Renaissance Festival disappointment

Medsen Fey · Mar 1, 2009

I took a pilgrimage to the Florida Renaissance festival, and it was warm and sunny and I found myself desiring refreshing beverages. So I strolled up to the booth thinking a nice cool mead would be pleasant to sip in the shade. But lo, to my dismay, the only mead available - Chaucer's.

Now I have nothing against Chaucer's, it is a very sweet mead that can be tasty at times, but with all the other commercial meads out there now, it seems like there should be something else. There were several wines and beers to choose from, but one lone mead.

After careful consideration, I took a pint of Warsteiner figuring a pilsner would be better. I decided I'm going to write to the management company and ask them to find some alternatives - maybe they don't realize that better mead exists.

On another sad note, BeeFolks did not have a booth this year. I was looking forward to finding some good honeys without shipping costs. Oh well..... At least the weather was great, and the shows were fun.

epetkus · Mar 1, 2009

Medsen Fey said:
...
Now I have nothing against Chaucer's, it is a very sweet mead that can be tasty at times, but with all the other commercial meads out there now, it seems like there should be something else.

Amen Brother!

Bring on the national distribution of quality meads!;D

Medsen Fey said:
... On another sad note, BeeFolks did not have a booth this year. I was looking forward to finding some good honeys without shipping costs.

If you are willing to drive up to Ft. Pierce, Gruwell's has some quality honey at very good prices.

Eric

Scott Horner · Mar 3, 2009

Chausers

I have Chausers to thank for my discovery of my favorite hoby. After drinking a 7 dollar glass of Chausers I said to myself. Hey I can make better than this! And I did.. over and over and over again.

Chausers will do until you taste real mead then its just best to make your own or find a good commercial substitute

sandman · Mar 3, 2009

Same, same at the Festival down here in the Phoenix area. Chaucer's and Raspberry Chaucer's were the only two choices. I was hoping for something like we had back in MI at our local Heritage Festival. We actually had a home brewer onsite back then. He had mead, beers, and soda onsite as well. I'm going to have to find out how one goes about opening a booth at a Renn Fair or if it's even possible. I could make up several large batches and sell them onsite. Each glass could come with a copy of the JAO recipe on one side and a short history of mead on the other.

EverGreenman · Mar 4, 2009

Can't say as I've had Chaucers, but I gotta give it up to Redstone as far as commercial meaderys go. This thread brings up memories of Nedfest last summer. It was a fantastic! weekend of music from the likes of JerryGarciaBand featuring Steve Kimmock, David Grisman, Larry Keel, Colorado locals oakhurst(friggin' great!) Yonder Mountain String Band, and heaps of others all playing next to the res. up Boulder Canyon...spitting distance from the Continental Divide, in the little town of (neder)Nederland, Colorado. Fantastic weather (save for the couple of thunderheads that rolled through here and there, seriously, one hour it's dumping bunkets, the next five it's golden sunshine!) graced the weekend, absolutely nothing like summertime in Colorado. It's a smaaall festival, 1400 folks a day I'd think, lots of families, with heaps of great booths of artists and organizations and super good food, and Redstone Mead! (and Stone and Lefthand brews mmmmm) Redstone had 3 types on tap, simple nectar, black raspberry nectar, and an apricot that was taken dry/med dry left flat, or maybe it had a bit of sparkle? it was sooooooooo freakin' good eh. The black raspberry was also great, but only a glass or two. Needless to say the mead blissfully accompanied the experience and made the spirits fly. I highly encourage more mead at any type of outdoor festival!

Nickademas · Mar 4, 2009

EverGreenman said:
Can't say as I've had Chaucers, but I gotta give it up to Redstone as far as commercial meaderys go. This thread brings up memories of Nedfest last summer. It was a fantastic! weekend of music from the likes of JerryGarciaBand featuring Steve Kimmock, David Grisman, Larry Keel, Colorado locals oakhutst(friggin' great!) Yonder Mountain String Band, and heaps of others all playing next to the res. up Boulder Canyon...spitting distance from the Continental Divide, in the little town of (neder)Nederland, Colorado. Fantastic weather (save for the couple of thunderheads that rolled through here and there, seriously, one hour it's dumping bunkets, the next five it's golden sunshine!) graced the weekend, absolutely nothing like summertime in Colorado. It's a smaaall festival, 1400 folks a day I'd think, lots of families, with heaps of great booths of artists and organizations and super good food, and Redstone Mead! (and Stone and Lefthand brews mmmmm) Redstone had 3 types on tap, simple nectar, black raspberry nectar, and an apricot that was taken dry/med dry left flat, or maybe it had a bit of sparkle? it was sooooooooo freakin' good eh. The black raspberry was also great, but only a glass or two. Needless to say the mead blissfully accompanied the experience and made the spirits fly. I highly encourage more mead at any type of outdoor festival!

Boulder Canyon... Memories indeed

Used to live in Westminster and work in Boulder.
Spent many nights at Mountain Sun Brewery on Pearl Street.

EverGreenman · Mar 5, 2009

Ah the Mountain Sun. Best beer in Boulder town. I'd go so far as to say Colorado. You know they have a place over on Vine St. in Denver now a few blocks from the Fillmore and Ogden theatres? However, Redstone made it all happen for themselves, from nothing to something. From what I've heard, Mountain Sun was started by an ex McMenamins employee. Damn hippies stealin beer recipes and buisness plans and making something beautiful in Colorado.:hippy2:

Oskaar · Mar 5, 2009

Ah, the good old Mountain Sun. Had many a beer in there over the past few years during the Mead Fest in Boulder. Great Beer, great food and very cool hippie waitresses. Reminds me of the late 60's and early 70's.

I'll have to give Adam Avery his due kudos there in Boulder as well. Actually I prefer his stuff, and most of the things that I've had at Mountain Sun that really flipped my wig were featured guest beers (World Wide Stout was on tap there for a while during their Stout Festival last year) That's no reflection at all on their own very fine beers BTW.

Cheers, Oskaar

beekind · Mar 6, 2009

okay...since we're all gettin' teary-eyed about ned-boulder, mountain sun adventures. ahhhh....very good memories.
and redstone has to have THE BEST tasting room i've been to.
music...occasionally poetry...excited/inebriated hostess...delicious meads...plenty worth spending some time enjoying. and if i remember right, they are open for tastings from 12-6pm. (i promise i don't work for them-i just find they are some goood people).
sorry...just had to chime in on this one.
dave

Oskaar · Mar 7, 2009

David is a pretty generous guy and really got the Mead Festival off the ground and going to being a very popular event. He's a great host and really knows how to engage people as well as being a top notch mead evangelist.

Dan McFeeley · Mar 7, 2009

The makers of Chaucers mead may have a contract with various Rennaisaince fair people, maybe with a chain that produces these fairs in different states. It does limit choices, on the other hand, the folk at Chaucers may be selling their mead at a good price which would appeal to the Ren fair producers.

http://www.chaucerswine.com/RenaissanceFaires.asp

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Renaissance Festival disappointment

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007

epetkus

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Scott Horner

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sandman

Premium Patron

EverGreenman

Forest Dweller with a Wine Cellar

Nickademas

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EverGreenman

Forest Dweller with a Wine Cellar

Oskaar

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beekind

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Oskaar

Got Mead Partner

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron