Rowany Festival AS LI: Guild AGM, Tasting, Competition and New Rankings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

This past Festival was a busy and eventful one, especially for the Guild.  This missive is to serve as a recitation of the business conducted at Festival, so that all in the Guild may know of these Happenings.

Primus, there was held after the Laurel Prize Tournament the Guild AGM, wherein the only formal piece of business was the election of the Clerk of the Guild for the coming year.  As the only candidate, your humble Author was returned to the Clerkship, for which I can only offer my humble thanks to the Guild for their confidence.

Item, following the Guild AGM was held the Guild tasting, which was run by Rosalind, Apprentice within the Guild, due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict on my part.  The results of this are as follows; the single entry in Fermented Soft Drinks was Rosalind Beaufort, thus she is victorious in this category.  For Beers and Ales, in order of descending approval, there was Stuart the Brewer’s German beer, then Eclen’s ginger beer, then a tie between James Douglas’ red ale and Eclen’s ginger ale, with Bjorn Bassason’s summer beer making up the numbers.  For Wines and Ciders, in order of descending approval, there was a tie for first place between James Douglas’ Yppocras and Rosalind Beaufort’s mead, then Eclen’s sparkling cherry wine, then a tie between Eclen’s blueberry wine and James Douglas’ cider, then Bjorn Bassason’s cider, then Beatrix’s mead, with Bjorn Bassason’s orange wine making up the numbers.  For Meads and Melomels, in order of descending approval, there was Bjorn Purssaspringr’s sack mead, then William Montrose’s Raisin Mead, with my own mustard mead making up the numbers.  For Spirits and their infusions, in order of descending approval, there was Bjorn Bassason’s peach liquor, then Hostilia’s butterscotch liquor, then a tie between Beatrix’s cherry liquor and Bjorn Bassason’s raspberry liquor, with two more liquors, watermelon and lychee, from Bjorn Bassason completing this section.  This Tasting counts for Advancement, and so I commend those who entered to consider their rank within the Guild and their standing in this Tasting. I would note that, similar to the Tastings undertaken at Canterbury Faire, that the press of Time’s Bootheel be on us all, and so Fellows of the Guild should be wary about the number of beverages they submit to the Tasting, especially if they submit several within the same category.

Item, this Festival the Competition was for a Cider containing one ingredient other than Apples, Yeast, Water and Yeast Nutrient if desired.  Victorious in this competition was Wolfgang Germanicus, with William Monrose placing second and my own water-cider bringing up the numbers.  I have asked Wolfgang to nominate the Category for next Festival’s competition, and he wishes it to be Unhopped Ales.  Thus, a brew primarily from malted barley, wheat, spelt or other grain commonly used for the purpose of making beer, that contains no hops but may be flavoured with other ingredients.  I look forward to this next competition, and anticipate a fine variety of gruits.

Item, a member of our Guild has, through diverse efforts, improved their Rank in the Guild.  This is Asbjorn Pederson, who through his efforts is now reckoned a Craftsman by the Guild.  Craftsman Asbjorn is the first of our number to be reckoned as such by the Masters of the Guild, and I commend his knowledge and experience to all who wish to learn of the Mysteries of our Art.

This complete my report, and so I leave you firm in the knowledge that I remain

Padraig Lowther, Clerk of the Guild
At Innilgard, on the Feast of St Winewald,
Ariston and Lilavati being Their Lochacic Majesties