Blog - Got Mead? The Largest Mead Resource on the Web

4-21-26 - Tonight we’re talking with Blair Housley, owner of Etowah Meadery in Dalonega, Georgia. A Dahlonega native, Blair grew up fishing and exploring along the Etowah River—a place that shaped his connection to North Georgia and later inspired the name and roots of Etowah. At 21, Blair joined the U.S. Air Force, an experience that strengthened the disciplined, process-driven approach he brings to building brands and crafting beverages. More than 15 years ago, he began brewing beer and mead as a hobby and quickly became focused on honey fermentation and the potential of mead as a modern craft staple. Blair’s belief is simple: mead is the perfect natural alcohol beverage. What began as a hobby in his garage and winning over two dozen medals, he decided to turn it into a business. In 2016, Blair founded Etowah to make mead more approachable, refined, and relevant, built to stand confidently alongside beer, cider, and cocktails. Etowah is recognized as one the most awarded meaderies in the Southeast with over 60 commercial mead awards and over a dozen craft beer awards to-date, with flagship mead favorites including RB&B, Black & Blue, Granny’s Apple Pie, Stone Pile Peach, and Georgia Standard. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows April 21 - Blair Housely - Etowah Meadery Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events April 22 - Captain’s on Main, Brighton, MI - Buzzin and Bloomin 2026: Mead, Music and Earth Day Vibes April 23 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Acoustic Jam April 25 - Moon Dog Meadery, Durham, NC - Modern Calligraphy for Beginners April 25 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - It's Raining Cats and Dogs - Make. your own round house sign April 25 - Monks Meadery, Atlanta, GA - Meadery Meet Up April 26 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - Spring Mead Fest with 8 local meaderies! April 26 - DiFrancesco Meadery, Wrightsville, PA - Artist Mead Up April 26 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam April 28 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Open Mic night April 30 - McAlpine Meadery, Beach City, OH - 30 Mile Bike Ride May 6 - Wild Blossom Meadery, Chicago, IL - Optimo Swing-Jazz May 7 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Trivia Night May 9 - Brimminghorn Meadery, Seaford, DE - US Wrestling Justice May 13 - The Mead Hall, Charles, MO - Acoustic Jam May 14 - Nucleus Mead, Linesville, PA - Mead and Read May 21 - Standard Meadery, Villa Park, IL - After Hours Networking June 6 - The Ferm Meadery, Houston, TX - Fire NR Bones live music You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com

4-7-26 Tonight we’re getting back together with Carlos Herrera, owner and Meadmaker at Texas Longhouse Meadery in Wylie, Texas. Carlos is the owner and mead maker of Texas Longhouse Meadery, where Nordic inspiration and Texas craft meet in the glass. With over two dozen awards and a passion for building community through mead, Carlos is also the President of the Texas Mead Association, working to grow the mead industry and bring more people into the Longhouse. Carlos, an Army Veteran, a Paramedic, and a Diplomatic Security Specialist, started learning how to make mead from an outgoing mentor. After learning the basics from his mentor, Carlos was injured at work and was sent home to recover. While home recovering from multiple surgeries, he set out to improve his new hobby. After many hours reading, researching, and experimenting Carlos fell in love with mead and really started to hone his craft of mead making. Fast forward several years and Carlos was really making waves in his new endeavors by entering many Mead competitions, winning awards, and giving his fellow competing mead makers quality feedback as a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) Certified Mead Judge. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows April 21 - Blair Housely - Etowah Meadery Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events April 9 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Acoustic Jam April 10 - Bløm Mead and Cider, Ann Arbor, MI - Fool Moon Candle Bar April 10 - Bumbling Fools Mead, Minneapolis, MN - Karaoke Mead Up April 10 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: Spring Chickens April 10 - Blöm Mead + cider, Ann Arbor, MI - FoolMoon Candle Bar April 11 - Mershon’s Artisan Cider, Stoughton, WI - Wisconsin Cider and Mead Festival April 11 - Wild Blossom Meadery, Chicago, IL - Wine Run 5k Aprl 12 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam April 12 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Portrait of Ritual - Painting Birds of Prey April 12 - Moon Dog Meadery, Durham, NC - Modern Calligraphy for Beginners April 14 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Wrights Night and Open Mic April 15 - Mead Hall, St. Charles, MO - Acoustic Jam April 15 - Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery, Chicago, IL - Optimo Swing - Jazz April 16 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Fiber Crafts Evening April 17 - Pips Meadery, Gurnee, IL - Magneen live music April 18 - MAC Ice House, Berkeley Springs, WV - Uniquely WV Wine and Mead Festival April 18 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC - Mead-ieval Day April 18 - Hex Meadery, Kaukauna, WI - Link and Ink with Sealed with a Spark and...

3-24-26 Tonight we're talking with Melody and Kyle Stout, the new owners of Spacetime Mead and Cider in Dunmore, PA. They bought and took over Spacetime from owner and mead-maker Dan Schreffler has retired to take time for, well, whatever he decides to do on any given day. They are the next generation for Space Time! Melody began homebrewing in fall 2021, and really got into it, like it does for so many. She continued and got her BCJP Mead Judge certification in spring 2024. Her meads have done well in competition, including at Valhalla, the Mead Stampede and Your Honey or Your Life. Medaled in multiple competitions including Valhalla; Mead Stampede, and Your Honey or Your Life In late 2025, Melody and Kyle bought Spacetime from Dan, and Melody and Kyle will be working closely with Dan to fully transition the winery into their care over the next few years. Kyle isn't a mead maker, but he is handling the marketing side of the meadery. “We make high-quality craft mead and cider with high-quality ingredients and local ingredients as much as possible. And we typically make sci-fi and fantasy-themed meads and ciders, along with some others. We're very focused on providing the highest quality and the most excellent product that we can provide,” said Stout. Stout said Space Time’s offerings are locally inspired, and she shares some of the fan-favorite selections. “One of the things that sets us apart is that we are a PA Preferred Winery, which means that about 75% of our product is made using local ingredients. That's not very common in this area. There's not a lot of PA Preferred Winery, and we're very proud of receiving that designation. So, it's really important to us to maintain that designation and have products that are high-quality and locally inspired,” said Stout. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows April 7 - Carlos Herrera - Texas Longhouse Meadery April 21 - Blair Housely - Etowah Meadery Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Mar 26 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Music Jam Night Mar 27 - Pips Meadery, Gurnee, IL - Cousins Maine Lobster Mar 28 - Zymarium Meadery, Orlando, FL - Bonsai and Cheers with L&J Nursery Mar 28 - Folklore Brewing and Meadery, Dothan, AL - Dothan Songwriters Festival Mar 28 - The Queens Arms, Helston UK - Meadery Night Mar 29 - Wandering Wind Meadery, Charleston, WV - Mead Making Workshop Mar 31 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Writers Night and Open Mic April 1 - Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery, Chicago, IL - Optimo Swing - live Jazz April 2 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Trivia...

2-24-26 Tonight at 9PM ET, we're talking with Ryan Kretchmer, owner of Barbarian Mead, a meadery in planning in the Philadelphia area. Like many people, Ryan has lived a quiet, normal life growing up in the suburbs of Chicago — quietly wrestling tigers in the Roman Colosseum, serving as a United States Senator, accepting a beauty pageant crown, conducting questionable laboratory experiments, and occasionally floating through low Earth orbit as an astronaut. Unfortunately, a demanding schedule of international diplomacy, space travel, and tiger hand-to-hand combat made it difficult to maintain a work-life balance, so he reluctantly retired from his many prestigious careers. The official story is “career exploration.” The real story is that the tigers unionized and HR got involved. In reality, Ryan is married to amazing and beautiful woman named Mary, who has given him more patience then he usually deserves...and a house full of dogs. He spent many years working as a general contractor and carpenter, building and renovating homes. After a serious health scare forced him to reassess life and priorities, he stepped away from the physically demanding side of construction and transitioned into working as a quality inspector, where he now evaluates new homes for several national builders. While he no longer swings a hammer all day, the attention to detail and problem-solving mindset followed him into his next unexpected chapter. That chapter began one morning slightly hungover when he checked his email and discovered he had apparently purchased a mead-making kit the night before. Instead of canceling the order, he decided to see what would happen — and promptly fell down a very deep rabbit hole. What started as curiosity turned into an obsession. To date he has made more than 180 batches of mead. He plans to eventually operate **Barbarian Meadery**, where creativity, experimentation, and a refusal to take himself too seriously are part of the process. There are many more batches — and probably a few more questionable late-night purchases — still to come. Cheers. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Feb 25 - Silver Hand Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - A Reading by Stephen R. Lawhead (and mead) Feb 26 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Meadery Jam - bring your instrument Feb 26 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Karaoke Night Feb 28 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Anatomy of a Killer: When Doctors Become Predators Feb 28 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC -...

2-10-26 Tonight we’re talking with Roger Wanner, owner and meadmaker at WA Meadwerks in Long Island, NY. Roger is the founder and mead maker of W A Meadwerks. Founded in 2018, they have experienced rapid growth in the early years of operation and disappointment in the post COVID years. After right-sizing the operation and focusing on small batch production, as they did when founded, they’ve added a new fan base and are reshaping the way mead is perceived and enjoyed. W A Meadwerks will be celebrating its 8th anniversary this year with a focus on barrel aged meads. The celebration starts on Mead Day, Aug 1st and ends on their anniversary Sept 8th. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Feb 11 - Green Mountain Mashers, Essex Junction, VT - Traditional Mead Night with Man Made Mead Sensory Tests Feb 12 - Bardic Wells Meadery, Montague, MI - Mead & Mehndi Feb 12 - Valhalla Meadery, Bozeman, MT - Jam session Feb 12 - Thirsty Bee Meadery, Tomball, TX - Larry Lane Live music Feb 13 - Starrlight Meadery at the Honeysuckle Tea House, Chapel Hill, NC - Valentines Mead Tasting Feb 13 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Make Your Own Mosaic Heart Feb 13 - Hex Meadery, Kaukauna, WI - Anniversary Party Feb 13 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: Valentine Animal Feb 14 - Bee Immortal Mead, Round Rock, TX - Valentines Mead Workshop Feb 14 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Valentines Murder Mystery Dinner Feb 14 - Southern Origin Meadery, Canon, GA - Couples Painting Each Other (Tiktok trend) Feb 15 - Meduseld Meadery, Lancaster, PA - Meadery Dance Feb 15 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam - Mike Rocke Folk Music Feb 15 - Chubby Cheeks Meadery, Temecula, CA - Pet and Paint - Valentines Day Fundraiser! Feb 18 - Lancashire Mead Company at the Jorvik Viking Centre, York, UK - Mead Tasting event Feb 19 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Fiber Crafting Feb 21 - Monks Meadery, Atlanta, GA - Exhibition Armored Combat Feb 21 - Wyrd Leather and Mead, Portland, OR - Expedition 33 Mead Up Feb 21 - W A Meadwerks, Lindenhurst, NY - Mead Becomes Her - cult cinema and themed cocktails Feb 26 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Karaoke Night Feb 28 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Anatomy of a Killer: When Doctors Become Predators Mar 5 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Paint and Sip Mar 20-21 Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition, Minneapolis, MN - entries open! Mar 28 - Zymarium Meadery, Orlando, FL - Bonsai and Cheers with...

2-3-26 We're doing a pre-recorded episode today! We are talking with Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk, meadmakers and founders of the Mead Madness Cup and the European Mead Makers Association. Kings of Mead represent the powerhouse duo of Krzysztof Jarek and Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk, two recognizable mead authorities in Europe. Hailing from Poland—the global heart of mead tradition—both have been crafting mead for over 15 years, blending deep-rooted heritage with modern innovation. As cornerstones of the global mead community, they launched their YouTube channel over 8 years ago, becoming pioneers in digital mead education and inspiring a generation of makers worldwide. As Master MJP (Mead Judging Programme) judges, they have trained the vast majority of European mead judges, conducting certification courses across the UK, South Korea, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Spain, Norway, Italy, and Mexico. Their leadership is fundamental to the industry: Mateusz "maTEJ" Błaszczyk is the visionary initiator of both the European Mead Makers Conference (EMMcon) and the Mead Madness Cup. He is also a published author of books on mead making. Krzysztof Jarek has served as the Director of the Mead Madness Cup since 2019, overseeing its growth into one of largest and most prestigious competitions. In a landmark move for the industry, Kings of Mead are coming to the USA this year to conduct the first-ever MJP (Mead Judge Programme) training in the United States. This historic event marks a bridge between the ancient traditions of Europe and the vibrant, growing American mead scene. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Feb 10 - Roger Wanner - W A Meadwerks - New York Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Feb 5 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sapulpa, OK - Trivia Night Feb 6 - Red’s on 7th, Delavan, WI - Meads and Masterpiece - mead tasting and wine glass painting Feb 6 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Grown Up Book Fair Feb 6 - Chubby Cheeks Meadery, Temecula, CA - Halo Mega Bowl LAN party Feb 8 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Acoustic Jam with Mike Rocke Feb 8 - Drinking Horn Meadery, Flagstaff, AZ - Beeswa Candle Making Valentine Workshop Feb 13 - Starrlight Meadery at the Honeysuckle Tea House, Chapel Hill, NC - Valentines Mead Tasting Feb 13 - Clear Skies Meadery, Rockville, MD - Make Your Own Mosaic Heart Feb 13 - Hex Meadery, Kaukauna, WI - Anniversary Party Feb 13 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink: Valentine Animal Feb 14 - Bee Immortal Mead, Round Rock, TX - Valentines Mead Workshop Feb 14 - Southern...

1-27-26 Tonight we’re talking with Ryan Carlson again. He had a lot of information, and we just ran out of time last time! Ryan is a Colorado mead maker who has been making mead for quite a while. Those of you who have listened to the early GML episodes may remember him. He has been quiet publicly for a few years, dealing with personal things, but during that quiet time, he’s also been doing a lot of learning and experimentation to deepen his mead making expertise. I'll just let Ryan tell you himself: Hi, my name is Ryan. Some of you will know me from the mead world going back a long way. Some of you won’t know me at all — and that’s just fine. I was very active in mead for many years, right up until around 2020. Then life hit hard. Multiple things at once. Survival mode. For about five years I was mostly just circling the drain and trying to stay upright. Things are finally closer to normal now, and I guess you could say I’m back in the saddle. I’ve been a successful meadmaker for a long time. I’m a certified judge. I’ve taught hundreds of people — maybe more — how to make good mead. I love teaching, but I’m picky about it. I only teach what I’ve lived. I only teach what I can prove. If someone wants receipts, I can bury Mount Rushmore with them. I also teach mead in a way most people have never experienced. From here forward, I’ll be approaching things a little differently. We’re going to “get small.” We’re going to pretend we’re a single-celled yeast and jump down inside Mead City. We’ll look at fermentation from the inside of the vessel outward and change our perspective completely. Mead is going to do what mead does. Yeast is going to do what yeast does. When we actually understand the science and biology, our job isn’t control — it’s assistance. We learn when the window opens, and when it does, we can hand the yeast exactly what they need so they can do the job they were already built to do. Most of the time, when people don’t understand what’s happening, they get in the way. They step on the yeast without realizing it. They try to force outcomes that biology simply doesn’t allow, and they miss the chance to co-create. My goal is to help raise everyone’s bar by changing perspective first, then layering in real science and real biology — not folklore, not wives’ tales, and not parroted bad science. If you want to understand mead well enough that you don’t have to beg for recipes anymore — recipes that often produce mediocre results at best — then this is a good place to sit down with us and learn the craft the way it’s actually lived. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours every other Tuesday starting Jan 13, 2026. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Feb 10 - Roger Wanner - W A Meadwerks - New York Show links and notes...

1-13-26 Tonight we’re talking with Ryan Carlson. Ryan is a Colorado mead maker who has been making mead for quite a while. Those of you who have listened to the early GML episodes may remember him. He has been quiet publicly for a few years, dealing with personal things, but during that quiet time, he’s also been doing a lot of learning and experimentation to deepen his mead making expertise. I'll just let Ryan tell you himself: Hi, my name is Ryan. Some of you will know me from the mead world going back a long way. Some of you won’t know me at all — and that’s just fine. I was very active in mead for many years, right up until around 2020. Then life hit hard. Multiple things at once. Survival mode. For about five years I was mostly just circling the drain and trying to stay upright. Things are finally closer to normal now, and I guess you could say I’m back in the saddle. I’ve been a successful meadmaker for a long time. I’m a certified judge. I’ve taught hundreds of people — maybe more — how to make good mead. I love teaching, but I’m picky about it. I only teach what I’ve lived. I only teach what I can prove. If someone wants receipts, I can bury Mount Rushmore with them. I also teach mead in a way most people have never experienced. From here forward, I’ll be approaching things a little differently. We’re going to “get small.” We’re going to pretend we’re a single-celled yeast and jump down inside Mead City. We’ll look at fermentation from the inside of the vessel outward and change our perspective completely. Mead is going to do what mead does. Yeast is going to do what yeast does. When we actually understand the science and biology, our job isn’t control — it’s assistance. We learn when the window opens, and when it does, we can hand the yeast exactly what they need so they can do the job they were already built to do. Most of the time, when people don’t understand what’s happening, they get in the way. They step on the yeast without realizing it. They try to force outcomes that biology simply doesn’t allow, and they miss the chance to co-create. My goal is to help raise everyone’s bar by changing perspective first, then layering in real science and real biology — not folklore, not wives’ tales, and not parroted bad science. If you want to understand mead well enough that you don’t have to beg for recipes anymore — recipes that often produce mediocre results at best — then this is a good place to sit down with us and learn the craft the way it’s actually lived. OPEN-TOP FERMENTATION — HISTORICAL RECEIPTS & DEEP DIVES JIAHU — Neolithic China (~7000 BCE) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-chinese-used-fermented-beverages-180964191/ https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0407921102 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiahu GODIN TEPE — Ancient Near East (~3500–3000 BCE) https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0507742102 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godin_Tepe ROMAN FERMENTATION — POMPEII & DOLIA https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/winemaking.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/dolium https://www.pompeii-sites.org/en/ MEDIEVAL & MONASTIC FERMENTATION https://www.medievalists.net/2014/10/medieval-brewing-ale/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/monasticism/Brewing-and-winemaking GENERAL FERMENTATION ARCHAEOLOGY https://www.penn.museum/sites/biomoleculararchaeology/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ancient-alcohol-drinking-history To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in!...

12-2-25 Tonight we're talking with Matt and Lauren Bloom, owners and meadmakers at Bløm Mead and Cider in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Bløm Meadworks (pronounced “bloom”), makes modern ciders and session meads – they’re light, dry, carbonated, and remarkably sessionable. For their meads, they start with the same ingredients as a traditional mead - honey, water and yeast - which means they can source all of our ingredients from Michigan. They ferment it like a dry craft cider, so the result isn’t nearly as thick or sweet as traditional mead. So, if the word “mead” automatically conjures a drinking hall filled with Vikings for you, think of theirs as its friendly, approachable descendants, without the pillage and plunder. After years in the nonprofit sector, Lauren realized that what had become her hobby and outside-of-work stress reliever was actually the thing that she cared about most – food. And more specifically, local food production. Soon after, she joined the board of Slow Food Chicago, an organization that advocates for the value and pleasure of good food for all. A few years later, Lauren and Matt moved to Ann Arbor, looking to put down roots in their home state and open Bløm - a business that would allow them to create sessionable brews and highlight some of the mouth-watering ingredients grown in Michigan. Matt started his professional life as a financial geek. Turned out it was far more exciting to apply those geeky skills to brewing chemistry than options software. He kicked off this new career as a home brewer in Chicago and was lucky enough to have two friends who were passionate enough to start a brewery with him. While owner and head brewer for Begyle Brewing, Matt sadly learned that he was among the unfortunate crew that can't process gluten - his love affair with beer had come to an abrupt end. Hooked on the creative fermentation process, and always intrigued by the quirky possibilities for mead and cider, Matt found Bløm to be the perfect love child of what he enjoys making and drinking. Join us to see what Lauren and Matt are doing with their meads and ciders! Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows We are done for 2025. We return January 13, 2026. Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Dec 4 - Dancing Skeleton Meadery, Sepulpa, OK - Trivia Night Dec 4 - Adesanya Mead & Microbrewery, Grandville, MI - Trivia night Dec 5 - Nate and Jake's Meadery, Edmore, MI - Locked In live music Dec 5-7 St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Bee Merry Weekend Holiday Festival Dec 6 - Slaymaker Cellars, Idaho Springs, CO - Meadery Tour with tasting Dec 6 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Ornamentpalooza - make your own angel ornaments Dec 7 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch Dec 9 - The Old Lifeboat House, Penzance, UK - Meadery and Medium - book ahead Dec 12 - Manic Meadery, Crown Point, IN - Paint and Drink Dec 13 - Wandering Wind Meadery, Charleston, WV - Christmas at the Meadery Dec 13 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Barefoot live music Dec 13 - Nate and Jake's Meadery, Edmore, MI - Comedy Night Dec 13 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Pressed Flower Cardinal Paint and Sip class Dec 13 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN -...

11-4-25 Tonight we’re talking with Bill Bellair, founder of the Michigan Mead Coalition. We’re going to talk about mead in competition. Bill Bellair began his mead-making journey in 2008 when his mother expressed interest in trying tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine, which was unavailable locally. His early attempts—while not without the occasional "bottle bomb"—yielded surprisingly delicious results. Following this, Bill turned his attention to beer brewing, and it would be several years before he returned to crafting mead. During this time, he joined the Metro Enologist 'n' Zymurgist (MENZ) club, where he expanded his skills in winemaking. This experience gave him valuable insight into the mistakes he had made in his early mead-making efforts, reigniting his passion for the craft. This marked the beginning of a dedicated era of mead production that continues to this day. In 2019, Bill founded the Michigan Mead Coalition, the state's largest mead-exclusive organization. The coalition has fostered a thriving community of skilled brewers, many of whom have earned prestigious awards and even pursued the coveted title of Mead Maker of the Year. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady Nov 8 - UNL Bee Lab & Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Mead Making Course Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Harvest Mead Fest Nov 8 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Potions, Poisons and Snake Oil Nov 9 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Sunday Brunch Nov 13 - Silver Hand Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - 10th Anniversary Dinner Series - Mead Pairing Dinner Nov 15 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese with the Cheese Lady Nov 18 - WTF What to Ferment Meadery, Milford, DE - Mead and Cookie Pairing Nov 20 - Nucleus Mead, Linesville, PA - Mead and Read Nov 22 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Mead and Meditation Nov 22 - Dawg Gone Bees Meadery & Apiary, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class Nov 22 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus,

10-21-25 Tonight we're chatting with Brian Bookmiller, co-founder and meadmaker at Queen City Meadery in Buffalo, NY. They been making mead since 2018. Brian Bookmiller is a driving force behind Queen City Meadery, serving as both co-founder and mead maker. His passion for craft fermentation began as a hobby shared with lifelong friends, eventually evolving into a full-fledged business. Bookmiller’s leadership has helped shape the meadery’s identity as a community-focused, artisanal producer of honey-based beverages. In 2023, Queen City Meadery announced a major expansion at its current location, signaling strong growth and continued commitment to the Western New York region. The meadery’s presence has become a cultural touchstone in West Seneca, offering educational tours, tastings, and events. Queen City Meadery has won numerous awards for their meads and continues to create new unique flavors for all to enjoy! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/zEKNujQTtM Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Oct 24 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Dags Und Timmah Live Music Oct 25-26 - St. Louis Renaissance Festival - Mead-evil Tasting - get 4 mead samples, mead tasting flask and entertainment (must buy faire ticket separately) Oct 25 - Beeserker Meadery, Lexington, KY - Monsters & Mead: A Night of Adventure, Ale, and Mayhem at Chaotic Good Oct 25 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Andy Six live music Oct 26 - Brimming Horn Meadery, Seaford, DE - Sips and Succulents - create your own terrarium Oct 31 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Luke Woltanski live music Nov 1 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Adult Book Fair Nov 1 - Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Mischief Halloween Party Nov 1 - Brown County Historical Society and Hazelwood Historic House, Green Bay, WI - Historic Skills Workshop: Learn to make Wine and Mead Nov 7 - Funktastic Meads and Beer, Midlothian, VA - Mead and Music by Damian Allen Nov 7 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Open Mic Night Comedy Nov 8 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Mead and Cheese Pairing with the Cheese Lady Nov 8 - UNL Bee Lab & Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop Nov 8 - Stardust Cellars, Wilkesboro, NC - Mead Making Course Nov 8 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Potions, Poisons and Snake Oil Nov 9 - St. Ambrose Cellars,

10-7-25 Tonight we're talking meadmaking with Bill Bellair and Rob Barnhart. Both are experienced meadmakers that create excellent meads. And both have taken their share of awards at competitions. Bill Bellair began his mead-making journey in 2008 when his mother expressed interest in trying tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine, which was unavailable locally. His early attempts—while not without the occasional "bottle bomb"—yielded surprisingly delicious results. Following this, Bill turned his attention to beer brewing, and it would be several years before he returned to crafting mead. During this time, he joined the Metro Enologist 'n' Zymurgist (MENZ) club, where he expanded his skills in winemaking. This experience gave him valuable insight into the mistakes he had made in his early mead-making efforts, reigniting his passion for the craft. This marked the beginning of a dedicated era of mead production that continues to this day. In 2019, Bill founded the Michigan Mead Coalition, the state's largest mead-exclusive organization. The coalition has fostered a thriving community of skilled brewers, many of whom have earned prestigious awards and even pursued the coveted title of Mead Maker of the Year. Rob Barnhart has been making mead since 2018. He started making mead January of 2018 because he doesn't like beer. He was playing Skyrim a lot and looked it up on YouTube. Down the rabbit hole he went. Soon after he found Gotmead and Modern Mead Makers. He then talked Vicky into meeting him at St Ambrose and Vicky and Kirk told Rob to enter comps. He didn’t do too badly. So far he has 25 medals but still haven’t gotten the coveted best in show. 😥. He also hasn’t had HOD yet. Rob retired early from the military and the Post Office and now he just hangs out in his inner city garden paradise and makes mead. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4PEnAumq Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows October 21 - Brian Bookmiller - Queen City Meadery November 18 - Blair Houseley - Etowah Meadery December 2 - Blöm Meadworks Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Oct 8 - Kalamazoo Bee Club, Portage, MI - Mead Making Class Oct 10 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Fred & Smed Live music Oct 11 - Apis Mead and Winery, Carnegie, PA - Craft Class: Create a Cauldron Oct 11 - B. Nektar Meadery, Ferndale, MI - Euchre Tournament Oct 11 - Michigan Mead Cup, Brighton, MI - Competition Oct 11-12 - St. Louis Renaissance Festival, Wentzville, MO - Mead flights Oct 11 - St. Ambrose Cellars,

9-9-25 Tonight we're talking with Kris and Karen Pruitt with Kold Prairie Mead in Elizabeth, Colorado. They opened their meadery in 2022 and have been out there kicking it! Kristopher Pruitt’s journey into meadmaking began in 2017 with an initial desire to become a beekeeper. Within a short time, his curiosity led him to explore mead, and on Thanksgiving Day that year, he and his wife, Karen, brewed their first experimental batches. Those early efforts quickly earned recognition, beginning with the Mead Free or Die competition and eventually included two Mazer Cups, Best of Show at the Domras Cup, and multiple medals at the Mead Madness Cup in Poland, to name a few of their homebrew accomplishments. In 2022, the Pruitts founded Kold Prairie Mead in Elizabeth, Colorado. The meadery officially launched in 2025, with Kris stepping into the role full-time. Together, they also run 2BeeKPers, their small honey business. Both ventures reflect their shared passion for beekeeping, craftsmanship, and community engagement. Kold Prairie Mead has steadily grown its presence through festivals, tasting events, and partnerships with select liquor stores and brew pubs. Certified through both the MJP and BJCP programs, Kris has judged and competed in mead competitions across the U.S. and internationally, including serving as Best of Show judge for the 2023 Mead Madness Cup commercial division. Driven by a love for craftsmanship and community, Kris values the camaraderie of judging and the shared knowledge that connects meadmakers worldwide. When not immersed in mead, Kris and Karen enjoy traveling—whether discovering new experiences in Europe or exploring closer to home in their 5th-wheel camper—and caring for the bees, chickens, and cats on their property. Join us to talk with Kris and Karen! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4PEnAumq Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Sept 10 - Savannah Bee Company, Greenville, SC - Mead and Trivia Sept 11 - KingView Meadery, Pittsburgh, PA - Paz and Ukulele Eddie live music Sept 12 - Brimming Horn Meadery, Seaford, DE - Mead n D&D Sept 13 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Barn Dance 2025 Sept 13 - The Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Metal Artist Market Sept 13 - Bumbling Fools Mead, Minneapolis, MN - Play Dungeons & Dragons: A Fundraiser for Six Elements Sept 13 - Oregon Honey and Mead Festival, Medford, OR - Event by Cascade Girl Organization and Oregon Honey Festival at Eden Valley Orchards and ...

8-26-25 Tonight we're talking with Brian Green, owner of Centeur Imports in New Hampshire. Brian is bringing meads from Europe to the United States, and even has a direct online sales platform for people to get these meads shipped to them. During a long career as a professor of sociology, Brian spent a lot of time in Eastern Europe traveling and doing research. While there, he discovered incredible Polish, Czech and Slovakian meads. In 2013, together with his wife Jana, Brian founded Centeur Imports to import wine and mead from Central Europe. They quickly found that mead was their best selling product. After learning all the ropes about how to handle import logistics and national U.S. distribution, Centeur Imports is thriving as a company and currently selling mead around the USA and online. Their company goal is to be the premiere importer of mead for the U.S. market. After establishing the company in 2013 as a family-owned-and-operated business, Brian and Jana have steadily increased the number of wines and mead imported, distributing both locally in New Hampshire and nationally. Today, they offer wines and mead from across Europe and are working hard to expand our product line to include a wide range of rare and award- winning wines from the best producers. Come and hear what Brian is up to and what meads he's planning to bring into the States! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4PEnAumq Listen in! This player will show the latest episode: Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events Aug 28 - Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Mini X2 - paint minis Aug 29 - Wandering Wind Meadery, Charleston, WV - Karaoke & Mead Aug 30 - MoonJoy Meadery, Lenoir, NC - Mead and Mindfullness Sept 5 - White Winter Mead, Iron River, WI - Mead Mile race Sept 5 - pHunkadelic, Farmville, VA - Let's Talk Mead! Sept 5 - Marlobobo Mead, Leuven, Belgium - Mead Madness Sept 6 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead Learn Thngs - Victorian Potions and Poisons Sept 6 - The Bee Store, Lake Ridge, VA - Mead tasting with meads fro Negus Winery Sept 13 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - Barn Dance 2025 Sept 13 - The Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Metal Artist Market Sept 13-14 - St. Louis Renaissance Festival, Wentzville, MO - Ticket includes 4 samples of mead, a mead flask and entertainment (festival admission separate) Sept 14 - Furrows to Fences, Fond du Lac, WI - From Hive to Glass: Mead Making Basics Sept 20 - Texas Mead Fest, New Braunfels,

8-12-25 Tonight we're talking with Matthew Mead, a home meadmaker who has burned up the competitions over the last couple years with his excellent mead. He has set out to win in competitions in every US state. And so far he's doing really well! Matthew been making mead since around 2017, he got into making meads when a local friend who was opening up his own meadery told him with his last name he needed to start making mead. He started entering his meads into competitions to get better feedback on them and from there he joined Modern Mead Makers on Facebook to learn how to make better meads. His first mead wins were the Texas Mead cup around 2018 and that got him hooked into competitive homebrewing which eventually led him into judging.Matthew is one of the few BJCP Beer, Mead and Cider Judges. He is well known for his excellent cherry meads using local fruit and honey. Matt has a wife and two kids, his daughter is 18 and about to go to college, and his son is almost 13. They put up with his homebrewing mess around the house for the most part but they do love his wins and celebrate dad when he wins. Sometimes he talks them into tagging along with him to pick fruit or go to his competition / judging weekends. Matthew is a member of a couple Michigan Homebrew clubs: PrimeTime Brewers, Keepers of Kraft, Michigan Mead Coalition. He is also a member of the Master Homebrewer Program with a rank of Grandmaster V, with Master of Mead, Cidermaster, Golden Gavel and Jack of all Trades awards. Matt has multiple best of show wins over the years for Beers, Meads and Ciders at various US competitions. Last year he managed four Mazer cups wins, which was a personal best for him. He has won medals at Mead Madness in Poland twice. He haswon medals in both Canada and Mexico mead competitions. He usually finishes in the Top 5 for meadmaker of the year. Matt is not listed this year because hedid not renew my membership. Matthew's goal last year was to win a medal in every state that offered a homebrew competition. He managed to complete that early this year with a win in South Carolina. If there are any homebrew competitions in DL, HI, ME, MS, MT, SD, WV let Matt know. His latest big win was that he won Amateur Grand Champion at the Indiana State Fair for winning a Silver in Weissbier, a gold in Traditional Mead, a gold in Fruit Mead, a gold Perry and a Silver for Indiana made cider. He took 3rd for Best of Show Mead/Cider as well. Join us to talk mead with Matthew! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead JOIN CHAT ON DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4PEnAumq Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Aug 26 - Brian Green - Centeur Imports Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff

7-29-25 Tonight we're talking with Corey Mason, owner and meadmaker at TreeHive Meadery in Brocton, Illinois. Corey was introduced to mead in 2012. IHe started picking up bottles for a friend when he went on trips. He finally found one he liked. It was a Polish mead, and he picked up several other meads. After that he went down the rabbit hole of mead and never looked back. He would get Moonlight Meadery, B. Nektar, Wild Blossom, and Wyldewood Cellars meads there. But that wasn't enough. He found New Day Meadery when he went through Indianapolis. He started ordering from VinoShipper. There were not many to order from back then. Now there are tons of options. Along the way he decided to start making his own mead. His first two batches failed. They tasted good but they didn't ferment. He put everything from the recipe in... he joined all the mead making groups he could find. Started trying out everything that he learned. Basically Lived and Breathed mead all of the time. Obsessed is probably the best way to describe it. Around 2017 Carrie his wife said he needed to stop or make it a business. So Ihesigned up for the Advanced mead making class at UC Davis. While sharing there a wise person told him what he needed to change to make my mead better. He met some truly great individuals there and many of them are award winning mead makers and a lot are professionals now. It still took two more years for things to fall into place. Corey was making mead with the guy who introduced it to him and they entered the Mazer Cup together. They got a gold and a silver. They were trying to get something going together but it fell apart. Around tbis time Corey also decided to try his hand at judging. He stewarded at the Mazer Cup one year then started the process to become a judge. It truly helps you figure out what you're doing. Fast forward and Corey ended up giving the mead meeting for the local homebrew Club in Champaign and while he was there he talked to someone who had a friend with bees and a building. Within a week they decided to start a meadery together. It took over a year to get all of the paperwork right but they did and he started making mead professionally on November 5th, 2020. So almost 5 years but it seems like yesterday. Corey has lots of respect for all that have come before him and all of the knowledge that was shared with him and others along the way. He has over 500 bottles of other meaderies meads in his cellar. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Aug 12 - Matthew Mead Aug 26 - Brian Green - Centeur Imports Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff

7-15-25 Tonight at 9PM ET we'll be talking with Tom Repas. Tom has been on the show before, and we're having him back, as he's an absolute fountain of information! And he makes 'ok' mead. We're going to delve into the bees and their care. What you may not be aware of is that 3 years ago, Tom started making his 'ok' meads professionally. Apiflora Mead, made and available at Zymurcracy Beer Company in Rapid City, South Dakota. Tom is a Master Beekeeper and owner of Canyon Rim Honey Bees, providing bees and honey in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Tom speaks on beekeeping all over the country, and has presented several times at the AMMA MeadCon on both beekeeping and meadmaking. Tom has won a large number of awards for his mead as well. Tom is a 4th generation beekeeper, and has been working with bees since he was a kid. He kept bees and sold the honey for extra money in high school. He went into professional beekeeping while he was still active as a medical doctor, and has developed a cross for bees that are gentle, overwinter well, and are mite resistant. On the mead side of things, Tom is a very talented mead maker who consistently wins medals with his meads, and has a skill for thinking outside the box for flavor profiles. His mushroom mead was the talk of the mead community for some time when he brought it out to taste. I got to try it, I was stunned at how good it was. Of course, Tom uses his own honey, as well as honeys from other providers and areas, and they're all good! Tom says his meads are 'ok'. We think they're better than that, lol. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! Sponsor: From July 23-August 2, 2025, take a magical meadery tour, and step into the heart of Central Europe on a journey that blends history, culture, and craft in three remarkable capitals — Prague, Bratislava, and Warsaw. Explore vibrant cityscapes and quiet countryside, from medieval old towns and historic abbeys to family-run meaderies and world-renowned breweries. You will visit the Mead Museum in Prague, Strahov Monastery Brewery, Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Apimed Mead, Branislav Novosedlík Mead, Richtár Jakub Brewery, Pasieka Jaros Mead, Corpo Mead, and Apis Mead. This tour is limited to 25 people, reserve your spot now at europeandiscoveriesllc.com/tours/250723cmm If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows July 29 - Corey Mason - Treehive Meadery Aug 12 - Matthew Mead Aug 26 - Brian Green - Centeur Imports Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events July 16 - Kingview Meadery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night July 16 - Hidden Hive Meadery, Vista, CA - Cheese & Bees: A Social Cheese and Mead Even...

June 17, 2025 - Tonight we’re talking with Adrian Beebe, owner of Cloud City Mead in Leadville, Colorado, and is the highest meadery in the country at over 10,000 feet. Adrian is making mainly session meads, and doing it well. Adrian has been homebrewing beer & mead since 2009. Volunteering at various homebrew competitions and beer festivals, he became a certified beer judge in 2015 and got a job brewing at a brewpub in the small mining town of Leadville, Colorado where, in 2022, he opened the world's highest meadery, located dead center of CO at an elevation of over 10,000 feet. Cloud City employs modern methods for production, often borrowed from beer brewing, to create unique and distinctive flavors. Life is sweet at 10,000 feet. Adrian is going to be getting into his use of kveik yeast in commercial mead, as well as sours, hopped meads and more! To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! Sponsor: From July 23-August 2, 2025, take a magical meadery tour, and step into the heart of Central Europe on a journey that blends history, culture, and craft in three remarkable capitals — Prague, Bratislava, and Warsaw. Explore vibrant cityscapes and quiet countryside, from medieval old towns and historic abbeys to family-run meaderies and world-renowned breweries. You will visit the Mead Museum in Prague, Strahov Monastery Brewery, Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Apimed Mead, Branislav Novosedlík Mead, Richtár Jakub Brewery, Pasieka Jaros Mead, Corpo Mead, and Apis Mead. This tour is limited to 25 people, reserve your spot now at europeandiscoveriesllc.com/tours/250723cmm If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via X @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows TBA Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events June 18 - Kingview Mead, Mount Lebanon, VA - Trivia Night June 21 - Crafted Artisan Meadery, Mogadore, OH - Mead and Meditation June 21 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Spirit Faerie Jar Workshop June 21 - Dawg Gone Bees Meadery & Apiary, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class June 21 - Ravenwood Meadery, Huntsville, AL - Meadery tour and tasting flight June 21 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Blight of Many live music June 26 - Adesanya Meadery, Grandville, MI - Disney Trivia Night June 29 - Ironstone Meadery, Erie, PA - Mead and Draft Gaming night July 2 - Kingview Meadery, Mt. Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night July 6 - Brimming Horn Meadery, Milton, DE - Mead, Music and Merchants July 9 - Tree Trust, Centre Wellington, Ontario, CN - Mead and Meander forest walk You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com

6-3-25 Tonight we‘re talking with Peter Taylor, founder and meadmaker at Niddhoggr Mead in the UK. Peter Taylor is the owner and founder of the Multi Award winning Nidhoggr Mead Co. based in the UK. His mead is has won the Mazer cup and Mead Madness cup several times and has a total of 11 medals across his 7 flavours. All his mead is made using 100% honey and natural ingredients and he now has a 12,000 sqft factory and 20 staff in York in the UK. In the heart of York, Nidhoggr Mead Co. has revived the ancient art of mead-making. Founded in 2020 by Peter Taylor, a Viking reenactor, the company began as a hobby in his girlfriend Ellie’s spare bedroom before transforming into a thriving business. The breakthrough came when the Jorvik Viking Centre sampled the mead and asked if Peter was selling it. Their interest motivated him to start up a company producing mead commercially alongside his girlfriend (now his wife) and close friends John Bardwell and Severin Gammon. Soon, Peter and Ellie’s home was filled with fermenting batches — even their bathtub being used to melt raw honey. Due to demand, the company moved from Acomb to a 4,000-square-foot facility in Pocklington. Nidhoggr mead, made with 100% pure honey, mineral water, and yeast, gained a reputation for their smooth, refreshing taste. Their ambition took Nidhoggr to America, securing £2 million in deals across 14 states, including distribution at medieval fairs and ren fairs. With over 40,000 bottles set for export, the company expanded production further to meet demand. Their dedication to quality has earned accolades, including Drink StartUp of the Year and multiple international medals for their wide range of meads. To listen live, you can find us on Youtube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and Facebook on the Gotmead Page. On our new platform, chat is part of the podcast! Just comment from wherever you are watching, and we'll see it!! If you'd like to call in, we can get you a link to come on! Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/meadwench YouTube: YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@Gotmead X(Twitter): https://x.com/RealGotMead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GotMead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GotMead Sponsor: Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online! Sponsor: From July 23-August 2, 2025, take a magical meadery tour, and step into the heart of Central Europe on a journey that blends history, culture, and craft in three remarkable capitals — Prague, Bratislava, and Warsaw. Explore vibrant cityscapes and quiet countryside, from medieval old towns and historic abbeys to family-run meaderies and world-renowned breweries. You will visit the Mead Museum in Prague, Strahov Monastery Brewery, Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Apimed Mead, Branislav Novosedlík Mead, Richtár Jakub Brewery, Pasieka Jaros Mead, Corpo Mead, and Apis Mead. This tour is limited to 25 people, reserve your spot now at europeandiscoveriesllc.com/tours/250723cmm If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can send us a question via email, join to ask a question on the show, or via Twitter @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! The show runs from 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States) for about 2 hours. To join live, you can use this link, and here are instructions on how to join in. Once you enter the waiting room, we get a notification and will bring you in! Upcoming Shows Show links and notes Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff Upcoming Events June 4 - Honey & Hops Brew Works, Front Royale, VA - Mead and Cheese pairing June 4 - Kingview Mead, Mount Lebanon, VA - Trivia Night Jun 6 - Okatu Detroit, Madison Heights, MI - Sea Shanty Mead Night Jun 6 - Apis Winery and Meadery, Carnegie, PA - Eric...

5-20-25 Tonight we're hanging out with Joe and Tricia Marshall, owner of Lily Belle Meads in Lancaster, NY. This husband and wife team are kicking it outside Buffalo with their meads! Joe and Tricia's journey into mead was gradual but Tricia definitely led the charge on it. In 2004 Tricia got Joe a home brewing beer kit for his 26th birthday and got herself a winemaking kit for his 26th birthday! She made wines, Joe made beers. Tricia's personal goal was to make a delicious blueberry wine. She wasn't happy with the results, so she did some research and found that she could replace the white sugar in the wine must with honey. Well,, that changed everything and she never went back to making wine again. It was all mead from then on. Tricia won an amatuer award for one of her meads, that started all this. Joe was home brewing with a group and they had plans of a brewery but none of them would pull the trigger. Tricia’s meads were great, but they were standard strength or higher…she wanted to start selling them but Joe just couldn’t see how when it took so long for them to make. Then in 2012 or so she started making some 9-10% abv meads and it got Joe thinking…why couldn’t they make meads that were more like beers along with the honey wine style ones? From there on in it was a lot of 1 gallon experimental batches for the next 2-3 years as they developed a business plan. They incorporated in April of 2014. In 2016, Joe and Tricia got their commercial license and started selling at the various farmer's markets. It was at an indoor Farmer’s Market that they met John and Cathy Cimperman from 42N Brewing Company in nearby East Aurora NY and they asked if Joe and Tricia like to be part of the Full Circle Fest. That led to another brew festival and from there it was a whirlwind and they opened their tasting room on W, Main St. in Lancaster NY on Sept 23, 2017. Lancaster is about 20 minutes east of Buffalo NY. Go Bills! (Go Lions! - Vicky) Lilly Belle was the first meadery in Erie County and was embraced by the local craft beer scene where Joe and Tricia found niched out their place and eventually took their 7-8% session meads down to 5% and that has been a game changer for them. They use a variety of yeasts, including wine and beer styles, and they are not shy to play around with flavors. They can turn around session meads in 2-3 weeks and most traditionals and melomels in 2-3 months. They also do some bochet's and those are 2-3 months as well. They have expanded their food menu and kitchen operations, added more space and entertainment options in the taproom, they expanded production capacity by 5x and probably the biggest change was how much Mead we package in bottles and cans. Their initial model was to sell more by the glass in our taproom but that all changed with Covid. Covid was the biggest obstacle they had no way of predicting. The world is "back to normal" in many ways but the 2 years of Covid changed customer habits, wants, needs and expectations and they've been evolving to meet all of these ever since. They've also entered a National Mead Competition the past 2 years and taken 2nd place overall and last year 1st place overall. Tricia started her career at Roswell Park Cancer Institute as a floor nurse, then moved onto Research Nursing, onto Assistant Corporate Compliance Officer then Senior Quality Analyst. She stepped away in 2015 to put time into growing Lilly Belle Meads, but continued to work part-time jobs. During the pandemic, she found herself working a med-surg floor at BGH. Such an eye opening experience to witness how the pandemic rocked the healthcare system. She spent 2 years full time at the meadery but now finds herself back at Roswell, in a job that is 80% remote thanks to the pandemic. Joe's current role is Budget Compliance Specialist in the Clinical Trials Office and he loves it! Joe was a Special Education Preschool Teacher for Gateway-Longview Therapeutic Preschool. While with Gateway-Longview IJoeworked...