourn anytime for purposes of reveyed to any individual or to any receive one vote, and may decide convening a closed session consistprofit-seeking organization or firm. to vote by proxy if it is established ing of only Board members. Prior to before the meeting, and delivered adjourning into closed session, the Debts will be paid. Remaining Dues to the Secretary according to proxy topic(s) to be discussed shall be anwill be equally refunded to members voting rules which will be deternounced in general terms to memin good standing. Remaining Assets mined by the Board. bers in attendance at such meeting. will be distributed to a tax exempt entity.
SECTION 6. BOARD MEETINGS Notice of the time and place of meetings of the Board shall be given to each Board member by email allowing enough time for the Board member to receive the notice and to respond. The notice shall state the time of the meeting and the place. The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting.
• 44 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
ARTICLE VIII DISSOLUTION SECTION 1. PROCEDURE. In the event dissolution of the Association appears desirable or necessary, the Board shall adopt a resolution recommending dissolution of the Association together with a plan for distribution of assets. The Secretary and Treasurer shall transmit the proposals to the Board.
AMMA MEADERY LIST #
51 North Brewing Company 51 North Broadway St Lake Orion, MI 48362 Bus: (248) 690-7367 E-mail: info@51northbrewing.com
7 C’s Winery & Meadery 502 E 560th Walnut Grove, MO 65770 Bus: (417) 788-2263 E-mail: jean@7cswinery.com
A
Acoustic Draft Mead Elberta, MI Bus: (231) 883-2012
Adytum Cellars 15132 148th Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072 Bus: (425) 482-9030 E-mail: mead@adytumcellars.com
Aesir Meadery 2109 Wetmore Ave Everett, WA 98201 Bus: (425) 495-6201 E-mail: erik@aesirmeadery.com
Ah-tu-gi-s-di Meadery Rt 1 Box 100 Vian, OK 74962 Bus: (918) 774-8091
Alaskan Wilderness Wines 498 Shearwater Kodiak, AK 99615 Bus: (907) 486-1420 E-mail: alaskawildwine@gci.net
Algomah Acres Honey House Meadery
Oklahoma City, OK Bus: (405) 496-5663 E-mail: ambermoonmeadery@gmail.com
Bayfield, WI 54814 Bus: (715) 779-5404 E-mail: info@bayfieldwinery.com
Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar
60203 Bear Creek Dr Homer, AK 99603 Bus: (907) 235-8484 E-mail: bluzin@bearcreekwinery.com
300 39th St Pittsburgh, PA 15201 Bus: (412) 260-6968 E-mail: wine@arsenalciderhouse.com
Artesano Mead 1334 Scott Hwy Rt 302 Groton, VT 05046 Bus: (802) 584-9000
Atlantic Brewing Co
Bear Creek Winery
Bee Well Meadery 39342 Canterbury Dr Harrison Twp, MI 48045 Bus: (586) 322-6705 E-mail: cvansice@gmail.com
Beekman & Beekman
15 Knox Rd Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Bus: (207) 288-2337 E-mail: realale@atlanticbrewing.com
5236 Geer Rd Hughson, CA 95326 Bus: (209) 667-5812 E-mail: info@beekmanandbeekman. com
B
Beowulf Mead
B Nektar Meadery
San Rafael, CA 94903 Bus: (415) 491-0908 E-mail: info@beowulfmead.com
1481 Wordsworth, Suite B Ferndale, MI 48220 313-744-6323 E-mail: info@bnektar.com
Bacchus Meadery 217 E 3d St Loveland, CO 80537
Bus: (970) 461-4071 E-mail: mead@bacchusmeadery.com
Bardic Wells Meadery 6737 50th Ave Montague, MI 49437 Bus: (231) 893-6418 E-mail: mead@bardicwells.com
Bartlett Maine Estate Winery
29534 Post Office Rd Mass City, MI 49948 Bus: (906) 883-3894 E-mail: algomahacres@live.com
RR1 Box 598 Gouldsboro, ME 04607 Bus: (207) 546-2408 E-mail: info@bartlettwinery.com
Amber Moon Meadery
Bayfield Winery
7600 NW 3d St
PO Box 1391
Bias Winery 3166 Hwy B Berger, MO 63014 Bus: (573) 834-5475 E-mail: bias@biaswinery.com
Bjorn Mead Waterford, CA 95386 Bus: (209) 665-6368 E-mail: bjornmead@gmail.com
Black Bear Winery 248 County Rd 1 Chenengo Forks, NY 13746 Bus: (607) 656-9863 E-mail: mamabear@blackbearwinery. com
Black Forest Meadery 6420 Burrows Rd Unit A Colorado Springs, CO 80908 Bus: (719) 495-7340 E-mail: mail@blackforestmeadery.com
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 45 •
Blacksnake Meadery 1815 Windsor Ave SW Roanoke, VA 24015 Bus: (540) 834-6172 E-mail: blacksnake@blacksnakemead.com
Blue Dog Mead 254 Lincoln St Eugene, OR 97401 Bus: (541) 506-1560 E-mail: info@bluedogmead.com
Bluegrass Brewing Co 3929 Shelbyville Rd Louisville, KY 40207 Bus: (502) 899-7070 E-mail: david@bbcbrew.com
Bos Meadery LLC 5805 Seminole Ridge Circle Fitchburg, WI 53711 Bus: (608) 628-3792 E-mail: colleen@bosmeadery.com
Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery
C
Camas Prairie Winery 110 S Main St Moscow, ID 83843 Bus: (208) 882-0214 E-mail: winemaker@camasprairiewinery.com
Cascade Winery 4665 Broadmoor Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Bus: (616) 656-4665 E-mail: bob@cascadecellars.com
Celestial Meads 600 W 58th Ave Ste B Anchorage, AK 99518 Bus: (907) 250-8362 E-mail: meads@gci.net
Chateau Lorane PO Box 47 Lorane, OR 97451 Bus: (541) 942-8028 E-mail: info@chateaulorane.com
Chaucer’s Cellars
720 W Prospect Ave North Wales, PA 19454 Bus: (215) 801-2227 E-mail: cardinalwinery@aol.com
3535 N Main St Soquel, CA 95073 Bus: (831) 475-2258 E-mail: customerservice@bargetto.com
Brimming Horn Meadery
Chrisman Mill Vineyards
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 Brimstone Springs Meadery E-mail: brd_hef@yahoo.com
Brotherhood Winery PO Box 190 Washingtonville, NY 10992 Bus: (845) 496-3663 E-mail: bhw.colleen@gmail.com
Brothers Drake Meadery 26 E 5th Ave Columbus, OH 43201 Bus: (614) 388-8765 E-mail: info@brothersdrake.com
Buzzed Bee Meadery, Inc. 1755 340th Street Melbourne, IA 50162 www.buzzed-bee-meadery.com buzzedbeemead@gmail.com Ph: 641-485-1725 Michelle Spohnheimer
• 46 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
2308 Sir Barton Way Ste 190 Lexington, KY 40509 Bus: (859) 881-5007 E-mail: chrismanmill@aol.com
Colony Meadery 905 Harrison St Ste 115 Allentown, PA 18103 Bus: (855) 632-3669 E-mail: info@thecolonymeadery.com
Costa Rica Meadery
Crabtree Brewing Co 625 3d St #D Greely, CO 80631 Bus: (970) 356-0516 E-mail: info@crabtreebrewing.com
Crafted Artisan Meadery 1189 State Rte 43 Mogadore, OH 44260 Bus: (330) 618-5050 E-mail: info@craftedmead.com
Cumberland Brewery 1576 Bardstown Rd Louisville, KY 40205-1154 Bus: (502) 458-8727
D
Dadeez Bees Apiary and Meadery PO Box 90832 Portland, OR 97290 Bus: (503) 772-3565 E-mail: info@triskelecorporation.com
Dancing Bee Winery 8060 E US Hwy 190 Rogers, TX 76569 Bus: (254) 983-2337 E-mail: info@dancingbeewinery.com
Depoe Bay Winery PO Box 1492 Depoe Bay, OR 97341 Bus: (541) 765-3311 E-mail: depoebaywinery@yahoo.com
Dithyramb Winery and Meadery 8312 E Briarwood Blvd Centennial, CO 80112 Bus: (720) 529-3846 E-mail: info@dithyrambwinery.com
Alajuela, Costa Rica www.costaricameadery.com Tel: (773) 888-7587 E-mail: info@costaricameadery.com
Dogfish Head Brewery
Colorado Cellars Winery
E-mail: info@dogfishalehouse.com
3553 E Rd Palisade, CO 81526 Bus: (970) 464-7921 E-mail: info@coloradocellars.com
#6 Cannery Village Center Milton, DE 19968 Bus: (302) 684-1000 x2112
Dragon Meadery LLC Aurora, CO 80013 Bus: (720) 371-1970 E-mail: dragonmeadery@comcast.net
Dragonmead 14600 E 11 Mile Rd Warren, MI 48089 Bus: (586) 776-9428 E-mail: sales@dragonmead.com
Dragon’s Lair Country Wines & Meads 6714 1/2 Lake Grove St SW Lakewood, WA 98499 Bus: (253) 537-1050 E-mail: info@dragonslairmeads.com
E
Earle Estates Meadery 2770 State Route 14 Penn Yan, NY 14527 Bus: (315) 536-1210 E-mail: meadery@eznet.net
Easley Winery 205 N College Ave Indianapolis, IN 46202 Bus: (317) 636-4516 E-mail: info@easleywinery.com
Elsa Wine & Mead 625 W Katella Ave #23 Orange, CA 92867 Bus: (714) 639-6323
Empire Winery & Destillery 11807 Little Rd New Port Richey, FL 34654 Bus: (727) 819-2821
Enat Winery 910 81st Ave Ste #18 Oakland, CA 94621 Bus: (510) 632-6629 E-mail: hhou723489@aol.com
Enchanted Manor Winery 37615 FM 1774 Magnolia, TX 77355 Bus: (281) 770-0710 E-mail: jon@enchantedmanorwinery. com
Enlightenment Wines Clintondale, NY 12515 E-mail: raphael@enlightenmentwines.com
Ethereal Meads
18109 NE 72nd Avenue Battle Ground WA 98604 360-903-4591 gary@etherealmeads.com www.etherealmeads.com
Great Cats Meadery
F
324 Wells St Greenfield, MA 01301 E-mail: info@greenriverambrosia.com
Fairwinds Winery 1984 Hastings Ave W Port Townsend, WA 98368 Bus: (360) 385-6899 E-mail: info@fairwindswinery.com
Falcon Meadery PO Box 5947 Santa Fe, NM 87502 Bus: (505) 819-8323
Farm & Winery, Hill Top Berry
Clemmons, NC E-mail: torahanjyuu+kumaltygris@ gmail.com
Green River Ambrosia
Groennfell Meadery 856 Hercules Dr, Ste 20 Colchester, VT 05446 Bus: (802) 497-2345 E-mail: info@groennfell.com
H
Haight-Brown Vineyards
2800 Berry Hill Rd Nellysford, VA Bus: (434) 361-1266 E-mail: hilltop1@ntelos.net
29 Chestnut Hill Rd Litchfield, CT 06759 Bus: (860) 567-4045 E-mail: info@haightvineyards.com
Florida Orange Groves Winery
Heidrun Meadery
1500 Pasadena Ave S St Petersburg, FL 33707 Bus: (800) 338-7923 E-mail: info@floridawine.com
PO Box 208 Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 Bus: (415) 663-9122
E-mail: info@heidrunmeadery.com
Four Quarters Meadery 190 Walker Lane Artemas, PA 17211 Bus: (814) 784-3080 E-mail: pjalthouse@gmail.com
Fox Hill Meadery 33 Selby Court Marshall, NC 28753 Bus: (703) 298-4705 E-mail: mead@foxhillmead.com
Full Circle Brewing Co 620 F St Fresno, CA 93706 Bus: (559) 264-6323 E-mail: fullcirclebrewingco@comcast. net
Helderberg Meadworks 990 W Duane Lake Rd Duanesburg, NY 12056 Bus: (518) 795-8964 E-mail: peter@helderbergmeadworks. com
Hellbender Meadery 3812 State Hwy KK Rogersville, MO 65742 Bus: (417) 429-4985 E-mail: caitlyn@hellbendermeadery. com
Heritage Wines International
G
640 W. 158th St New York, NY Bus: (888) 835-2986 E-mail: info@theheritagewines.com
Golden Coast Mead
Hermit Woods Wine
4216 Copeland Pl San Diego, CA 92116 E-mail: frankgolbeck@goldencoastmead.com
56 Taylor Rd Sanbornton, NH 03269 Bus: (603) 253-7968 E-mail: bob@hermitwoods.com
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 47 •
Hidden Legend Winery
Hydomiel Apidoro
1345 Hwy 93 N #5 Victor, MT 59875 Bus: (406) 363-6323 E-mail: ken@hiddenlegendwinery.com
2212 Calle Parana Ponce, PR 00758 E-mail: apidorov@aol.com
Hierophant Meadery
I
16602 N Day Mt Spokane Rd Mead, WA 99021 hierophantmeadery.com contact@hierophantmeadery.com 509.294.0134
Independence Brewing Co
Hive Winery
Salem, MA Bus: (401) 290-8256 E-mail: ian@isaaksofsalem.com
1220 W Jack D Drive Ste 2 Layton, UT 84041 Bus: (801) 546-1997 E-mail: josh@thehivewinery.com
3913 Todd Lane #607 Austin, TX 78744 Bus: (512) 707-0099
Isaaks of Salem
J
homebrewchemist
James Arthur Vineyards
E-mail: info@homebrewchemist.com
2001 W Raymond Rd Raymond, NE 68428 Bus: (402) 783-5255 E-mail: javwines@windstream.net
Honey Moon Mead PO Box 2701 Bellingham, WA 98227 Bus: (360) 734-0728 E-mail: contact@honeymoonmead.net
Honey Run Winery 2309 Park Ave Chico, CA 95928 Bus: (530) 345-6405 E-mail: honeyrun@honeyrun.com
Honeyjack Meadery 9769 W 119th Dr Bay 7 Broomfield, CO 80020 Bus: (303) 709-7422 E-mail: jimmy@honeyjack.com
Honeywood Winery 1350 Hines St SE Salem, OR Bus: (800) 726-4101
Hoodsport Winery N 23501 Hwy 101 Hoodsport, WA 98548 Bus: (360) 877-9894 E-mail: wine@hoodsport.com
Hunters Moon Meadery 404 Immigrant Trail Severance, CO 80550 Bus: (970) 590-6059 E-mail: kim@huntersmoonmeadery.com
• 48 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
Jilbert Winery 1496 Columbia Rd Valley City, OH 44280 Bus: (216) 781-4120 E-mail: dbjilbert@aol.com
Bus: (817) 481-9463 E-mail: adam@labuenavida.com
L’Abeille Honey Winery 638 S Main St Stowe, VT 05672 Bus: (802) 253-2929
Lakewood Vineyards 4024 State Rte 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 Bus: (607) 535-9252 E-mail: wines@lakewoodvineyards.com
Laural Highlands Meadery 106 4th Street Irwin, PA 15642 724-249-6323 E-mail: Meadmaker@LHMead.com
Linganore Wine Cellars 13601 GlissansMill Rd Mt Airey, MD 21771-8599 Bus: (410) 795-6432 E-mail: info@linganorewines.com
Long Island Meadery 1347 Lincoln Ave Ste 11 Holbrook, NY 11741 Bus: (631) 285-7469 E-mail: info@LIMeadery.com
K
Long Trout Winery
Kenco Farms
84 Fork Mountain Rd Auburn, PA 17922 Bus: (570) 366-6443 E-mail: askthehippies@longtroutwinery.com
PO Box 454 Sutton, WV 26601 Bus: (304) 765-7680 E-mail: kencofarms@rtol.net
Kookoolan World Meadery 15713 Hwy 47 Yamhill, OR 97148 Bus: (503) 730-7535 E-mail: kookoolan@gmail.com
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co 5919 Chicago Rd Warren, Mi 48092 Bus: (586) 979-8361
L
La Buena Vida Vineyards 416 E College St Grapevine, TX 76051
Lost Tribes Brew Bus: (888) 582-7397 E-mail: info@losttribesbrew.com
Louisville Mead Company 3028 Dartmouth Ave Louisville, KY 40205 E-mail: louisvillemeadcompany@gmail.com
Luna de Miel Salinas, CA 93901 Bus: (805) 985-7229 E-mail: david@ghbrands.com
M
Mace Mead Works
Meridian Hive Meadery
250 E Main St Dayton, WA 99328 Bus: (509) 540-0000 E-mail: reggie@macemeadworks.com
PO Box 1363 Pflugville, TX 78691 Bus: (512) 417-3769 E-mail: meridianhive@gmail.com
Magpie Farms Winery
Michigan Meadery
1849 State Hwy 41 Bainbridge, NY 13733 Bus: (607) 639-4400 E-mail: magpie@magpiemead.com
Grand Rapids, MI Bus: (616) 301-9686 E-mail: david@michiganmeadery.com
Maine Mead Works
Mike’s Meadery
51 Washington Ave Portland, ME 04101 Bus: (207) 773-6323
LaGrange, IN
Manatawny Creek Winery 227 Levengood Rd Douglasville, PA 19518 Bus: (610) 689-9804 E-mail: manatawny@aol.com
Maple River Winery 628 Front St Cassleton, ND 58012 Bus: (701) 347-5900 E-mail: greg@mapleriverwinery.com
McPhee Meadery PNW Puget Sound E-mail: bertharvey@mcpheemeadery.com
Meadery of the Rockies 3701 G Rd Palisade, CO 81526 Bus: (970) 464-7899
Meadery, New Day 1102 Prospect St Indianapolis, IN 46203 Bus: (888) 632-3379
Medovina PO Box 629 Niwot, CO 80544 Bus: (303) 845-3090 E-mail: mead@medovina.com
Meniru Meadery 5868 Fulton Dr NW Canton, OH 44718 Bus: (330) 244-8515 E-mail: menirumeadery@hotmail.com
Minnestalgia Winery PO BOX 86 McGregor, MN 55760 Bus: (866) 768-2533
Misty Mountain Meadworks 1531 Pack Horse Rd Winchester, VA 22603 Bus: (540) 888-4420 E-mail: info@mistymountainmead.com
Mobtown Mead Baltimore, MD E-mail: mobtownmead@gmail.com
Modern Craft Winery 2760 E Booth Rd Au Gres, MI 48703 Bus: (989) 876-0270 E-mail: moderncraftsocialmedia@gmail.com
Monks Mead 265 B Newton Bridge Rd Athens, GA 30607 E-mail: info@monksmead.com
Montezuma Winery 2981 Auburn Rd Seneca Falls, NY 13148 Bus: (315) 568-8190 E-mail: info@montezumawinery.com
Moonlight Meadery 23 Londonderry Rd #17 Londonderry, NH 03053 Bus: (603) 216-2162 E-mail: info@moonlightmeadery.com
Bus: (402) 934-7544 E-mail: brian@moonstruckmead.com
Mount Felix Vineyard & Winery 2000 Level Rd Havre de Grace, MD 21078 Bus: (410) 939-0913 E-mail: mary@mountfelix.com
Mountain Meadows Mead PO Box 1199 Westwood, CA 96137 Bus: (503) 256-3233 E-mail: meadman@citlink.net
Mountain View Meadery PO Box 370 Lench Valley, Tasmania, Australia 7008 Bus: (61) 0408 331 165 E-mail: info@tasmeads.com.au
Mt Hood Meadery Washougal, WA E-mail: cschloe@gmail.com
Mystic Meadery 1650 Judson Dr Longmont, CO 80501 E-mail: mysticmeadery@gmail.com
N
Nani Moon Mead PO Box 939 Kapa’a, Kaua’i, HI 96746 Bus: (808) 823-0486 E-mail: nanimoonmeadinfo@gmail.com
Nashoba Valley Winery 100 Wattaquadock Hill Rd Bolton, MA 01740 Bus: (978) 779-5521 E-mail: email@nashobawinery.com
Nectar Creek Honeywine 33848 SE Eastgate Circle Corvallis, OR 97333 Bus: (541) 760-1592 E-mail: info@nectarcreekhoneywine.com
Moonstruck Meadery 2221 Madison St Bellevue, NE 68005
MEADMAKERS.ORG • 49 •
Nector of the Gods Meadery 1205 NE 2d St Bend, OR 97701 Bus: (937) 478-1718 E-mail: i nfo@nectarofthegodsmeadery.com
Northwest Mountain Winery 2825 Marvin Rd NE Ste Q Olympia, WA 98516 Bus: (360) 464-7125 E-mail: raycurtis@nwmountainwine.com
O
Obec Medovina E-mail: mike@obecmedovina.com
Oliver Winery 8024 N State Rte 37 Bloomington, IN 47404 Bus: (812) 876-5800 E-mail: admin@oliverwinery.com
Orchid Cellar Winery 8546 Pete Wiles Rd Middletown, MD 21769 Bus: (301) 473-3568 E-mail: info@orchidcellar.com
R
Shady Grove Meadery
1246 Birchwood Dr Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Bus: (408) 747-0770
709 Norris Freeway Lake City, TN 37769 Bus: (865) 426-4900 E-mail: meadguy@shadygrovemead.com
Raftshol Vineyards
Shalom Orchard
Rabbit’s Foot Meadery
1865 N West Bay Shore Dr Suttons Bay, MI 49682 Bus: (231) 271-5650 E-mail: warren@raftsholvineyards.com
Redstone Meadery 4700 Pearl St #2-A Boulder, CO 80301 Bus: (720) 406-1215 E-mail: info@redstonemeadery.com
Ring of Fire Meadery 178 E Bunnell St Homer, AK 99603 Bus: (907) 235-2656 E-mail: ringoffiremeadery@alaska.net
Rogue Ales 2320 OSU Dr Mewport, OR 97365 Bus: (541) 867-3660 E-mail: joe.rogue@rogue.com
Route 200, 158 Eastbook Rd Franklin, ME 04634 Bus: (207) 565-2312 E-mail: info@shalomorchard.com
Shields Demesne Winery 374 Smith Creek Rd Spraggs, PA 15362 Bus: (724) 435-7246 E-mail: contact@shieldswinery.com
Skep & Skein Tavern & Meadery 2106 Harrison Ave NW Ste B14 Olympia, WA 98502 Bus: (360) 292-4400 E-mail: skepandskein@comcast.net
Sky River Winery 14270 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE Redmond, WA 98052 Bus: (425) 242-3815 E-mail: glenda@skyriverbrewing.com E-mail 2: denice@skyriverbrewing.com
P
Rohan Meadery
Pirtle Winery
6002 FM 2981 La Grange, TX 78945 Bus: (979) 249-5652 E-mail: wendy@rohanmeadery.com
Salt Point Meadery
Royal Court Meadery
San Francisco Mead Company
502 Spring St Weston, MO 64098 Bus: (816) 640-5278
Prairie Rose Meade 3101 30th St S E Fargo. ND. 58104. Phone. 7013713690. Email meadmkr@far.midco.net.
Prairieberry Winery Bus: (605) 574-3898 E-mail: info@prairieberry.com
Prawlocki’s Stout Viking Mead Del Ray Beach, FL 33445 Bus: (407) 922-5562 E-mail: info@leviathanfinearts.com
• 50 • AMERICAN MEAD MAKER
Sheboygan, WI 53081 Bus: (574) 971-7515 E-mail: jestingthreads@gmail.com
S
Sap House Meadery PO Box 595 Center Ossipee, NH 03814 Bus: (603) 539-1672 E-mail: matt@saphousemeadery.com
Schramm’s Mead 1545 McManus Troy, MI 48084 Bus: (248) 816-1592 E-mail: info@schrammsmead.com
Salt Point, NY E-mail: SPM@saltpointmeadery.com
1180 Shafter Ave San Francisco, CA 94124 Bus: (415) 819-4947 E-mail: sara@sfmead.com
Sandhill Crane Vineyards 4724 Walz Rd Jackson, MI 49201 Bus: (517) 764-0679 E-mail: heather@sandhillcranevineyards.com
Spruce Mountain Meadery
Superstition Meadery
Larkspur, CO Bus: (719) 351-4909 E-mail: Information@SpruceMountainMeadery.com
120 West Gurley Street Cellar-1 Prescott, Arizona 86301 Bus: (928)-458-4256 E-mail: info@superstitionmeadery.com
Spurgeon Vineyards and Winery
T
16008 Pine Tree Rd Highland, WI 53543 Bus: (608) 929-7692 E-mail: info@spurgeonvineyards.com
St Ambrose Cellars 971 S Pioneer Rd Beulah, MI 49617 Bus: (888) 912-0017 E-mail: zydecogroove@yahoo.com
Starrlight Mead 4606 Stllliview Dr Durham, NC 27712 Bus: (919) 533-6314 E-mail: info@starrlightmead.com
Stonekeep Meadery Boyertown, PA Bus: (610) 743-8693 E-mail: info@stonekeepmeadery.com
Strad Meadery 430 Scenic Vista Way Fair Oaks, CA 95628 E-mail: dan@stradmead.com
Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyards 1446 240th Ave Thurman, IA 51654 Bus: (712) 628-2020 E-mail: sugarclaywinery@iowatelecom.net
Summerside Vineyards Winery & Meadery Grand Lakes o’the Cherokees 441251 E Historic Route 66 Vinita, OK 74301 Bus: (918) 256-3000 E-mail: wine@summersidevineyards.com
Superior Lakes Mead & Wine 36241 Jefferson Harrison Twp, MI 48045 Bus: (586) 231-9501 E-mail: aaron@superiorlakes.com
1309 Sadler Rd Pomona, IL 62975 Bus: (618) 893-4500 E-mail: info@vonjakobvineyard.com
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Table Mountain Vineyards
Walton’s Mountain Winery & Vineyards
Box 24 Huntley, WY 82218 Bus: (307) 459-0233 E-mail: info@tablemountainvineyards.com
PO Box 526 West Point, CA 95255 Bus: (209) 293-4010 E-mail: winery@flojobrew.com
Texas Mead Works
68323A Lea St Iron River, WI 54847 Bus: (715) 372-5656
5151 FM 20 Seguin, TX 78155 Bus: (830) 379-9463 E-mail: info@texasmeadworks.com
Thistle Meadery Gawler, S. Australia E-mail: thistlemeadery@gmail.com
Tomahawk Mill Vineyards & Winery 9221 Anderson Mill Rd Chatham, VA 24531 Bus: (434) 432-1063 E-mail: tomahawk@gamewood.net
U
Urban Farm Fermentory 200 Anderson St Bay 4 Portland, ME 04101 Bus: (207) 773-8331 E-mail: uffcontact@gmail.com
V
Valley Vineyards 2276 E US 22 & 3 Morrow, OH 45152 Bus: (513) 899-2485 E-mail: info@valleyvineyards.com
White Winter Winery
E-mail: jon@whitewinter.com
Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery 10033 S Western Ave Chicago, IL 60643 Bus: (773) 233-7579 E-mail: greg@bev-art.com
Wills Winery 814 S. Main St Ste 3 Lapeer, MI 48446 Bus: (810) 245-9463 E-mail: theowners@lapeerwinery.com
Winehaven Winery & Vineyrd 9757 292d St Chisago City, MN 55013 Bus: (651) 257-1017 E-mail: wines@winehaven.com
Woodstone Creek Winery & Distillery 3641 Newton Ave Cincinnati, OH 45207 Bus: (513) 569-0300 E-mail: woodstonecreek@yahoo.com
Volcano Winery 35 Pii Mauna Dr Volcano, HI 96785 Bus: (808) 967-7772 E-mail: info@volcanowinery.com
Von Jakob’s Vineyard
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