Cask & Vine’s What’s On Tap: Michael Fairbrother of Moonlight Meadery

A world class, craft winery from Londonderry New Hampshire specializing in meads: wines made from honey. The diversity of the offerings often leaves people speechless, while the flavors have them asking for it at their local stores. Stop by to find out why “History never tasted so good”™. Try the oldest fermented beverage, “Romance By the Glass”®. Distributed nationwide both here in the United States, and Australia.

It all started back in 1995, when Michael, our founder and head mead maker, tried a cyser (apple and honey mead) for the first time.  Since that first sip Michael has developed a passion, and a masterful skill at making international award winning meads. Michael Fairbrother has started Moonlight Meadery®, with a mission to bring ultra premium meads to the market place.  It is more than a product and it is more than a process, it’s our obsession.

Our meads will be unique, and unlike anything you have ever tried, you will find it incredible!   We are going to embrace the unique nature of natural honey as minimally processed as possible.

Website: Moonlight Meadery | Facebook

Bert’s Better Beers’ Draft Pick(s) of the Week:

1. Furry

Sweet

Any of the avenging deities in Greek mythology who torment criminals and inflict plagues, that just about sums up the amount of heat that the Habanero, Ghost, and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion peppers contribute in making this one.

Gold Medal winner at the 2015 Mazer Cup International

2. 2010 Kisses

Kisses               Sweet

As delicate as a kiss, this honey strawberry wine is sweet.  The strawberry is ever so lightly represented against the floral flavors from the honey.  Chill this mead down for an enjoyable crisp mead that will pair well with a salad or an after dinner treat.

3. How Do You Like Them Apples™

Sweet

A New England Hard Cider, made with the finest New Hampshire apples that were available to us, which we had fresh pressed into apple cider. This fresh cider was delivered the day it was pressed to our Meadery, where we blended it with just a touch of honey, and some brown sugar and let it ferment, then we let it age in freshly emptied Last Apple barrels, for a minimum of 6 months.  This is a DRAFT only release, as the cider is carbonated.   Why a cider?  Because our mead maker is also one very accomplished cider maker.  Once you try this barrel aged hard cider you will know why he choose its name.

4. How Do You Like Them Little Apples™

Semi-sweet

A hard Cider, made with the finest New Hampshire apples that were available to us, which we had fresh pressed into apple cider. This fresh cider was delivered the day it was pressed to our Meadery, where we blended it with just a touch of honey, and some brown sugar and let it ferment, then we let it age in freshly emptied rye whiskey barrels, for a minimum of 3 months.  This is a DRAFT only release.

Listen for our review!

Kettle to Keg’s In the Kettle: Talking about Meads – DO NOT boil the honey!

Ale Communications: 

1. 10 of the Weirdest Brews at 2015 Extreme Beer Fest

There’s going to be no better place than Boston this weekend to illustrate how “weird” has become the new “normal” in the beer world. At Beer Advocate’s 12^th annual Extreme Beer Fest, there’ll be more than enough coffee-chocolate pale ales, chili stouts, and blueberry Berliner Weisses to shake a stick at.

It’s sort of the whole point of the fest. Some of the ingredients that go into these beers are so bananas… that we’re getting to the point where most craft beer drinkers wouldn’t be surprised if bananas were actually in the beer they’re drinking.

While there’s nothing wrong with a nice, clean pilsner or saison, there’s something to be said for brewers being weird for the sake of being weird. With that in mind we combed through the nearly 300 beers pouring at this weekend’s festival and took a closer look at 10 of the weirder ones out there. READ MORE

2. Sam Adams founder Jim Koch taps into craft brewing, taxes and small business loans

Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch may be the country’s biggest craft brewer at just over 1 percent of the U.S. beer market, but he still identifies with the plight of small businesses — something evident this week when he joined several other craft brewers in Washington to lobby for the Small BREW Act, a bill that would reduce the federal excise tax on beer for small and medium-sized breweries.

Koch sat down to talk about what the craft beer business needs, as well as his efforts to foster more small businesses with his Brewing the American Dream initiative — a loan program that aims to give more than $1 million in small business loans per year in the hospitality sector. READ MORE

3. How we’re killing craft beer classics: The death of Stone Ruination.

In the past 24 hours since seeing the news of Ruination’s demise on Stone’s Facebook page and subsequently their blog post, I’ve experienced all of the five stages of grief:

Denial:  NO. No way they can do this, holy crap no.

Anger:  That’s really messed up. Ruination is an iconic beer with a 100 rating on Ratebeer and a world class rating on Beer Advocate. Idiots!

Bargaining:  Ok Stone, give me another chance. I’m going to my local beer store to buy some right now, ok? Ok?!??

Depression:  Ruination 2.0? Just not going to be the same. Man that really sucks.

And finally, acceptance:  Ok, I get it. Ruination was seeing some decline in numbers and 2.0 is bound to be amazing. Way to stay relevant guys.

Then, after acceptance finally sank in, a final feeling swept over me: guilt. READ MORE

Jukebox: Mike and Bert share a tune!

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