Rowany Festival AS L AGM and Rankings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

This year’s Guild Annual General Meeting was held on the Friday of Rowany Festival, being the Feast of St Dismas the Good Thief in AS L.  The sole matter of formal business conducted was the election of a new Guild Clerk, Master Rurik having served for long enough as to feel that it was time for another to serve the Guild in this fashion.  For the post were nominated Baron Angus and myself; Padraig, Lord of the Pelican.  The Guildmembers present chose to select me for this role, for which I can only give my humble thanks again.  I also thank Master Rurik for his excellent work in building the Guild up to where it currently stands, and Baron Angus for also volunteering to stand for this post.

After this was done, I explained to all present who might not know the structure of voluntary rankings used in the Guild, and demonstrated how one might go about applying for rank within the guild.  This demonstration was to qualify myself as a Journeyman in the Guild, and thus I am proud to announce that I am also now noted as a Journeyman on the rolls of the Guild.

Once this demonstration was done, I was summoned to tourney; I had already girded myself for combat and thus moved off to joyful combat.  As for the informal tasting session that followed, I have some papers, but there was not the standardised responses in the Canterbury Style we have come to expect from or Fellows in Southron Gaard.  I am therefore desolate in that I cannot give a full report of the guild tastings, but I can say that Sorcha’s spirituous infusion was much admired, that Stephanos’ Sahti was rated as wonderfully savoury and that Thorgrim’s cider was refreshing and cleansed the palette well.

It is therefore clear that a move to the Canterbury Style of running a guild tasting is to be encouraged at the divers meetings of the Guild. To that end I have asked Rohesia, Journeywoman of the Guild, write instructions on the method of conducting a meeting in the Canterbury Style, to standardise practise throughout Lochac and to make sure that the efforts of all who Practice the Mysteries of our Craft may be noted in their good works.

 

In Cerevisio Felicitas,

Padraig, Clerk

 

Rowany Festival AS L Brewing Competition Results

Collegial Greetings to you All!

 

At Rowany Festival last, held during the reign of Gilbert and Bethony, a Competition on Small Brews Without Hops was held; Rohesia, a Journeywoman of the Guild, called this competition “Bring Out Your Smalls.”  This competition was held on St Garbhan’s day, simultaneous with the Laurel Prize Tourney, an arrangement which worked satisfactorily and which I hope to use again.

Indeed, smalls were brought out and presented, four of them in fact.  Guildmaster Drake presented a small ale, as did Giles, Lord of the Pelican; Lady Rosalind Beaufort presented a recipe from Digby, being “Hydromel as I made it weak for the Queen Mother,” while I submitted an entry of my own, also from Digby, being “Sir William Paston’s Meathe.”

The competition was well contended, and the results are as follows.  The victrix of the competition was Lady Rosalind, with myself and Guildmaster Drake tying for second and Lord Giles coming in a close third.  The prize presented to Lady Rosalind, being an unpierced mash paddle one yard long, was generously donated by the Brewers and Mercers at the Inn at the Sign of the Stone Dog.

Here ends the report of the competition; please be certain to remember that

In Cerevisio Felicitas.

Padraig, Clerk

New Compleat Anachronist on Medieval Brewing

Bring out your Smalls! Rowany Festival 2016 Competition

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

Having won the Rheinheitsgebot competition at Canterbury Faire just past, I have been charged to run a competition at Festival, and this charge I have accepted. After all, the more brewers in Lochac the stronger our Art becomes. However, since we are time limited and I have not seen as much ale around as I might like, I have decided to run the competition thusly.

This shall be a competition for small beverages; small ale, small mead, small cider etc. Herbs and botanicals are permitted, EXCEPT for hops; I am well aware of Lochac’s skill at beer, but I am keen to see more of Lochac’s ales, as well as herbacially assisted fermentations from other sugar sources.

Brewers Guild Competition – Canterbury Faire 2017

Canterbury Faire 2016 was an excellent event for the guild.

The Brewers Guild Competition for Reinheitsgebot beers had 7 entrants, some of whom submitted more than one brew. Markus, who entered 3 brews at the last minute with no documentation scored the lowest. The next four entrants all scored within one point of each other. But the top two entrants were head and shoulders above the others. Sir Asborn’s IPA style amber coming second, as a last minute entry with only verbal documentation was scored equal with Master Padraig’s Small Beer, but the over all winner with a score of 85 out of a possible 120 was Master Padraig’s ( Paddy Neumann) Strong Beer. Your prize is winging it’s way to you via the same courier who delivered the entry. Our thanks to Lord Talorc Andy Deuchars, Lord Timothy Grey Wraith and Lord Wei David Mayes for acting as competition judges.

Canterbury Faire 2016

For those coming to Canterbury Faire 2016 our Brewing Competition based on the “Reinheitsgebot” Bavarian beer purity law will be judged on Sunday 17th January between 10am and noon at the A&S display. On Monday 18th we’ll be holding our meeting/tasting at 4pm at the Cultus Faunus encampment. Hope to see many of your there.

Guild Ranking goes live!

Following the Guild meeting at Festival 2015 we now have a new Guild Ranking system. See the Guild Ranking page for details including the submission forms and contact the Guild Clerk via the Contact Us page to make your submission.

AGM 2015

To the Guild of Brewers in the Kingdom of Lochac,

 

Greeting from Rurik farserkr; clerk of the guild.

 

Well it has been a very big and very busy year for all of us and it only seems like yesterday I was calling for business for our AGM. Given how close festival is it is now time to call for business. If you have any thing that you feel should be brought to the attention of the Guild please raise it on the Email List so we can discuss it.

 

So far the there are only two pieces of business for the up coming meeting, the election of Guild Officers and the proposed ranking system.

 

If you are interested in contributing to the guild in an administrative way please put yourself forward. It is not hard, is a lot of fun and a great way to meet people. As they say join the guild, see the world, meet interesting people and have a drink with them.

 

I would also draw your attention to the draft (draught) guild ranking system. This is has been worked on through out the year by Mistress Rohesia Le Sarjent (mainly her) and myself. We hope that it reflects the prevailing attitude of the guild. Please take the time to read it and comment on it, even if it is to say “I agree with this.” It would be good to have every thing in place to implement this from mid winter onwards. I would take the time to point out hear that the guilds that have a strong & well thought out ranking system are overwhelmingly represented in the Order of the Laurel.

 

https://brewers.lochac.sca.org/files/2013/11/Brewers-guild-Rankings-Draft2.pdf

 

This will be brought to this year AGM as a carry over piece of business from the last.

 

I remain yours in service

Rurik farserkr,

Clerk of the Guild

Brewers Guild Tasting Cups

Sveinn inn kyrri Grimsson has come up with these gorgeous pewter tasting cups featuring the Guild badge inside and the Lochac badge on the handle.

They are about 7cm diameter, 2cm depth and weight around 100gms. Great to wear on your belt as a sign of guild membership and a good size for sampling. We tried them out against a stainless steel goblet and found no noticeable tainting, only variations due to temperature and air exposure.

Sveinn is taking orders with an eye to a production run available at Festival. The cost will be $35 AU or $37 NZ, with $10 deposit requested if you wish to order one.  Please contact Sveinn (Steve Worthington) via the guild mailing list or the Facebook page to express interest.