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The F*** Winter Party on Saturday was a great success! It may have been cold and snowing, but Meadiacs don't let a little thing like that stop them from having a good time! Here are some highlights from the party. In which Ricky the Meadmaker answers questions about how many bees it would take to make a batch of mead, the most he's ever had to rework a mead recipe, challenges of brewing in the winter, and announces Groennfell's 2015 Black Tie Gala on March 21! Purchase tickets for the Black Tie Gala here.
Lake Champlain International Vermont Fresh Network More about Black Tie Further Reading: How many bees does it take... Brewing in winter  Still from "Beekeepers" by FiveThirtyEight Here at Groennfell Meadery, there’s one thing we can’t get enough of: data.[1] We love data. We also love bees.[2] Thus, it stands to reason that we love data about bees. Lucky for us, we just discovered a great short film, “Beekeepers,” part of FiveThirtyEight’s “Collectors” series.
This seven-minute film focuses on honeybees, their keepers, and the ongoing struggle to keep bee colonies from collapsing. You should really just go watch the video, but we understand the TL;DW lifestyle, so here’s a quick recap: Even if your livelihood doesn’t depend directly upon the survival of bees, you can thank them for about one out of every three bites of food you eat. The 2.5 million colonies of bees in the United States produce $18 billion worth of crops each year. Recently, 30% of bee colonies have been dying each winter and a total of 50% over the course of the year. With rates of collapse that high, scientists are working hard to figure out the cause. While people tend to jump to the “it must be pesticides” conclusion, one of the biggest culprits is, in fact, the Varroa Mite. These parasitic “vampire mites” suck the blood of honeybees, infect them with many different viruses, and weaken the bees’ immune systems. Just 2,000 mites can destroy a colony of 30,000 bees within a year. Entomologist Dennis vanEngelsdorp explains in the film how he and other scientists are working to provide beekeepers with information about their colonies’ health by sampling the population and determining how many mites have infiltrated each colony. Even if you read all the way to here, just go watch the film. [1] Ok, there’s definitely more than one thing we can’t get enough of, like that video of Ricky opening a bottle of mead with his bull-whip. [2] And not just because we very much need bees to keep making mead. Ricky the Meadmaker demonstrates in front of a live audience that he can bullwhip the cap off a bottle. Seriously.  “This is a game changer.”
No joke, those were the first words out of Erik’s mouth when we popped YOLO! Popcorn for the first time at the Meadery. Before we tell you why this popcorn is so amazing and why you should believe us, we’re going to get this out of the way: YOLO! has no idea that we are writing this article. This is not a paid advertisement. In fact, we pay them for the popcorn.[1] OK, here’s what makes this popcorn so amazing:
And here’s why we’re qualified to speak on this subject:
So there you have it! Not only do we get to work with a local company, what we get is the best. It is, in fact, “A Freakin’ Game Changer.” [1] Does that, then, make this a “spent advertisement?” [2] [2] No. It does not. That’s not a thing. [3] We really can't tell with him, sometimes. In which Ricky the Meadmaker announces an upcoming party, teaches us about gluten, and answers questions about choosing a yeast strain, collaborations, brewing with butter, and more! |
BlogGroennfell Meadery is Vermont’s premier craft meadery. Inspired by Old Norse legends, brewed with extraordinary ingredients, Groennfell’s meads are unlike anything you’ve had before. Crisp, clean, and astoundingly drinkable, the only way to explain any one of Groennfell’s meads is to try one yourself.
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