The MeadMakr Podcast: News, Interviews, and Guides to Make Your Mead Better

Join Tysen in Episode 59 of the Meadcast, as he interviews two organizers of the Mazer Cup. Learn the ins and outs of running the world’s largest mead only competition, and whet your appetite for joining us at the 2018 Mazer Cup in just a few short months! http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/Meadcast059.mp3 Right click here to download the … Continue reading "MC59: Mazer Cup 2017" The post MC59: Mazer Cup 2017 appeared first on MeadMakr.

One of Tysen’s many 2017 mead trips found him at the Domras Cup in Savannah, GA. In Episode 58, Tysen interviews Nate Watkins (home mead maker and judge), Chris Stovall (head judge), and Mike Tripka (famous mead maker).  They discuss what it is like judging, hosting a competition, and the history of the Domras Cup, … Continue reading "MC058: Domras Cup 2017" The post MC058: Domras Cup 2017 appeared first on MeadMakr.

In what feels like forever ago, we sat down with Ken Hardcastle from Hermit Woods Winery to discuss his efforts in making mead into table wine.  One of Hermit Woods’ goals is to replace your traditional red and white wines with suitable melomels that serve the same role.  Having tasted his wares, I’d say he … Continue reading "MC057: Ultimate Wine-Like Mead with Hermit Woods" The post MC057: Ultimate Wine-Like Mead with Hermit Woods appeared first on MeadMakr.

In episode 56, we welcome Jon Talkington from Brimminghorn Meadery on the Meadcast to talk about his meadmaking process! Learn about the oldest discovered fermented beverage from Jiahu, and Jon’s take on a mead variant. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/Meadcast056.mp3 Right click here to download the mp3 directly. Drinks in this Episode Tysen’s Intro Beverage: Chateau Jiahu (Dogfish Head … Continue reading "MC056: Talking with Talkington – Zeus Juice?" The post MC056: Talking with Talkington – Zeus Juice? appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 55 of the Meadcast we are fortunate to host Chad Wiltz of Garagiste Meadery as he walks us through the best processes to make mead with nuts. I learned a lot in this episode, and if you’ve ever wanted to make your own PB&J mead, be sure to follow these steps to success. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/Meadcast055.mp3 Right … Continue reading "MC055: Oh Nuts! with Garagiste Meadery" The post MC055: Oh Nuts! with Garagiste Meadery appeared first on MeadMakr.

The Meadcast conducts another mead tasting with our West Coast friends, revisiting session meads but with a decidedly East Coast flavor. Join us to learn about why these meads from Charm City Meadworks, Groennfell Meadery, and Havoc mead are “light and crushable.” http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/Meadcast054.mp3 Right click here to download the mp3 directly. Drinks in this Episode … Continue reading "MC054: Light and Crushable — East Coast Session Mead Tasting" The post MC054: Light and Crushable — East Coast Session Mead Tasting appeared first on MeadMakr.

The Cidersage Dan Daugherty joins us on the Meadcast for a Cyser Sequel. In this episode we’ll taste our episode 19 Cyser Challenge cysers, talk apple varieties, and Dan will tell us about his new commercial venture, St Vrain Cidery, which recently opened in Longmont, CO. Also, tune in to hear the latest news about Tysen’s upcoming Domras … Continue reading "MC053: The Cyser Sequel" The post MC053: The Cyser Sequel appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor onto the Meadcast in episode 52 to discuss pairing meads with food. Chrissie has written a phenomenal book on the art of pairing meads releasing in a few short weeks, and we highlight some of the golden nuggets of the book. When it comes out, be sure to pick up … Continue reading "MC052: How to Pair Food and Mead" The post MC052: How to Pair Food and Mead appeared first on MeadMakr.

Happy New Mead Year! In episode 51, Tysen and Allen recap their merry mead year while celebrating Meadmust (if only a few days late). We’ll cover our 2016 travels, how to pronounce Polish meads, and some segments that didn’t make it into the proper episode recordings for 2016. Specifically, you’ll hear segments from Ash Fischbein … Continue reading "MC051: Happy New Mead Year (Merry Meadmust 2016)" The post MC051: Happy New Mead Year (Merry Meadmust 2016) appeared first on MeadMakr.

Welcome to this, Episode 50 of the Meadcast. No seriously, it’s episode 50! We couldn’t have made it this far without the support of our fans, and in their interest we’re revisiting an early topic on the show, how to make a traditional mead. We’ve had episode 4 out for a while concerning just this … Continue reading "MC050: Make Better Mead – Take 2!" The post MC050: Make Better Mead – Take 2! appeared first on MeadMakr.

In this episode, we wrap up the soda mead challenge. You’ll hear from the guys who helped kick off this competition. We’ll discuss the three winning soda meads from the 2016 Texas Mead Cup. *** It should be noted in the photo above, this does not denote that Allen (left) or Tysen (right) won a … Continue reading "MC049: The Smooth Finish of the Soda Mead Challenge" The post MC049: The Smooth Finish of the Soda Mead Challenge appeared first on MeadMakr.

Join us in Episode 48 for a discussion about Tej (pronounced tedge), the honey wine from Ethiopia. Tej is one of the oldest traditional honey wines still made today, and carries with it a history you’ll want to hear about. We’ve brought on conservationist and meadmaker Ayele Solomon from Bee D’Vine meadery to discuss Tej, … Continue reading "MC048: It’s Time for Tej" The post MC048: It’s Time for Tej appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Sergio Moutela back on the Meadcast for Episode 47 to discuss his updates to the Tailored Organic Staggered Nutrient Addition (TOSNA) protocol. We jump right into the changes that come with TOSNA 2.0, so be sure to check out our initial discussion on yeast nutrients and why going all organic works in Episode 22 (our … Continue reading "MC047: TOSNA 2.0 — Less Filling (for the Yeast), Tastes Great (for You)" The post MC047: TOSNA 2.0 — Less Filling (for the Yeast), Tastes Great (for You) appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Bruce Leslie back on the show for a spotlight episode on Griffin Meadery. Tune in to hear some more about why you should check out Texas Mead, especially from Willis. Don’t forget the Texas Mead Fest is this weekend, September 24! Mini Meadmakr’s first birthday bash is keeping us from the trip, but we’ll … Continue reading "MC046: Mead in Texas – Griffin Meadery" The post MC046: Mead in Texas – Griffin Meadery appeared first on MeadMakr.

In episode 45 of the Meadcast we welcome Shannon on the show to share his latest BOMM recipe. Recall that we spoke with Bray Denard in episode 27 about his Bray’s One Month Mead recipe that has taken on a life of its own in online mead circles. Shannon recounts his experience with making BOMMs … Continue reading "MC045: We will drink your mead, Shannon" The post MC045: We will drink your mead, Shannon appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Ash Fishbein from Saphouse Meadery onto the show to discuss using plastic fermenters to make your mead. This might be geared a bit towards larger scale production in plastic (think greater than 20 gallon fermenters but peaking at 55 gallon barrels if you don’t have temperature control), but there are plenty of takeaways … Continue reading "MC044: Plastic in the House" The post MC044: Plastic in the House appeared first on MeadMakr.

Join us in Episode 43 of the Meadcast to learn about the 5th Annual Texas Mead Fest. The Texas Mead Association started as a couple meaderies looking to pool their resources and improve the mead industry of Texas. Today it sports six members, and their annual Mead Fest is one of the largest public mead … Continue reading "MC043: The 5th Annual Texas Mead Fest" The post MC043: The 5th Annual Texas Mead Fest appeared first on MeadMakr.

Join us in Episode 42 of the Meadcast to learn more about the meads we are making for the #SodaMead #MeadChallenge. We also have some tips from The Colony Meadery concerning how to make A Good Sarsaparilla. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/Meadcast042.mp3 Right click here to download the mp3 directly. Drinks in this Episode Allen: Root of All Evil … Continue reading "MC042: How to #SodaMead" The post MC042: How to #SodaMead appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Greg and Mike from The Colony Meadery in Allentown,PA to discuss how they make meads “burst with flavor.” It’s a pretty bold assertion, meads bursting with flavor, but their product stands up to the description. Learn how they do it in episode 41 of the Meadcast, where Mike shares his tips to make … Continue reading "MC041: Bursting with Flavor (Good and Strange)" The post MC041: Bursting with Flavor (Good and Strange) appeared first on MeadMakr.

Are you a hot spice fanatic looking for something new to try? Be sure to check out Orchid Cellar in Middletown, MD for a tour of some of the world’s hottest peppers in capsumel form (I hear they even ship!). And don’t forget to tune in to episode 40 where we taste five of their offerings. … Continue reading "MC040: He Who Controls the Spice, Controls the Universe" The post MC040: He Who Controls the Spice, Controls the Universe appeared first on MeadMakr.

Episode 39 is a special one for us at the Meadcast. It is the first chance we get to try one of our listener’s meads on air (not counting the pro meads here), and it was a great experience. Tune in to hear us go through a tasting of two fruit and spice meads, one … Continue reading "MC039: Evaluating Kellie’s Meads" The post MC039: Evaluating Kellie’s Meads appeared first on MeadMakr.

We welcome Michael and Alejandra from Costa Rica Meadery as our first international guests on the Meadcast to discuss their locally inspired meads. Learn about chichemel: what it is and how to make it. We also discuss their hopes to make a true coffee mead experience with all ingredients coffee derived, as well as their … Continue reading "MC038: ChiCheMel" The post MC038: ChiCheMel appeared first on MeadMakr.

Join us in episode 37 of the Meadcast where we interview Philip Lorenz of Nectar Creek about session meads. Nectar Creek swept the session dry category of the Mazer Cup 2015. In this episode you’ll learn the Nectar Creek way of making mead. We’ll also cover some tips on how to carbonate your meads at … Continue reading "MC037: A Session with Phil" The post MC037: A Session with Phil appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 36, we challenge you to a mead making competition for the Fall of 2016. To do so, we’ve brought on some accomplished meadmakers in Thomas Eibner (@thomaseibner), Matt Weide (@bluehandmead) and Pavel Anisimov (@cidermead). During the episode, Thomas and Matt will talk through their 8 day hydromel challenge (yes, that is a drinkable … Continue reading "MC036: #SodaMead #MeadChallenge" The post MC036: #SodaMead #MeadChallenge appeared first on MeadMakr.

In episode 35 of the Meadcast we revisit bochets with Matt Falenski from Laurel Highlands Meadery (recall with spoke with David Doucette about bochets in episode 24). Matt has been making bochet commercially for 5 years now, and brings a wealth of experience to making the beverage and understanding how to caramelize the honey appropriately. … Continue reading "MC035: Pro Bochet Tips, So You Don’t Botch It!" The post MC035: Pro Bochet Tips, So You Don’t Botch It! appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 34 we bring you news that Billy Beltz, recent 2 time medal winner at the Mazer Cup 2016, completed the Great Mead Ale Yeast Experiment. With 12 different yeasts, his experiment was pretty comprehensive from a study perspective and provides another data point considering how and when to use an ale yeast in … Continue reading "MC034: Mead Ale Yeast Experimentation with Billy Beltz" The post MC034: Mead Ale Yeast Experimentation with Billy Beltz appeared first on MeadMakr.

We had a blast just a few short weeks ago at the 2016 Mazer Cup. In this episode, you’ll hear about the trip, the cool people we met, and the great meads we had. Well, mostly the trip and the competition. There were so many meads to be had, it’s hard at this point to … Continue reading "MC033: Mazer Cup 2016 Recap" The post MC033: Mazer Cup 2016 Recap appeared first on MeadMakr.

Episode 32 wraps up Tysen’s Merry Meadmust adventure with stops at Schramm’s Meadery and B Nektar Meadery, two must visit locations in Ferndale, MI. Seriously, if you are going to drive cross country to hit a meadery, these have to be on the list. Merry Meadmust Roadrtip Part 1: #FoundMead Merry Meadmust Roadtrip Part 2: … Continue reading "MM032: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 3: Now with 3x the Mead!" The post MM032: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 3: Now with 3x the Mead! appeared first on MeadMakr.

Every now and again, we like to revisit our tasting chops in an effort to identify what meads we want to make and consider the process that allows the professionals to make such delicious beverages. We were lucky enough to source the three Nectar Creek dry session mead winners from the 2015 Mazer Cup as … Continue reading "MM031: West Coast Cyser and Session Mead Tasting" The post MM031: West Coast Cyser and Session Mead Tasting appeared first on MeadMakr.

Episode 30 chronicles part II of Tysen’s travels during the Merry Meadmust Road Trip. Tysen takes us through Madison, Wisconsin and Grand Rapids, Michigan. While he didn’t stop at any meaderies, he did hit up a few cool liquor stores stocked with meads. Be sure to stop by when you are in the area! We … Continue reading "MM030: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 2: Enjoy Vicariously" The post MM030: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 2: Enjoy Vicariously appeared first on MeadMakr.

In this bonus episode, we follow the first of a three leg journey Tysen takes during the 2015 Meadmust Holiday season. If you don’t recall Meadmust, check out Episode 25 where we bring back many of the Mead Masters we interviewed in 2015. We’ll be following up on Tysen’s travels over the course of a few … Continue reading "MM029: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 1: #FoundMead" The post MM029: Merry Meadmust Road Trip Part 1: #FoundMead appeared first on MeadMakr.

In episode 28 of the Meadcast we introduce the MeadMakr’s Toolbox. These are five calculators we think will greatly help in your meadmaking journey. Starting with the BatchBuildr, we’ll walk through the BatchBlendr, ABV Calculator, SG to Brix Converter, and bringing it home we stumble through the Advanced Nutrient Calculator. To further enjoy the episode, Tysen … Continue reading "MM028: The MeadMakr’s Toolbox – Hear an Acronym, Drink Mead" The post MM028: The MeadMakr’s Toolbox – Hear an Acronym, Drink Mead appeared first on MeadMakr.

Bray Denard joins us in Episode 27 to discuss the development of the near mythical Bray’s One Month Mead (BOMM) recipe. The BOMM started as a simple beer yeast experiment, assuming that historically beer yeasts have been chosen for fast fermentations whereas wine yeasts were selected for long term viability. Whether you trust the initial … Continue reading "MM027: Somebody Set Up Us the BOMM" The post MM027: Somebody Set Up Us the BOMM appeared first on MeadMakr.

Frank Golbeck from Golden Coast Mead joins us in Episode 26 to discuss sour meads. If you aren’t familiar with sours, read through the complete show notes and the and check out the Additional Reading links before diving into the episode. Frank walks us through GCM’s sour mead discovery, including the happenstance development of their first … Continue reading "MM026: Golden Coast Mead’s One Weird Tasting Trick" The post MM026: Golden Coast Mead’s One Weird Tasting Trick appeared first on MeadMakr.

Merry Meadmas (or is that Meadmust?)! In Episode 25, we celebrate the holidays with audio from the multitude of mead masters we’ve had the fortunate opportunity to interview this year. You’ll hear from Ken Schramm, Brad Dahlhofer, Paul Zimmerman, Michael Fairbrother, Sergio Moutela, and Jeff Herbert. Topics include agave meads to make margaritas; the historical mead figures … Continue reading "MM025: A Merry Meadmas with the Mead Masters" The post MM025: A Merry Meadmas with the Mead Masters appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 24, David Doucette from Hive Mind Mead joins us to tackle bochets. What are they? how do you make them? And what the heck is solera aging!?! Listen in to find out. And if you want to join in on the fun check out the links section below for where to follow Dave’s … Continue reading "MM024: Bochets with Hive Mind Mead" The post MM024: Bochets with Hive Mind Mead appeared first on MeadMakr.

Ricky from Groennfell Meadery joins us in Episode 23. Ricky hosts his own youtube show, Ask the Meadmaker. Listen in as we talk about Groennfell’s meads and answer a few questions Ricky has for us. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/MeadMakr023.mp3 Right click here to download the mp3 directly. Drinks in this Episode Allen and Tysen: Mannaz and Valkyrie’s Choice (Groennfell … Continue reading "MM023: Ask THE Meadmaker" The post MM023: Ask THE Meadmaker appeared first on MeadMakr.

We’ve received many questions about staggered nutrients, and in Episode 22 we try to answer them bringing on Sergio Moutela of Melovino Meadery. Sergio also created Mead Made Right, a website devoted to teaching meadmakers about Sergio’s Tailored Organic Staggered Nutrient Additions. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/MeadMakr022.mp3 Right click here to download the mp3 directly. Drinks in this Episode … Continue reading "MM022: TOSNA with Sergio Moutela" The post MM022: TOSNA with Sergio Moutela appeared first on MeadMakr.

Paul Reiss from Meadist joins us in Episode 21 to discuss brands, bottles, and label designs. Bottling is the last step to finish your meads. While it may not seem relevant to a site devoted to making mead, it is relevant when it comes to sharing the mead you’ve made with friends. Whether you are … Continue reading "MM021: Branding, Bottles, and Labels" The post MM021: Branding, Bottles, and Labels appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 20, Tysen and Allen answer the first 20 questions they received from the Podcast listeners. We touch on making peach session melomels, common meadmaking problems, the mead industry, starting a meadery, and even how Allen and Tysen first met. We also feature a MeadMakr Spotlight with Blacksnake Meadery from Dugspur, VA. Steve and … Continue reading "MM020: Let’s Play… 20 Questions!" The post MM020: Let’s Play… 20 Questions! appeared first on MeadMakr.

In episode 19, we tackle the topic of cysers with Dan Daugherty from Cidersage and Cider School and Matt Williams from Winemaker’s Academy. Recall from Episode 2 that cysers are simply meads made with apples and honey. Dan and Matt talk us through the apples you need to make cyser, where to find them, and how … Continue reading "MM019: Serious Cyser Symposium" The post MM019: Serious Cyser Symposium appeared first on MeadMakr.

Have you every wondered how B Nektar Meadery comes up with such great flavor combinations for their meads? Or how they encapsulate and idea into a final product? In episode 18 we ask them just that, and get some practical information for how you can do the same with your experimental mead ideas. http://traffic.libsyn.com/meadmakr/MeadMakr018.mp3 Right click … Continue reading "MeadMakr 018: Experimental Mead with B Nektar Meadery" The post MeadMakr 018: Experimental Mead with B Nektar Meadery appeared first on MeadMakr.

Episode 17 is a bit different from our previous podcasts. We’ve structured this as a *Bonus* episode, featuring some of the shorter content segments we’ve put together that did not justify a full regular episode on their own. In this *Bonus*, our main content is on planning a mead tasting, but we also have a … Continue reading "MeadMakr 017: *B* Planning a Mead Tasting" The post MeadMakr 017: *B* Planning a Mead Tasting appeared first on MeadMakr.

The first Saturday of August has been dubbed National Mead Day by the American Homebrewers’ Association. In episode 16, we change things up, presenting a recording of our 2015 Mead Day Mead Tasting, trying three traditional meads. Some of the guests were brand new to mead, others were a bit more experienced having made a … Continue reading "MeadMakr 016: Mead Tasting on National Mead Day" The post MeadMakr 016: Mead Tasting on National Mead Day appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 15, we talk with James Boicourt, meadmaker at Charm City Meadworks in Baltimore, MD about oaking your mead. We focus a lot on the commercial aspects of oak barrels, but there are some nuggets in here for the home meadmaker as well. And if you are interested in using oak on the home … Continue reading "MeadMakr 015: Oaking your Mead with James Boicourt" The post MeadMakr 015: Oaking your Mead with James Boicourt appeared first on MeadMakr.

In this episode, we bring on Michael Fairbrother to discuss making mead consistently. Michael is the founder and head meadmaker at Moonlight Meander and the current president of the American Mead Makers Association. His number one tip, make more mead! Michael went so far as a homebrewer to make 60 batches a year to hone his … Continue reading "MeadMakr 014: Making Mead Consistently with Michael Fairbrother" The post MeadMakr 014: Making Mead Consistently with Michael Fairbrother appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 12, we bring on none other than Ken Schramm, author of The Compleat Meadmaker and owner and head meadmaker of Schramm’s Mead (logo at right). Ken has been making mead for over 20 years, and his book has influenced many meadmakers who have gone pro in recent years. Our discussion starts with a focus on … Continue reading "MeadMakr 012: Take Ken Schramm’s Advice on Fruits" The post MeadMakr 012: Take Ken Schramm’s Advice on Fruits appeared first on MeadMakr.

It’s time for another bonus episode! In this episode, Amina Harris wraps up our honey discussion with the development of the Honey Flavor and Aroma Wheel. We also have some exciting site news! We finally crossed 1000 total downloads, and in the three days since recording the bonus episode you’ve already downloaded another 300+. Keep spreading … Continue reading "MeadMakr 011: *Bonus Episode* Development of the Honey Flavor Wheel" The post MeadMakr 011: *Bonus Episode* Development of the Honey Flavor Wheel appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 10, we have Amina Harris, Director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, back to guide us through a honey tasting using the Honey Flavor and Aroma Wheel. Follow along as we wet your appetite for honey, tasting four delicious honeys that would make fabulous additions to your mead. If you are looking for … Continue reading "MeadMakr 010: Honey Tasting with Amina Harris" The post MeadMakr 010: Honey Tasting with Amina Harris appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 9, we bring on Amina Harris to talk all things honey. Amina is the Director of the Honey and Pollination Center at the Robert Mondavi Institute of Wine and Food Science, UC Davis. In addition, Amina is the owner of Z Specialty Food, LLC with her husband and son. Moon Shine Trading Company, a division … Continue reading "MeadMakr 009: Honey Buzz Words with Amina Harris" The post MeadMakr 009: Honey Buzz Words with Amina Harris appeared first on MeadMakr.

In Episode 008, we interview Chris Webber, the founding president of the American Mead Makers Association (AMMA) and the owner and head meadmaker at Dragon’s Lair Meads, a subsidiary of Outlanders Keep. We bring Chris on to talk about the AMMA, its mission, ongoing activities, and its path forward. We also discuss the Cider Act, … Continue reading "MeadMakr 008: The American Mead Makers Association with Founding President Chris Webber" The post MeadMakr 008: The American Mead Makers Association with Founding President Chris Webber appeared first on MeadMakr.