It's the second week of Gifts of the Meadmaker, and this one's fun for the whole family!

This Friday and Saturday, December 2nd and 3rd, we're hosting a two-day Indoor Cornhole Championship with prizes and special drinks!

​In which Ricky the Meadmaker answers questions about using hibiscus in mead, making a sweet mead-based liquor, dealing with astringency in mead, questions he won't answer, using carbonation tablets vs. priming sugar, and more!

Ricky the Meadmaker loves you very, very much.

Of course, Ricky the Meadmaker loves you each and every day of the year, but he gets so full of joy and affection during the holidays that he can barely contain himself.

So, to keep Ricky from exploding with pure excitement, we let him come up with a gift for you every week between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This year, that means that you get Five Special Presents.

​And, even better, it all starts this Friday!

Week 1 (November 25th and 26th) - Every year on Black Friday we treat our Meadiacs to a First Taste of Winter Warmer, our seasonal Wassail! This year, to sweeten the deal, we're also releasing our Seasonal Collectible Mugs which come with a $1 pour of Winter Warmer! 

Week 2 (December 2nd and 3rd) - We're hosting an Indoor Cornhole Championship with prizes and special drinks!

Week 3 (December 10th) - It's our biggest bash of the year, Midwinter Fest! Live music, Viking buffet, bonfires, the works!

Week 4 (December 16th and 17th) - Not to be outdone by Havoc Mead's All Female Comedy Show on Dec. 16th, Ricky is releasing a batch of Mannaz on Lees, his three-year-old mead. Are they going to be snow-packed for an unparalleled, almost surreal drinking experience? Yes. Yes they are.

Week 5 (December 23rd) - Treat yourself and loved ones to our amazing Viking Hanukkah Dinner! That's right; Ricky is making a complete Hanukkah Meal with all Viking-era ingredients. We recommend getting reservations for this one by calling us at 802-497-2345.

Hello, Dear Meadiacs!

We are going to be closed next week for both Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day, but to make it up to you, we're having a sale this weekend on Fenberry Draught, our original cranberry mead!

We're going to be selling 4-packs for 25% off, and cases for 50% off!

We will be reopening at our normal time on Black Friday for our annual Black Friday release of Winter Warmer!

Of course, if you get in a bind and you realize that you need mead while we're closed, you can always get your fix from the hundreds of shops around the state who carry us. 

In which Ricky the Meadmaker answers questions about "nutritionizing" mead, how to use mead as its own starter, using reverse osmosis for brewing water, making Nordic Farmhouse at home, his choice of yeast, and more!

Our second annual WTF Is Up With Tom Bombadil Party is this Friday! We are so unbelievably excited! We wait all year for this day!

​For those of you who aren't Tolkien nuts, a quick primer about Tom Bombadil may be in order. Essentially, Tom Bombadil is the most enigmatic character in the Tolkien Legendarium, jumping from a series of short stories into the Lord of The Rings lock, stocking, and yellow boots.

Both Gandalf and Tolkien himself were mystified as to the true origin and nature of Tom Bombadil. 

Thus, every year we throw a party where we drink and geek-out with fan theories and, of course, copious amounts of mead.

It's also important to note that we have a standard order of precedent for canon, which is as follows:

1. The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Return of the King
3. The Two Towers
4. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tales from the Perilous Realm)
5. The Silmarillion
6. Unfinished Tales
7. The Histories of Middle Earth
8. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
9. Video Games and Films

Note: While it might be contentious to place Tales from the Perilous Realm above the Silmarillion for canon, we believe that it represents a better exploration of Tom as a character, whereas the Silmarillion is obviously the trump text for the whole Legendarium.

So, come one, come all,
Fear no alder black!
Heed no hoary willow!
Fear neither root nor bough!
We'll be waiting for you!