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Great Lakes Mead Tasting

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WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
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Mar 19, 2005
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Dubuque, Iowa
www.zazzle.com
I Must Regretfully Announce That
The Great Lakes Mead Tasting
Is Canceled!!!

After having messaged everybody who was initially interested in attending the mead tasting, approximately half claimed that because of other things cropping up they wouldn't be able to attend, the other half failed to respond at all. Which brings the total number of people who actually confirmed that they were going to attend to two, Myself and another brewer here in Dubuque. And since we don't need to travel to taste each others mead there's no point in us going.

Maybe we'll try again next year. But you people have got to be more committed, and be prepared to spring for a more luxurious hotel. It won't be held at Indian Oaks.

-Jered (Wrathwilde)
 

GrantLee63

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Feb 19, 2006
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Clarkston, MI
I'm not sure if my limited experience as a mazer would qualify me to Host the event, but I would certainly plan on attending in April 2007 - as long as it doesn't coincide with Easter week as I'll be in Florida during that time.

I should have a (hopefully) decent selection of meads that would be between 8-12 months old at that time including:

Oaked Tri-Berry
Sweet Vanilla
Cyser (hopefully NOT from hell)
Canadian Acerglyn
French Colombard Pyment
Blue-On-Blue Melomel
Not-So-Quick Mead
JoeM's Basic Braggot <----<< edited to include this one !

Sounds like a great idea Wrath ! Somewhere in the area you describe would be fine.

-GL63
 

DeltOgre

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Jun 10, 2006
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Yes, we are up for it. I would prefer to stay the hell away from Chicago, though. It's a little mad, there... A nice, rural hotel setting would be divine.

I don't know what it's like in Illinois or Indiana, but I do know that here in Blow-hio, there are tons of nice, cheap places to rent a cabin in the woods and blow off some steam. My wife and I were actually married at a place called Hocking Hills, and we did the whole shebang for less than a couple o' grand. And we've been back, since.

We actually rented a cabin with two other couples down there, and after we had purchased beer and food (lots and lots of both) we had only spent around 200 bones per couple. The cabins are huge and cheap, if you know where to look. April-ish is sort of "off season," there, so it would be ridiculously cheap. My avatar is a picture of a "morning after" from that trip...

Anyways, I know that there are tons of places like that all over the place. I'd drive to the Upper Peninsula for a tasting!

Anyways, just my thoughts... I'm just thinking that, since there will be some imbibrification involved (Yes, I made that up, just now...) we should try to locate an area where we can raise some proverbial "Hell," and not get arrested for our efforts. I'm out of the "night in jail" game...
 

Angus

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Absolutely up for it! April also sounds like the best time for me.

The Chicago area would be a very good meeting place due to its somewhat easy access for most and central location. Lake Michigan is a bit of a hindrance for those having to drive around it, so having the tasting near the bottom will give the most people the least hassle, I think.

Also, since we are so close to Michigan, we could perhaps entice a certain Mead author to pop down for a meet and greet ;)

Angus
 

DeltOgre

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Angus, my man, I'm all for the "Chicago Area," just so long as that doesn't mean "Chicago..." I am absolutely against driving through that city EVER AGAIN.

I'm a country boy, to say the least. Are there any state parks around there? Maybe a lake we can throw a line in?

I'll check when I get a chance...
 

DeltOgre

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Jun 10, 2006
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It turns out that Illinois is rather tourist-friendly.

I've found a few neat places in Galena, which is near that big river thing that flows through the center of the country... Not much room, though, although the places seem to be reasonably priced. One of them is at an actual vineyard... THAT could be dangerous!

Anyways, I'll keep everyone posted. I think I'll sick my wife on this one. She's good at this sort of thing.
 

kace069

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Mar 21, 2004
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Sounds like a great idea. But probably unlikely for me in the near future.
I think some sort of state park would be a great idea. Lots of outdoor fun and much cheaper than staying in a hotel somewhere.
 

David Baldwin

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 29, 2004
860
1
0
Grand Rapids, MI
Indiana Dunes State Park is a great place to stay but alcohol is forbidden there.

Actually ScottS and I have been talking about an informal mead tasting for quite a while.

For any who don't know yet, Scott is probably the newest commercial mazer among us. check out www.vonameadery.com

I'm very interested in a mead and greet in the Great Lakes area. I don't think that this Fall will work for me, but a year from now could be great fun.

David
 

kash

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Jan 20, 2006
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Www.perverted-justice.com
Here's yet another Michigander, albeit I'm on the north end of that lake.

As for suggestions for a place to meet, The west side of Michigan has some wine country. Granted, it's not exactly centeralized for convienience.
 

GrantLee63

NewBee
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Feb 19, 2006
523
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Clarkston, MI
I forgot that I'll have 48 Grolsch bottles primed and aged for 8 months JoeM's Basic Braggot that I can bring along also (well, maybe not ALL 48 bottles) ;D
 

DeltOgre

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Jun 10, 2006
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www.incorporatedwriting.com
Where are you in MI, Kash? I have a buddy with a "cabin" outside of Petosky. That's a fun little town... Lake Walloon is a fun place, too... Aah. Memories...

I'll never forget my first trip up there. On the way up 75 (I think...) There were signs that said something to the effect of "You're near a prison. Don't pick up hitchhikers, especially if they're wearing stripes."

While I've seen many of those, since, that was the first one I ever laid eyes on... It gave me quite a chuckle.
 

kash

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Jan 20, 2006
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DeltOgre said:
Where are you in MI, Kash? I have a buddy with a "cabin" outside of Petosky. That's a fun little town... Lake Walloon is a fun place, too... Aah. Memories...

I'll never forget my first trip up there. On the way up 75 (I think...) There were signs that said something to the effect of "You're near a prison. Don't pick up hitchhikers, especially if they're wearing stripes."

While I've seen many of those, since, that was the first one I ever laid eyes on... It gave me quite a chuckle.
To be correct, I'm not really on the northern shore or Lake Michigan, I'm on the southern shore of Lake Superior. It's real easy to find, just go to the end of the earth, and I'm two miles past that.

Petosky is still "mitten" country, I'm in the Yoop. While this does make me far from everywhere, at least I get to decide what side of Lake Michigan I need to travel down.
 

Dan McFeeley

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Oct 10, 2003
1,899
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Illinois
Hello all --

I'm down in southern Illinois, about an hour's drive from Chicago. The idea sounds great but I doubt I can make it. We're a two income family, my wife and I swap off taking care of our daughter, and it's hard to get time off at the hospital I work at without scheduling it way way in advance.

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread in case things change. It'd be great meeting some of the forum members in person!
 

DeltOgre

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Jun 10, 2006
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Kash, you live, according to my father, in "God's Country." He spent several summers at Lake Millekokea. (I hope I spelled that right...)

He also mentioned that the mosquitos up there could carry a person away...

Dan Mc, I think the tasting would be better served by being put off until sometime next year. We wouldn't be able to make it this year, anyways... I'm thinking that April would be a great time.

Baldwin, I've heard that the Dunes are pretty cool, but if alcohol is prohibited there, then it can't be that great...

I think we can probably find a reasonably-priced rental cabin-type thing within the next several months... I can only speak for my wife and myself, but we really don't mind staying with other people, especially since it saves so much on cost. Besides, we're all friends, here, right?

I volunteer to do all the cooking. I mean that. I'm a hell of a chef, if I might say so, myself...
 

David Baldwin

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 29, 2004
860
1
0
Grand Rapids, MI
Yooper Mosquitos - the Northern Michigan Air Force!

I'll agree that it's "God's Country" all right. I grew up spending summers on Beatons Lake - near Watersmeet. It's a peaceful bit of heaven on earth.

I'm a "troll" by birth but a Yooper at heart!


David Baldwin

(Troll: creature that lives below da bridge eh?)
 

WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
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Mar 19, 2005
1,970
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54
Dubuque, Iowa
www.zazzle.com
DeltOgre said:
I volunteer to do all the cooking. I mean that. I'm a hell of a chef, if I might say so, myself...

DeltOgre,

Do you, also, find that the women in your age group can't cook? I have met numerous men in the 25 to 35 range who are awesome cooks, myself included (be I ever so humble), but very few women, in the same age group, who can manage to cook a 1/2 way decent meal.

Wrathwilde
 

Johnnybladers

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Feb 13, 2006
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Wrathwilde,
My 23 year old lady friend would be highly offended by that observation. She has been known to watch me cook and I'm hoping she will pick something up through osmosis. Just a month or two ago she made us spam (first time I had that) 'taters and green beans. I did have to turn the stove on and slice the spam. I built my home when I was 24 and am now 30 and fatter, so someone's gotta feed me. ;D
Jon
 
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