A New Craft Beer Cellar In Winchester

The Passionate Foodie walks into a beer store...

I know, it sounds like the starting line from a joke but it isn't. On Monday, I checked out a newly opened beer store in Winchester. Yes, I went willingly. And even if you dislike beer, you should check out this store for its other offerings.

Kate Baker and Suzanne Schalow used to work at the Cambridge Common restaurant and embraced the craft beer movement when it started becoming more popular. They eventually wanted to strike out on their own and, in time, decided on opening a craft beer store. In 2010, they founded Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont and with their success, they have desired to open additional stores, as well as sell franchises. On Monday, they had the Grand Opening for the New England Annex in Winchester.

The primary focus of the new store is beer, and they currently carry about 400 beers, all from New England, and at least half of them are from Massachusetts. The store is only about 1/3 the size of their Belmont store, so they can't carry as much and must use their limited space to the best of their abilities. Everything is displayed well, and it is easy to see all that they carry. They will hold free tastings most Thursdays to Saturdays. This is a beer lover's haven, especially for those who love it local and craft.

I asked Kate to give me three top beer recommendations, without regard to any particular preferences. She chose the Mayflower IPA, GreySail Flagship Ale, and the Pretty Things Jack D'Or. If you need a gift for a beer lover, and don't know their taste, try one of these beers. I then asked her what was the strangest brew they carried, and she pointed me to the beers of Night Shift Brewing. For example, they make a rye ale aged on habanero peppers, a saison fermented with honey dew melon, and a wheat ale with orange blossom honey that is aged on tea leaves. Very intriguing brews.

If you need a beer glass for your brews, they also sell a small selection of glasses of various shapes and sizes.

They don't sell just beer and their other offerings are compelling. First, they have a nice selection of local Hard Ciders, including Fatty Bampkins, Bantam, Woodchuck, Farnum Hill, Angry Orchard, Citizen Cider and more. I am a big fan of hard ciders and most stores don't carry more than 2 or 3, so it is nice to see this wide selection.

They also carry a nice selection of local Meads, from places like Moonlight Meadery, Honeymaker, Green River Ambrosia and more. Mead is another beverage which most stores only carry a few choices, so it is good to see all the available options here.

And, dear to my heart, they even carry 8 Sakes, and may add more in the future. Todd, of Boston Sake, helped them make the selections and there are some excellent choices available from cool breweries like Dassai and Nanbu Bijin, as well as the Kikisui Funaguchi in a can. I look forward to the additional Sakes they will eventually add.

You will also find approximately 20 wines available, though only one of those is from a local, New England winery. The Still River Winery Apple Ice Wine. Frankly, these wines seems more as an afterthought, just to have a few for any non-beer drinkers. Though the store's focus is on beer, I think this is a lost opportunity to extend the the theme of the store. As they carry all New England beers, ciders and meads, why not also carry just New England wines? As they only carry about 20 wines, they could easily fill that number with good New England wines, from Westport River Sparkling Wines to hybrid wines from Vermont. It would make this store more unique.

Overall this is a cool store, with a beer selection sure to please and even if you don't like beer, you can check out their meads, ciders and sake. I think it is great that most everything is from New England, though I think they need to extend that to include their wines too. There is passion to be found here and I would love to hear my reader's thoughts about this new store when you check it out.

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Taste Camp: Apple, Strawberry & Honey Wines In Quebec

Wine doesn't have to be made from grapes to be delicious or interesting. During TasteCamp, our three-day exploration of the wines, beer and food of Quebec, this was made evident by numerous compelling wines made from apples, strawberries and honey. Some of these fruit wines were even better than some of grape wines we tasted. Quebec would be well served by continuing to showcase these delicious and intriguing fruit wines.

You may be familiar with Ice Wine, from Germany, Canada or elsewhere, but Quebec is the birthplace of Cidre de Glace, apple ice cider which is sometimes known as apple ice wine. Ice cider can be produced into two different ways, cryoextraction and cryoconcentration. In short, cryoextraction means that the apples are allowed to freeze on the tree before they are harvested, pressed and fermented. With cryoconcentration, the apples are harvested and pressed, and then the juice is allowed to freeze. What difference does this make for the resulting ice cider? In general, cryoextraction will produce more fresh fruit flavors, increased acidity and less oxidation. It is more expensive to produce though so many ice cider producers primarily use cryoconcentration.

Ice cider is growing in popularity in Quebec, and elsewhere, and Farm Credit Canada states that it accounts for 70% of sales in the Société Des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) local product section. About 1 million bottles are produced in Quebec each year, worth an estimated $20 million in retail. About 1/3 of the production is exported to Europe and Asia. Some ice cider is imported into the U.S. and you might know Neige, an ice cider produced by La Face Cachée de la Pomme, which I have I previously reviewed.

During our explorations, we visited with Christian Barthomeuf (pictured above), the owner of Clos Saragnat, as well as the creator of ice cider. He was also one of the first men in Quebec to plant grape vines, back in 1979. Around 1989, he decided to produce something different, and created ice cider, though in the 1980s, no one wanted to hear about cider. The wine regulating bodies refused to recognize the designation of "ice cider" until ten years later. It was difficult during those ten years to market and sell ice cider, which had to be known by other common terms, which were not actually accurate terms.

Christian has consulted with other wineries and cideries, including what would eventually become La Face Cachée de la Pomme. In 2002, Christian and Louise Dupuis founded Clos Saragnat, which occupies about 35 hectares. Their apples are organically grown and they grow some other fruits as well. They produce their ice cider through cryoextraction, though it would cost them one-third less to use just frozen juice. An assemblage of apple types are used, and Christian wants to work with the fruit and nothing else, including wood. The cidery produces less than 10,000 bottles a year, largely dependent on the results of each vintage. It is a small, artisan operation and Christian's passion for ice cider was more than evident.

Currently, Christian is advocating for new regulations on ice cider, to make producers have to place on the label the method of production. He believes people should know whether the ice cider they are drinking derives from frozen apples or frozen juice. As there are clear differences in the resulting product from each different method, as well as differences in price, I agree with Christian that it would benefit consumers for this information to be required to be on the label.

We tasted two of their ice ciders, the 2009 Avalanche and the 2009 L'original, both sold in 200ml bottles. Both were excellent, complex, liquid ambrosia that seduced the palate. The Avalanche was less sweet, though still with honey notes, and possessed some tartness, good acidity and delicate floral notes. The L'original was sweeter, with a thicker and richer mouth feel, but still good acidity. It also had more dried fruit flavors and far fewer floral notes. Which is better? It all depends on your mood at the moment.

Christian's influence can be felt at La Face Cachée de la Pomme, which means the "hidden side of the apple." They have been producing ice cider since 1994 but only commercially since 1998. They prefer to refer to their produce as "apple ice wine" so they can avoid any confusion with other ciders. Their orchards extend over 50 hectares and they grow about 30 different types of apples, though the majority as McIntosh and Spartan. The McIntosh is the essence of their Neige Premiere and Bubbly.

They currently have two types of apple tree plantings, the classic and contemporary. The classic method generates less apples per acre and it takes much longer, 10-15 years, for the tree to mature properly. The contemporary method, which was inspired by the Netherlands, takes only about 5 years to mature properly, and an acre can produce significantly more apples. As all of their harvesting is done by hand, this method is also easier to harvest. The cidery is moving toward all contemporary plantings.

Unlike Christian, La Face Cachée primarily produces apple ice wine through cryoconcentration, about 90% of their production. They use cryoextraction for their Neige Winter Harvest. They export their apple ice wines to 20-25 countries, and California is their largest U.S. market, though they are also available in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, only two of their products, the Neige Premiere and Bubbly, are currently available in the U.S. It is interesting that because of U.S. law, the cidery is not permitted to place the vintage on their labels.

I was enamored with the 2011 Bulle Rose Sparkling Cider ($18), a blend of the Geneva and Honeygold apples. It acquires its pink color from the red/pink flesh of the Geneva apple, rather than from the skin. It only has a 6% alcohol content and is made in limited quantities once a year. The delicious sparkling cider was mostly dry, fresh, crisp and bursting with apple and and red berry flavors. An excellent summer drink, and very food friendly as well.    

The Neige Bubble ($15) is made from 100% McIntosh apples and I previously tasted and enjoyed at the Boston Wine Expo. Another fun sparkling cider, perfect for summer entertaining, or just relaxing. I am also a fan of the Neige Premiere, their basic apple ice wine.

The 2009 Neige Sur Lie ($26) is intriguing, having been left on the lees for about a year, and bottled unfiltered and without any sulfur. It has a darker amber color, with apple notes but deeper flavors of caramel, nuts and almost butterscotch. It is sweet, though with balanced acidity, and possesses a lengthy and complex finish. The Neige Winter Harvest is very thick, rich and sweet with a melange of complex tastes, including caramel, apricot, lychee and dried fruits. An amazing, well balanced elixir that delights the palate and mind.

Val Caudalies Vignoble produce ciders and wines, and their orchard are planted with about a dozen different varieties, with five usually primarily in their ciders. Their 2010 Cider Liquoreaux, made from Cortland, MacIntosh, Empire, Liberty and Spartan apples, is smooth, tart and tasty while the 2011 Apple Ice Cider Reserve, made from the same apples, is sweeter with a silky mouth feel and plenty of complexity. Both were fine examples of what Quebec is doing well.

Though Union Libre Cidre & Vin produces ice ciders and wines, they are also known for another unique product, Le Cidre de Feu, fire cider. Their Ice Cider ($24), made from an assemblage of Cortland, Empire, Spartan, & McIntosh apples, is made from cryoconcentration. It has a mild sweetness and a delicious crisp apple taste with elements of honey. A fine product.

Their Fire Cider ($26) is produced by fermenting a must, which has been heated and reduced by evaporation. This process takes several months of fermentation and then it is aged in oak barrels. It has an alcohol content of 16% and is sweeter, with more caramel, maple, and nutty elements complementing the apple foundation. Their 2004 Reserve Fire Cider ($28) is aged in Jack Daniel's whiskey barrels. It is similar to the basic Fire Cider, but with deeper flavors and the added element of a whiskey aroma and taste.

Strawberries! Ferme Guy Rivest produces two tasty wines made with strawberries including La Donzelle and Mistelle de Fraises. La Donzelle is a fortified wine made with strawberries and raspberries, and it is not too sweet, with nice acidity, and a smooth, pleasant flavor. It would made for a nice dessert wine. The Mistelle de fraises is a port style wine, also made with strawberries, and it is sweeter, with tasty notes of vanilla, spice and strawberry. Another good choice for a dessert wine.

As an interesting aside, they also produce Strawberry Pearls, which uses molecular gastronomy techniques to create little red pearls, resembling fish roe, but which burst in your mouth with a strong strawberry flavor.

Finally, at one of the large tastings, one of the most interesting wines was the Les Ruchers du Troubador Sparkling Honey Wine ($25), a vin de miel mousseux. It is organic, unfiltered and aged for three years prior to release. It is semi-sweet, with honey and floral notes, and an appealing earthiness elevating its complexity.

People sometimes get overly pretentious, feeling that only wine made from vitis vinifera grapes is worthy of attention. They show disdain for hybrid grapes, and out right hate for wines made from other fruits. They are wrong in their attitude and approach. Good wine can come from many different avenues and my experiences in Quebec have shown me high quality and delicious wines made from apples, strawberries and honey. I know others who visited Quebec who felt the same. That should be your main takeaway from this post, that you should be willing to explore wines beyond vitis vinifera. You never know what treasures you might discover.

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Wayland Winter Farmers' Market

Though it almost seems like every city and town has a summer/fall farmers' market, there are far fewer winter markets despite their value. One winter option is the Wayland Winter Farmers' Market at Russell's Garden Center, easily accessible off Route 128 on Route 20. The market is now open on Saturdays, from 10am-2pm, through March 9. They have about 40 vendors and also run certain special events, like Farm Fiber Days and the Massachusetts Farm Wineries Day.

I checked out the MA Farm Wineries Day last Saturday, which had nine local wineries presenting some of their wines for tasting. Many of the regular vendors were present as well. Usually there are only a few wineries at the market but this event brings out several more. It was an impressive market, with a diverse range of vendors, many offering food samples. I bought numerous items and considered buying even more, which will have to wait until my next trip.

I am going to highlight some of the vendors but please realize there are plenty of others I didn't mention who are also worthy of attention.

One of the first tables I encountered in the market belonged to Sweet Lydia's of Lowell, which makes gourmet marshmallows and s'mores. They even were selling hot chocolate topped with various flavored marshmallows. Though I didn't purchase anything, I was very tempted and will be sure to do so next time. The Toasted Coconut Marshmallow is calling my name.

I have been a fan of the Danish Pastry House for at least five years so it was great to see them at the market. They make a variety of baked goods, from breads to pastries. Their baked goods seem to go fast so it pays off to get to the market early and make this one of your first stops.

I have previously patronized Fior D'Italia Pasta & Cheese when it was at the summer farmer's market in Wakefield. Vic Tirrito owns this pasta company, which is based in Vermont, and he uses only products from New England, also trying to use as much organic as possible. At the market, he sells pasta, ravioli, gnocchi, sauces and even makes a few dishes you can eat at the market.

Located in Amesbury, Seacoast Butters makes a variety of compound butters using organic butter and locally sourced ingredients. There are at least 15 different flavors including Bacon and Sriracha (both which I enjoyed). A 3 ounce container costs $5.75 which seems a bit pricey, though they are using quality, natural ingredients.

West River Creamery, located in Londonderry, Vermont, produces a range of delicious cheeses. They have about 40 milking cows on their 200+ acre farm. At the market, they had at least eight cheeses you could taste, including Middletown Blue, Middletown Tomme, Cambridge Farmhouse English Cheddar, and Smoked Cambridge. My favorite was the Marinated Fresh Goat Cheese which was so creamy and savory.

Caledonia Farm, located in Worcester County, combine with Burnshirt Valley Farm to sell pasture raised beef, pork, chicken, and goat. I bought some beef and pork and look forward to seeing how it tastes.

More pasture raised beef can be found at Charlton Orchard Farms, which also sells apples and cider. Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery is located at their farm, selling a variety of wines, including fruit wines, sparkling wines and hard ciders.

If you prefer lamb, then stop by the table for Windsong Farms, a 35 acre farm located in Harvard. You'll find lamb rib chops, loin chops, boneless leg, shoulder roast, shanks, sausages, ground lamb, liver, heart, and kidneys. As a lamb lover, I was very pleased to see their offerings.

Would you rather have seafood? Well C&C Lobster & Fish offers plenty of fresh fish and even lobsters for sale. Yes, seafood isn't cheap but it is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and it delicious. Adding seafood to your diet is strongly recommended.

Haven't got the time to make a seafood dinner at home? Fishwives Specialty Foods has you covered with their Mandy's Seafood Chowder. All natural, gluten free and using sustainable seafood, this is a lobster bisque filled with shrimp, scallops, clams and fish. Most of the seafood is local except the shrimp is wild caught from Key West and sometimes they use Alaskan pollock. I tasted the chowder and it was very appealing, a nice creaminess to it without being too thick. It was well spiced and it would be excellent for a winter dinner. I bought some and have already enjoyed it for dinner one night. I will be sure to buy more when I return to the market.

For some, it may sound like a nightmare pasta sauce. Joslin Foods provides a line of Summit Six pasta sauces which are all natural, fat free, and low sodium but they also contain veggies from each color group including carrots, green beans, eggplant, red cabbage, garlic and tomatoes. Yet even if you dislike some of those veggies, worry not. I very much liked this sauce and it didn't taste at all like cabbage or green beans. They have three different varieties: Summit Six Kids (smooth and mild with no chunks), Summit Six Classic (thick and savory with chunks) and Summit Six Spicy (chunky with a spicy kick). I tasted the Spicy but it lacked any chunks in the sample I tasted. I bought some of the Spicy and look forward to seeing what I think when I have more than a small sample.

There is even a food truck at the market, the unique Vesta Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza. What a cool idea! Their pizzas cost $8-$12 and you can choose your own toppings or have one of their creations, such as the  Breakfast (cheese, bacon, sausage, onions, peppers, Egg Beaters), The Vesta (red sauce, bacon, chicken, Mozzarella and Provolone cheese) or the Beetza (pesto, winter moon root beets, caramelized red onions, black olives and Gorgonzola cheese). Above is the Vesta and it was tasty, with a nice, crisp crust, plenty of toppings and lots of cheese. I recommend getting a pizza for breakfast or lunch when you stop at the Wayland market.

Coastal Vineyards, owned by David and Linda Neilson, was founded in 2004 and is located in South Dartmouth. They have a small, 8 acre vineyard, growing Chardonany, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. They produce at least 14 different wines, generally using only their own locally grown grapes.

At the Market, they poured several of their wines and overall I think they are doing a good job of making some easy drinking, pleasant wines. The 2010 Estate Chardonnay ($15) was my favorite, an unoaked version which was crisp, clean, and dry with pleasant green apple and pear flavors. Though I am not a huge fan of cranberry, the 2011 Cranberry Sunset ($16), a blend of Chardonany and cranberry was appealing, with a mild tartness from the cranberry. The 2010 Seaside Red ($20), a blend of Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin was a light bodied wine with nice red berry flavors and some herbal notes.

Mead is hot now! The Green River Ambrosia Winery, located in Greenfield, is a small, artisanal meadery that currently produces about 5000 gallons annually, nearly twice what they made the prior year. They use local raw honey and their meads are sulfite free and gluten free. As they are still a small meadery, they are able to obtain sufficient local honey, from Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield, for their products.

The Liquid Sunshine ($15) is a traditional semi-dry mead and I enjoyed it, with its pleasant honey notes and a mild sweetness. The Winter Warmer ($15) is a full bodied, semi-sweet mead with winter spices and it is perfect for this cold season. Hints of cinnamon and Christmas spices make this a tasty mead. My favorite of the meads was the Apple Cyzer ($20), made from a 13 heirloom variety cider. Topped by a crown cap, the cyzer is a little frizzante with a rich apple flavor, mild sweetness and appealing honey notes.

They also produce an intriguing non-mead beverage, the Ginger Libation ($15). It is touted as a "pre-Prohibition style ginger beer" and a "spicy alcoholic ginger soda." It is sweetened with cane sugar, pineapple, and citrus juices. It is technically a ginger wine rather than a beer as no malt is used. However, it tastes very similar to a ginger beer, lightly effervescent with a strong ginger flavor and mild sweetness. I bought a bottle and made a Dark n' Stormy with it, though the meadery calls such a Drunk n' Stormy. It made for a delicious, albeit strong, cocktail and everyone who drank it enjoyed it very much.

Kip Kumler, owner/wine maker of Turtle Creek Winery of Lincoln, also made an appearance at the market. I have written several times about the winery and their wines and Kip is a very passionate and skilled wine maker. He presented several of his wines, including the 2011 Riesling, 2010 Pinot Noir, 2010 Syrah, 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2010 Cabernet Franc. If you have not tasted his wines, you definitely should do so.

Turtle Creek now has a wine club, their Wine Subscriptions, which sends out quarterly releases of wine to all its members. There are three different levels, dependent on how many bottles you wish to receive, from 3-9. You will receive a discounted price, from 10%-20%, discounts on shipping and a number of other benefits, such as being able to attend special events. Sound good if you enjoy Turtle Creek Wines.

Running Brook Vineyard & Winery, founded in 1998, is located in North Dartmouth and they produce wines primarily from their own, locally grown grapes. Their 2007 Pinot Noir ($18) was light bodied with bright red fruit flavors and a hint of spice. Easy drinking and the type of red you could easily drink with seafood.

The Wayland Market has numerous other vendors that I did not mention Bagel Alley, The Herb Lyceum, Paino Organics, Shady Oaks Organics, Terrosa Farm, and others. It was very popular and it is understandable why that is so as there are plenty of interesting vendors, selling lots of tasty food and wine. I will be returning to the market and highly recommend that everyone check it out too.

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Moonlight Meadery: Michael, Metheglin, Melomel & More

"Mead is passion, it's about romance, it's about enjoyment, family and friends, and sharing."
--Michael Fairbrother

Back in January, I attended the Boston Wine Expo and found two local Meaderies showcasing a few of their products. You can read my Mead Wars post, gain a little understanding about mead, and learn about Moonlight Meadery and Maine Mead Works. The meads from Moonlight Meadery intrigued me, so I recently drove up to New Hampshire to tour their facility and taste more of their products. In addition, I was accompanied by my friend Jason, of Ancient Fire Wine Blog, who has home brewed some of his own meads.

Much mead merriment ensued...

Pictured above is Michael Fairbrother, the owner and meadmaker at Moonlight Meadery, and he led us on the tour and tasting. Michael was very personable, obviously passionate about mead, and very forthcoming about his mead making efforts. Michael began making mead in 1995, initially as a hobby at home, and his first mead was a cyser, an apple and honey mead. In 2006, he was the president of a computer software company and had thoughts about moonlighting as a commercial mead maker. That is also the origin of the name of the meadery, Moonlight. But he then attended a speech which changed his entire perspective and led to him becoming a full-time, commercial meadmaker.

"How can you do something you love only part time?" Those words resonated deep within Michael and he realized that he was the only obstacle preventing himself from living a good life. He wanted to follow his passion, to turn it into far more than a part-time endeavor. So, in May 2010, he converted a small space in his garage into commercial space so that he could begin his new career as a mead maker, launching his first commercial mead, Desire, in July 2010. It did not take long before he moved his equipment into a larger space, about 2000 square feet and soon after to an even larger spot, about 4000 square feet. We shall see how long before he requires even more space.

Michael expects to produce about 100,000 bottles of mead this year and this facility could make up to 200,000 bottles, so they do have some room for growth. Above, are four of their six 500 gallon fermentation tanks. At any one time, the facility is generally producing about 5000 gallons of mead. Their meads are available locally, but they were also the first New Hampshire winery to be distributed in California, and are currently in talks to obtain national distribution. What phenomenal growth from a business that started only two years ago.

Obviously, the most important ingredient in their mead is honey, which also happens to the their most expensive ingredient and which might even be the most expensive sugar product that exists. Though they do use some local honey, the sheer volume of their business necessitates that they source much from outside New England too. Last year, they used 43,000 pounds of honey, which is greater than the total output of honey from all of New Hampshire. Even if they wanted to use only local, it would be an impossibility for their needs. Plus, local honey can be very costly which is another important business concern.

They obtain much of their honey from a local broker, and it is all True Source certified honey, which means it is both ethically sourced and quite transparent. You can track the honey down to the specific beehive, and most of those are located in New York and Pennsylvania. That is all worthy of respect. Michael purchases raw honey and ferments it himself, adding about a gram of yeast per gallon of honey. They do differentiate some meads by the nature and source of the honey, a terroir-like concept of a single source or varietal honey.

As for their other mead ingredients, they source about 75% from New Hampshire or otherwise locally. For example, they use cider and blueberries from New Hampshire. There are obviously certain ingredients which are not available locally, such as vanilla and coffee, so they must be obtained elsewhere. Michael is very supportive of the local community, but also must be realistic for his business. And he doesn't try to hide anything about his sourcing. In addition, he is very careful about the sources of all of his ingredients.

The same yeast is used for all of their meads as it works well, can push the alcohol content to 18%, and they have won awards with meads using the yeast. They have experimented with a number of other yeasts but none of them accomplished exactly what they desired. They do run their meads through a plate filter, though they do not need to do so, and state that they do not detect any flavor change with the filtering.

Michael has over 54 mead recipes that have been approved by the federal government, though a few are still waiting for label approval. About 30 meads are currently available in the shop. It can be a challenge selecting new names for each recipe, and sometimes he must resort to some rather obscure terms. Each mead label bears a moon, a few with different colored moons. Michael has been experimenting a bit with the moons, trying to create a more romantic moon rather than a science project. He attributes much of his success to the "diversity of flavors" of his product line, having something that will appeal to almost any taste preference.

There are a few challenges facing Michael, some common to all small business owners, and others more common only with niche producers. For example, like many businesses, capital is a challenge, as it is needed for the growth of the meadery. As a niche producer, Michael must face the obstacle that many consumers still know little about mead, and they must be educated about it. It is not just an oddity you find at a Renaissance Fair, but it is an intriguing and versatile alcoholic beverage. In addition, it is very food friendly, something which restaurants also need to learn as many seem reluctant to carry their mead. It is a new category for many, which requires an open mind, a willingness to broaden one's palate. In this regard, it reminds me a bit of Sake.

Some of their most intriguing meads have been aged in used Samuel Adams Utopian beer barrels, which once were bourbon barrels from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. They obtained about 20 of these barrels and have been aging a few different meads, some as much as 3 years, noting that they lose plenty of angel's share, the amount lost due to evaporation. This does make these meads very unique.

The Utopian mead (16.9% ABV) is very limited, very popular and sells for about $50 a bottle. Though I appreciate its complexity and depth of flavor, it reminds me too much of a beer and thus does not appeal to my personal preference. The Virtue (18% ABV) is a cyser, an apple mead, and usually ages in the barrel for six months though we had a sample at four months. It possessed an alluring apple aroma and had plenty of depth as well, though this time the beer taste was minimized, and it resembled more of a scotch. A nice choice.

The Temerity (15% ABV), which means "bold and audacious," is made with black currants and was produced to be a gateway for wine drinkers. It has prominent berry and black fruit flavors with a bit of tartness and no taste of beer. Very tasty and likely something that would appeal to many people. Michael loves black currants, using them in a number of meads, as he feels that it is a powerful fruit with a very distinctive flavor.

Above is the line-up in the tasting room, and I chose to taste some specific meads which most interested me. With all of their diversity, a person certainly should be able to find something that caters to their personal preferences. Sweet to dry, herbal to fruity, spicy to minty. Lots of options. I'll provide some insight into some of the meads I tasted.

The Mojo is made with mint and lime and is likely to remind you of a sweet mojito, with the lime being more prominent and the mint forming the underlying backbone. This is one of the sweetest meads they produce. The Red Dress contains red currants and is one of their best sellers. It has a pleasant berry taste with hints of spice, almost a cinnamon note. One of my favorites was the Flutter which is made with ginger. Though ginger can be an overpowering flavor, they were able to tame it in this semi-sweet mead, so that the ginger complemented the honey notes. This would be a nice accompaniment with some Asian cuisine.

The Paramour is loaded with fruit, a combination of blackberries, blueberries, currants, and black cherries, presenting a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. I might pair this up with roast lamb. The Smitten uses peaches, though the peach flavor is restrained, coming forth more on the finish. The Madagascar combines vanilla beans with honey and the result is a sweet taste that reminded me of the old Turkish taffy candy I used to eat as a child.

For a bit more savory and spicy, you could try the Scorn, which is made with red chili peppers. I did not find this too spicy though, more on the finish though it made for an interesting change of pace from the more fruity meads. The Fury was more my style, using three types of chili peppers and presenting more heat and spice, though not so much that it would burn your mouth. Though the heat does accumulate with the more you drink. These are certainly for the more adventurous drinker and I recommend them.

New meads are still being created, and Summer Love is due out sometime in 2013, a mead made with orange and vanilla. Though they do make meads with coffee, I was surprised that they have not made a mead yet using tea. I would think with the diversity of teas, and it affinity for honey, that they would make an excellent mead combination. It is good to know that all of the meads they sell have a shelf life, if unopened, of at least 15 years. After you open a mead, it will last for about two weeks.

You probably won't like all of their meads, but that will primarily be a matter of personal preferences. You might not like something too sweet, or a certain flavor may not appeal to you. But there should be meads which you will like, and that diversity is clearly a major strength of this meadery. In addition, mead is a versatile alcohol which further enhances its value even if you don't want to drink the mead on its own.

Mead can be used to make cocktails, and with the diversity of the flavor profiles of those meads, that means they can be used to create a multitude of different cocktails. All it takes is a little imagination, though it would be beneficial if the Moonlight Meadery website added a section that provided some mead cocktail suggestions. You can get some suggestions though if you visit the meadery. Besides cocktails, the meads can also be used in cooking, to make sauces, glazes and such for everything from fish to chicken, pork to beef. Again, it would be beneficial if the Moonlight website offered some suggestions, though you can also find recipes at the meadery.

You can even find jams and jellies from Laurel Hill that were made from mead.

Mead has a rich, vibrant and lengthy history and is making a comeback now in this age of artisan distillers, wine makers, and brewers. Mead is a beverage worthy of your attention, for drinking, for cocktails and for cooking. Moonlight Meadery is producing a wide range of compelling meads, and you should taste their meads, or even tour the meadery. It is a locally produced item, made by a very passionate person, and deserving of your support.

Engage in some Medudréam, an Old English term for "mead merriment."
(Thanks to Jason for telling me about that term)

"At last Gandalf pushed away his plate and jug – he had eaten two whole loaves (with masses of butter and honey and clotted cream) and drunk at least a quart of mead – and he took out his pipe."
--The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

"He could turn a lecture room into a mead hall in which he was the bard and we were the feasting listening guests."
--J.I.M. Stewart, referring to J.R.R. Tolkien

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