Episodes

  • 20-10-26 Roger Wanner – WA Meadwerks – Long Island NY

    20-10-26 Roger Wanner – WA Meadwerks – Long Island NY
    Feb 10 2026
    2-10-26 Tonight we’re talking with Roger Wanner, owner and meadmaker at WA Meadwerks in Long Island, NY. Roger is the founder and mead maker of W A Meadwerks. Founded in 2018, they have experienced rapid growth in the early years of operation and disappointment in the post COVID years. After right-sizing the operation and focusing on small batch production, as they did when founded, they’ve added a new fan base and are reshaping the way mead is perceived and enjoyed. W A Meadwerks will be celebrating its 8th anniversary this year with a focus on barrel aged meads. The celebration starts on Mead Day, Aug 1st and ends on their anniversary Sept 8th. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Feb 11 - Green Mountain Mashers, Essex Junction, VT - Traditional Mead Night with Man Made Mead Sensory Tests Feb 12 - Bardic Wells Meadery, Montague, MI - Mead & Mehndi Feb 12 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Jam session Feb 12 - Thirsty Bee Meadery, Tomball, TX - Larry Lane Live music Feb 13 - Starrlight Meadery at the Honeysuckle Tea House, Chapel Hill, NC - Valentines Mead Tasting Feb 13 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Make Your Own Mosaic Heart Feb 13 - Hex Meadery, Kaukauna, WI - Anniversary Party Feb 13 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: Valentine Animal Feb 14 - Bee Immortal Mead, Round Rock, TX - Valentines Mead Workshop Feb 14 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Valentines Murder Mystery Dinner Feb 14 - Southern Origin Meadery, Canon, GA - Couples Painting Each Other (Tiktok trend) Feb 15 - Meduseld Meadery, Lancaster, PA - Meadery Dance Feb 15 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam - Mike Rocke Folk Music Feb 15 - Chubby Cheeks Meadery, Temecula, CA - Pet and Paint - Valentines Day Fundraiser! Feb 18 - Lancashire Mead Company at the Jorvik Viking Centre, York, UK - Mead Tasting event Feb 19 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Fiber Crafting Feb 21 - Monks Meadery, Atlanta, GA - Exhibition Armored Combat Feb 21 - Wyrd Leather and Mead, Portland, OR - Expedition 33 Mead Up Feb 21 - W A Meadwerks, Lindenhurst, NY - Mead Becomes Her - cult cinema and themed cocktails Feb 26 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Karaoke Night Feb 28 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Anatomy of a Killer: When Doctors Become Predators Mar 5 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Paint and Sip Mar 20-21 Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition, Minneapolis, MN - entries open! Mar 28 - Zymarium Meadery, Orlando, FL - Bonsai and Cheers with L&J Nursery Mar 28 - Folklore Brewing and Meadery, Dothan, AL - Dothan Songwriters Festival April 11 - Mershon’s Artisan Cider, Stoughton, WI - Wisconsin Cider and Mead Festival April 11 - Wild Blossom Meadery, Chicago, IL - Wine Run 5k April 19 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Make a Sand Art Terrarium You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    2 hrs and 2 mins
  • 2-3-26 Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz “maTEJ” Błaszczyk – Mead Madness Cup and EMMA

    2-3-26 Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz “maTEJ” Błaszczyk – Mead Madness Cup and EMMA
    Feb 3 2026
    2-3-26 We're doing a pre-recorded episode today! We are talking with Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk, meadmakers and founders of the Mead Madness Cup and the European Mead Makers Association. Kings of Mead represent the powerhouse duo of Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk, two recognizable mead authorities in Europe. Hailing from Poland—the global heart of mead tradition—both have been crafting mead for over 15 years, blending deep-rooted heritage with modern innovation. As cornerstones of the global mead community, they launched their YouTube channel over 8 years ago, becoming pioneers in digital mead education and inspiring a generation of makers worldwide. As Master MJP (Mead Judging Programme) judges, they have trained the vast majority of European mead judges, conducting certification courses across the UK, South Korea, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Spain, Norway, Italy, and Mexico. Their leadership is fundamental to the industry: Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk is the visionary initiator of both the European Mead Makers Conference (EMMcon) and the Mead Madness Cup. He is also a published author of books on mead making. Krzysztof Jarek has served as the Director of the Mead Madness Cup since 2019, overseeing its growth into one of largest and most prestigious competitions. In a landmark move for the industry, Kings of Mead are coming to the USA this year to conduct the first-ever MJP (Mead Judge Programme) training in the United States. This historic event marks a bridge between the ancient traditions of Europe and the vibrant, growing American mead scene. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Feb 10 - Roger Wanner - W A Meadwerks - New York Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Feb 5 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Trivia Night Feb 6 - Red’s on 7th, Delavan, WI - Meads and Masterpiece - mead tasting and wine glass painting Feb 6 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Grown Up Book Fair Feb 6 - Chubby Cheeks Meadery, Temecula, CA - Halo Mega Bowl LAN party Feb 8 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam with Mike Rocke Feb 8 - Drinking Horn Meadery, Flagstaff, AZ - Beeswa Candle Making Valentine Workshop Feb 13 - Starrlight Meadery at the Honeysuckle Tea House, Chapel Hill, NC - Valentines Mead Tasting Feb 13 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Make Your Own Mosaic Heart Feb 13 - Hex Meadery, Kaukauna, WI - Anniversary Party Feb 13 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: Valentine Animal Feb 14 - Bee Immortal Mead, Round Rock, TX - Valentines Mead Workshop Feb 14 - Southern Origin Meadery, Canon, GA - Couples Painting Each Other (Tiktok trend) Feb 18 - Lancashire Mead Company at the Jorvik Viking Centre, York, UK - Mead Tasting event Feb 19 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Fiber Crafting Feb 21 - Monks Meadery, Atlanta, GA - Exhibition Armored Combat Feb 28 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Anatomy of a Killer: When Doctors Become Predators Mar 20-21 Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition, Minneapolis, MN - entries open! Mar 28 - Zymarium Meadery, Orlando, FL - Bonsai and Cheers with L&J Nursery Mar 28 - Folklore Brewing and Meadery, Dothan, AL - Dothan Songwriters Festival April 11 - Mershon’s Artisan Cider, Stoughton, WI - Wisconsin Cider and Mead Festival You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • 1-27-26 Ryan Carlson – Optimizing Fermentation

    1-27-26 Ryan Carlson – Optimizing Fermentation
    Jan 27 2026
    1-27-26 Tonight we’re talking with Ryan Carlson again. He had a lot of information, and we just ran out of time last time! Ryan is a Colorado mead maker who has been making mead for quite a while. Those of you who have listened to the early GML episodes may remember him. He has been quiet publicly for a few years, dealing with personal things, but during that quiet time, he’s also been doing a lot of learning and experimentation to deepen his mead making expertise. I'll just let Ryan tell you himself: Hi, my name is Ryan. Some of you will know me from the mead world going back a long way. Some of you won’t know me at all — and that’s just fine. I was very active in mead for many years, right up until around 2020. Then life hit hard. Multiple things at once. Survival mode. For about five years I was mostly just circling the drain and trying to stay upright. Things are finally closer to normal now, and I guess you could say I’m back in the saddle. I’ve been a successful meadmaker for a long time. I’m a certified judge. I’ve taught hundreds of people — maybe more — how to make good mead. I love teaching, but I’m picky about it. I only teach what I’ve lived. I only teach what I can prove. If someone wants receipts, I can bury Mount Rushmore with them. I also teach mead in a way most people have never experienced. From here forward, I’ll be approaching things a little differently. We’re going to “get small.” We’re going to pretend we’re a single-celled yeast and jump down inside Mead City. We’ll look at fermentation from the inside of the vessel outward and change our perspective completely. Mead is going to do what mead does. Yeast is going to do what yeast does. When we actually understand the science and biology, our job isn’t control — it’s assistance. We learn when the window opens, and when it does, we can hand the yeast exactly what they need so they can do the job they were already built to do. Most of the time, when people don’t understand what’s happening, they get in the way. They step on the yeast without realizing it. They try to force outcomes that biology simply doesn’t allow, and they miss the chance to co-create. My goal is to help raise everyone’s bar by changing perspective first, then layering in real science and real biology — not folklore, not wives’ tales, and not parroted bad science. If you want to understand mead well enough that you don’t have to beg for recipes anymore — recipes that often produce mediocre results at best — then this is a good place to sit down with us and learn the craft the way it’s actually lived. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Feb 10 - Roger Wanner - W A Meadwerks - New York Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Jan 29 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Live Music by Bozeman Area String Jams Jan 29 - Bardic Wells Medery, Montague, MI - Henna Party by Bohemian Awakenings Jan 29 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Karaoke Night Jan 30 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: First Snowflake Jan 31 - St. Ambrose Meadery, Beulah, MI - Barefoot Music party Feb 5 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Trivia Night Feb 6 - Red’s on 7th, Delavan, WI - Meads and Masterpiece - mead tasting and wine glass painting Feb 6 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Grown Up Book Fair Feb 6 - Chubby Cheeks Meadery, Temecula, CA - Halo Mega Bowl LAN party Feb 8 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam with Mike Rocke Feb 8 - Drinking Horn Meadery, Flagstaff, AZ - Beeswa ...
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    2 hrs and 13 mins
  • 1-13-26 Ryan Carlson – The Case for Open Fermentation – Fermenting History

    1-13-26 Ryan Carlson – The Case for Open Fermentation – Fermenting History
    Jan 14 2026
    1-13-26 Tonight we’re talking with Ryan Carlson. Ryan is a Colorado mead maker who has been making mead for quite a while. Those of you who have listened to the early GML episodes may remember him. He has been quiet publicly for a few years, dealing with personal things, but during that quiet time, he’s also been doing a lot of learning and experimentation to deepen his mead making expertise. I'll just let Ryan tell you himself: Hi, my name is Ryan. Some of you will know me from the mead world going back a long way. Some of you won’t know me at all — and that’s just fine. I was very active in mead for many years, right up until around 2020. Then life hit hard. Multiple things at once. Survival mode. For about five years I was mostly just circling the drain and trying to stay upright. Things are finally closer to normal now, and I guess you could say I’m back in the saddle. I’ve been a successful meadmaker for a long time. I’m a certified judge. I’ve taught hundreds of people — maybe more — how to make good mead. I love teaching, but I’m picky about it. I only teach what I’ve lived. I only teach what I can prove. If someone wants receipts, I can bury Mount Rushmore with them. I also teach mead in a way most people have never experienced. From here forward, I’ll be approaching things a little differently. We’re going to “get small.” We’re going to pretend we’re a single-celled yeast and jump down inside Mead City. We’ll look at fermentation from the inside of the vessel outward and change our perspective completely. Mead is going to do what mead does. Yeast is going to do what yeast does. When we actually understand the science and biology, our job isn’t control — it’s assistance. We learn when the window opens, and when it does, we can hand the yeast exactly what they need so they can do the job they were already built to do. Most of the time, when people don’t understand what’s happening, they get in the way. They step on the yeast without realizing it. They try to force outcomes that biology simply doesn’t allow, and they miss the chance to co-create. My goal is to help raise everyone’s bar by changing perspective first, then layering in real science and real biology — not folklore, not wives’ tales, and not parroted bad science. If you want to understand mead well enough that you don’t have to beg for recipes anymore — recipes that often produce mediocre results at best — then this is a good place to sit down with us and learn the craft the way it’s actually lived. OPEN-TOP FERMENTATION — HISTORICAL RECEIPTS & DEEP DIVES JIAHU — Neolithic China (~7000 BCE) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-chinese-used-fermented-beverages-180964191/ https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0407921102 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiahu GODIN TEPE — Ancient Near East (~3500–3000 BCE) https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0507742102 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godin_Tepe ROMAN FERMENTATION — POMPEII & DOLIA https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/winemaking.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/dolium https://www.pompeii-sites.org/en/ MEDIEVAL & MONASTIC FERMENTATION https://www.medievalists.net/2014/10/medieval-brewing-ale/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/monasticism/Brewing-and-winemaking GENERAL FERMENTATION ARCHAEOLOGY https://www.penn.museum/sites/biomoleculararchaeology/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ancient-alcohol-drinking-history To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Feb 10 - Roger Wanner - W A Meadwerks - New York Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book ...
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    2 hrs and 13 mins
  • 12-2-25 Lauren and Matt Bloom – Bløm Meadery – Ann Arbor MI

    12-2-25 Lauren and Matt Bloom – Bløm Meadery – Ann Arbor MI
    Dec 2 2025
    12-2-25 Tonight we're talking with Matt and Lauren Bloom, owners and meadmakers at Bløm Mead and Cider in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Bløm Meadworks (pronounced “bloom”), makes modern ciders and session meads – they’re light, dry, carbonated, and remarkably sessionable. For their meads, they start with the same ingredients as a traditional mead - honey, water and yeast - which means they can source all of our ingredients from Michigan. They ferment it like a dry craft cider, so the result isn’t nearly as thick or sweet as traditional mead. So, if the word “mead” automatically conjures a drinking hall filled with Vikings for you, think of theirs as its friendly, approachable descendants, without the pillage and plunder. After years in the nonprofit sector, Lauren realized that what had become her hobby and outside-of-work stress reliever was actually the thing that she cared about most – food. And more specifically, local food production. Soon after, she joined the board of Slow Food Chicago, an organization that advocates for the value and pleasure of good food for all. A few years later, Lauren and Matt moved to Ann Arbor, looking to put down roots in their home state and open Bløm - a business that would allow them to create sessionable brews and highlight some of the mouth-watering ingredients grown in Michigan. Matt started his professional life as a financial geek. Turned out it was far more exciting to apply those geeky skills to brewing chemistry than options software. He kicked off this new career as a home brewer in Chicago and was lucky enough to have two friends who were passionate enough to start a brewery with him. While owner and head brewer for Begyle Brewing, Matt sadly learned that he was among the unfortunate crew that can't process gluten - his love affair with beer had come to an abrupt end. Hooked on the creative fermentation process, and always intrigued by the quirky possibilities for mead and cider, Matt found Bløm to be the perfect love child of what he enjoys making and drinking. Join us to see what Lauren and Matt are doing with their meads and ciders! Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows We are done for 2025. We return January 13, 2026. Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Dec 4 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Trivia Night Dec 4 - Adesanya Mead & Microbrewery, Grandville, MI - Trivia night Dec 5 - Nate and Jake's Meadery, Edmore, MI - Locked In live music Dec 5-7 St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Bee Merry Weekend Holiday Festival Dec 6 - Slaymaker Cellars, Idaho Springs, CO - Meadery Tour with tasting Dec 6 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Ornamentpalooza - make your own angel ornaments Dec 7 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch Dec 9 - The Old Lifeboat House, Penzance, UK - Meadery and Medium - book ahead Dec 12 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink Dec 13 - Wandering Wind Meadery, Charleston, WV - Christmas at the Meadery Dec 13 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Barefoot live music Dec 13 - Nate and Jake's Meadery, Edmore, MI - Comedy Night Dec 13 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Pressed Flower Cardinal Paint and Sip class Dec 13 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Pictures with Krampus Dec 17 - Washtenaw Food Hub, Ann Arbor, MI - Community Mead Making w/ Rachel Kanaan Dec 20 - Dawg Gone Bees Apiary and Meadery, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class Dec 20-21 - Brimming Horn Meadery, Milton, DE - Yule Market Dec 21 - Meduseld Meadery, Lancaster, PA - Meadery Dance Dec 26 - Windchaser Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - Comedy Night Dec 27 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Tom Borek and Veronica Mary Agnes live music Dec 31 - Ironsword Meadery, Ridge Spring, SC - New Year's Eve celebration You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    2 hrs and 12 mins
  • 11-4-25 Bill Bellair – Michigan Mead Coalition – Competing with Mead

    11-4-25 Bill Bellair – Michigan Mead Coalition – Competing with Mead
    Nov 4 2025
    11-4-25 Tonight we’re talking with Bill Bellair, founder of the Michigan Mead Coalition. We’re going to talk about mead in competition. Bill Bellair began his mead-making journey in 2008 when his mother expressed interest in trying tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine, which was unavailable locally. His early attempts—while not without the occasional "bottle bomb"—yielded surprisingly delicious results. Following this, Bill turned his attention to beer brewing, and it would be several years before he returned to crafting mead. During this time, he joined the Metro Enologist 'n' Zymurgist (MENZ) club, where he expanded his skills in winemaking. This experience gave him valuable insight into the mistakes he had made in his early mead-making efforts, reigniting his passion for the craft. This marked the beginning of a dedicated era of mead production that continues to this day. In 2019, Bill founded the Michigan Mead Coalition, the state's largest mead-exclusive organization. The coalition has fostered a thriving community of skilled brewers, many of whom have earned prestigious awards and even pursued the coveted title of Mead Maker of the Year. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady Nov 8 - UNL Bee Lab & Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Mead Making Course Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Harvest Mead Fest Nov 8 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Potions, Poisons and Snake Oil Nov 9 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch Nov 13 - Silver Hand Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - 10th Anniversary Dinner Series - Mead Pairing Dinner Nov 15 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese with the Cheese Lady Nov 18 - WTF What to Ferment Meadery, Milford, DE - Mead and Cookie Pairing Nov 20 - Nucleus Mead, Linesville, PA - Mead and Read Nov 22 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Mead and Meditation Nov 22 - Dawg Gone Bees Meadery & Apiary, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class Nov 22 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Tom Borek and Veronica Mary Agnes Musician live music You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    2 hrs
  • 10-21-25 Brian Bookmiller – Queen City Meadery – Buffalo, NY

    10-21-25 Brian Bookmiller – Queen City Meadery – Buffalo, NY
    Oct 21 2025
    10-21-25 Tonight we're chatting with Brian Bookmiller, co-founder and meadmaker at Queen City Meadery in Buffalo, NY. They been making mead since 2018. Brian Bookmiller is a driving force behind Queen City Meadery, serving as both co-founder and mead maker. His passion for craft fermentation began as a hobby shared with lifelong friends, eventually evolving into a full-fledged business. Bookmiller’s leadership has helped shape the meadery’s identity as a community-focused, artisanal producer of honey-based beverages. In 2023, Queen City Meadery announced a major expansion at its current location, signaling strong growth and continued commitment to the Western New York region. The meadery’s presence has become a cultural touchstone in West Seneca, offering educational tours, tastings, and events. Queen City Meadery has won numerous awards for their meads and continues to create new unique flavors for all to enjoy! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Oct 24 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Dags Und Timmah Live Music Oct 25-26 - St. Louis Renaissance Festival - Mead-evil Tasting - get 4 mead samples, mead tasting flask and entertainment (must buy faire ticket separately) Oct 25 - Beeserker Meadery, Lexington, KY - Monsters & Mead: A Night of Adventure, Ale, and Mayhem at Chaotic Good Oct 25 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Andy Six live music Oct 26 - Brimming Horn Meadery, Seaford, DE - Sips and Succulents - create your own terrarium Oct 31 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Luke Woltanski live music Nov 1 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Adult Book Fair Nov 1 - Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Mischief Halloween Party Nov 1 - Brown County Historical Society and Hazelwood Historic House, Green Bay, WI - Historic Skills Workshop: Learn to make Wine and Mead Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady Nov 8 - UNL Bee Lab & Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Mead Making Course Nov 8 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Potions, Poisons and Snake Oil Nov 9 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch Nov 18 - WTF What to Ferment Meadery, Milford, DE - Mead and Cookie Pairing You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    2 hrs and 15 mins
  • 10-7-25 Talking Mead with Rob Barnhart and Bill Bellair

    10-7-25 Talking Mead with Rob Barnhart and Bill Bellair
    Oct 7 2025
    10-7-25 Tonight we're talking meadmaking with Bill Bellair and Rob Barnhart. Both are experienced meadmakers that create excellent meads. And both have taken their share of awards at competitions. Bill Bellair began his mead-making journey in 2008 when his mother expressed interest in trying tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine, which was unavailable locally. His early attempts—while not without the occasional "bottle bomb"—yielded surprisingly delicious results. Following this, Bill turned his attention to beer brewing, and it would be several years before he returned to crafting mead. During this time, he joined the Metro Enologist 'n' Zymurgist (MENZ) club, where he expanded his skills in winemaking. This experience gave him valuable insight into the mistakes he had made in his early mead-making efforts, reigniting his passion for the craft. This marked the beginning of a dedicated era of mead production that continues to this day. In 2019, Bill founded the Michigan Mead Coalition, the state's largest mead-exclusive organization. The coalition has fostered a thriving community of skilled brewers, many of whom have earned prestigious awards and even pursued the coveted title of Mead Maker of the Year. Rob Barnhart has been making mead since 2018. He started making mead January of 2018 because he doesn't like beer. He was playing Skyrim a lot and looked it up on YouTube. Down the rabbit hole he went. Soon after he found Gotmead and Modern Mead Makers. He then talked Vicky into meeting him at St Ambrose and Vicky and Kirk told Rob to enter comps. He didn’t do too badly. So far he has 25 medals but still haven’t gotten the coveted best in show. 😥. He also hasn’t had HOD yet. Rob retired early from the military and the Post Office and now he just hangs out in his inner city garden paradise and makes mead. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4PEnAumq Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows October 21 - Brian Bookmiller - Queen City Meadery November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Oct 8 - Kalamazoo Bee Club, Portage, MI - Mead Making Class Oct 10 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Fred & Smed Live music Oct 11 - Apis Mead and Winery, Carnegie, PA - Craft Class: Create a Cauldron Oct 11 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Euchre Tournament Oct 11 - Michigan Mead Cup, Brighton, MI - Competition Oct 11-12 - St. Louis Renaissance Festival, Wentzville, MO - Mead flights Oct 11 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Oktoberfest Oct 11 - Premier Prairie Gardens, Spring Hill, KS - Mead Making Class Oct 12 - Skäl Beer Hall, Seattle, WA - Fall Mead Festival with 9 meaderies pouring Oct 16 - Nucleus Mead, Linesville, PA - Mead and Read Oct 17 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Stephen King Trivia Nov 18 - WTF What to Ferment Meadery, Milford, DE - Mead and Cookie Pairing Oct 24 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Dags Und Timmah Live Music Oct 25 - Beeserker Meadery, Lexington, KY - Monsters & Mead: A Night of Adventure, Ale, and Mayhem at Chaotic Good Nov 1 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Adult Book Fair Nov 1 - Brown County Historical Society and Hazelwood Historic House, Green Bay, WI - Historic Skills Workshop: Learn to make Wine and Mead Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com
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    2 hrs and 35 mins