Agincourt XVIII
Thanks to Baron MacConnal for hosting this tasting table at Agincourt in October, and sending us this report!
Baron Alaric MacConnal
Dark Apple Cider & Lemon Balm Sekanjabin, Apple Cider & Lemon Balm Sekanjabin, Alicante Red Wine, Mixed Black Red Wine, Alicante & Mixed Black Red Wine Blend
Magister Casimir Zeleny z Strasna Sskala
Strawberry Wine, Plum Mead, Krupnik
The Honorable Lord Kumagaya Kentarou Masamoto
Mixed Berry Mead, Wildflower w/ Raspberry Blossom Honey Mead, Wildflower w/ Black Lotus Honey Mead
The tasting order was: the two sekanjabins, the strawberry wine, the three red wines, the plum mead, krupnik, mixed berry mead, wildflower w/ raspberry honey mead, wildflower w/ block lotus honey mead The final three meads were last as they showed up later in the tasting just as we were finishing the krupnik.
We had twelve people participate in the full tasting, with an additional eight stopping by for part of it, including Her Highness who enjoyed three different beverages.
Brew U
Guildmaster Meadhbh attended the East Kingdom Brewers Collegium held in the lovely Blue Mountain Park.
I offered a honey tasting class with over twenty different honey flavors I've accumulated through the years, including my own honey from different harvests. I paired three seasons of honeys with meads and braggots that I made with them. This allowed participants to explore the rich world of honey flavors as well as experience how some honeys evolved into an alcoholic beverage.
I spent the afternoon observing the EK Brewers Guild members paneling their beverages during the afternoon. Several members there moved up in their guild structure with the strength of their brewing and presentation skills. (The paneling closely resembles an A&S competition.)
I also enjoyed spending time with the Guild's current and former guildmasters, sharing experiences and philosophies about brewing guilds within the SCA.
Beverage of the Month
I would love to feature a holiday-themed beverage for December. Send me yours!
Æthelmearc Brewing Challenge
I thought it would be fun to offer Æethelmearc brewers an annual challenge. For 2026 we'll start with an A/B challenge as follows:
- Select an alcoholic beverage that you want to create (beer, mead, cordial, wine, etc).
- Make two batches at the same time. They don't have to be five gallons - a one gallon batch is fine!
- Change only one ingredient between the two batches. For example, make one mead with store-bought honey and the other with fireweed honey. Or make one ale with kveik yeast and the other with Safale-05. Any single ingredient is fine. Note that this is changing an ingredient, not adding or omitting. So a straight mead compared to a straight mead with cinnamon falls outside of the spirit of the challenge.
- Do a side-by-side tasting of your creation at an event or meeting, sharing it with as many other folks who want to try it out. Here's where you should find some added enjoyment from this challenge; watch as drinkers compare one small change between the two beverages!
- Share your experiment with the Brewers Guild mailing list, Tavern Talk!
I'll scout out opportunities to showcase your creations as the season progresses. For those who need a deadline, two strong contenders will be War Practice in May and Pennsic.
I would love to see more opportunities for the east and south of the Kingdom, so please get in touch if you know of any (or are willing to host a tasting table).
Guild Chamberlain
Do you want to contribute to the guild in a supportive, meaningful way that doesn't require a ton of time? Consider stepping in as the Guild Chamberlain, the invisible power behind the Æthelmearc bar!
Find more details in the October update. If you're interested in taking on this responsibility, please email the Guildmaster! Without the vital role the Chamberlain provides, we cannot offer anything "on tap" at the Royal Bar.