Festival Challenge
My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!
As part of the prize for winning the Brewers’ Challenge at Festival Last, it is my privilege to set the topic for the next challenge.
It is: Something Red.
This could be a cider pressed from red apples, a red wine, and Irish red ale, a redcurrant melomel, or something else that is conceivably, and defensibly, red.
I look forward to seeing what brews come from this, and hope to sample them at Festival Next.
At Innilgard, this 31st of May, I remain,
Padraig, Journeyman of the Guild.
Southron Gaard Yule Tasting
This fabulous Yule event (13-16 July) will host the first guild tasting in the Crescent Isles since Canterbury Faire. Bring your best winter warmers to stave off the Southerly chill.
The site is, once again, the Raincliff Youth Camp just inland from sunny Pleasant Point. There are 72 beds in 12 bunk rooms available, as well as camping sites (some powered). Enjoy feasting, fighting, archery, dancing, and drinking all under the watchful eye of the elusive Pied Piper of Hamelin.
New Clerk elected
As of Festival 2023 our new guild clerk is Lord Dauid De Cochrane of Southron Gaard. The South Island of New Zealand has a very active brewers guild contingent. The tasting meeting at Canterbury Faire regularly gets over 60 attendees and 30 or 40 brews to taste. Dauid will be our first guild clerk to hale from the Crescent Isles.
Canterbury Faire 2019
Greetings, Brewers of Lochac!
As tasting coordinator for the Guild Tastings at Canterbury Faire 2019*, I am pleased to announce a few changes to the norm, and the categories, of which some are new for this event.
Firstly, we will be trailing a new feedback system. This will aim for a speedier and better experience for both tasters and creators.
Second; in respect to pacing, we’ve decided to split across two tastings, with spirits as a separate event.
Third, and more excitingly: I’m aiming to get a (small) prize for the best item in each of the categories. To which, I am still seeking a few sponsors for this (a sponsor being willing to: attend the event, contribute to a prize (negotiable), and help out with the tallying process)
Fourth, pre-registration of entries is available as an electronic form. This won’t be a requirement, and you can still brew at the event and/or enter on the day.
Finally the categories are:
-Fermented soft drinks (Being ~.5-2% alcohol)
-Ales and Beers
-Wines
-Ciders
-Meads and Melomels etcetera
-Spirits (distilled)
-Spirit infusions (from purchased spirits*2)
-Zero Alcohol Drinks: refreshing but non alcoholic pre-1600 drinks.
-Accompaniments: Snacks to pad the stomach of the most imbibed imiber.
I’m informed by my guildmasters that there is to be another competition on the theme of “From Honey”, This will take place at the a&s display on Tuesday 22nd at 2pm at Canterbury Faire next.
Hopefully this will inspire you all to get started on brews – only 116 days to go…
– Kotek Torzhokskoi
In Southron Gaard, Lochac
*book now, you know you want to: http://sg.sca.org.nz/cf/
*2 this is to enable those without a still, but want to try spirit infusing, and for international visitors who are not permitted to distill by law in their lands.
Guild Tasting at Canterbury Faire.
The Guild tasting for Canterbury Faire 2018 will be held at 4pm on the Tuesday of Faire in the Half Circle amphitheatre unless the weather is inhospitable, in which case other arrangements will be made.
Members are asked to limit their entries to two each, and we expect the meeting to run for nearly two hours so BYO water and snacks.
Bring out your Smalls for Canterbury Faire
The Guild competition for Canterbury Faire 2018 is “small’s” being low alcohol drinks, such as small ale, small mead or fermented soft drinks. Bonus points will given to those who make sufficient quantities to have it put “on tap” at the Mangy Mongol for the populace.
The competition will be judged during the A&S display on the Tuesday morning of Faire. The judging form that will be used can be found at https://brewers.lochac.sca.org/files/2015/01/Brewers-Guild-judging-form.pdf Entrants should provide a sample of their brew and documentation to the judges by 10am sharp.
New Apprentices at Pencampwr
Congratulations to the eight new apprentices from Aneala and Abertridwr who successfully entered the ranks of the guild at Pencampwr weekend. They supplied in the region of 40 brews and nearly broke Guildmaster Drake’s liver. Well done you guys!
New Compleat Anachronist on Medieval Brewing
Hot off the presses and available now from the US SCA Registry.
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.
The judging shall be done by an appropriate panel of Guildmasters at a time and place to be announced when the Festival timetable is better known. An example of the judging form can be found at https://brewers.lochac.sca.org/…/Brewers-Guild-judging-form.… so that people can familiarise themselves with the marking rubric; note the weight given to documentation and research.
I shall close this missive by hoping that I shall see your entry there beside mine, and remind you that I remain, Yours in Service,
Padraig Lowther, Master of the Pelican and Chaine Shotte Herald.
Brewers Guild Competition – Canterbury Faire 2017
Australians :
PLEASE Read the section on trans-Tasman shipping on the Guild web page. https://brewers.lochac.sca.org/trans-tasman-shipping/NZ has strict regulations regarding the import of honey products however if postal or couriered entries are accompanied by a signed letter stating the product has been heated as per the criteria listed on the webpage and that it is for a home brew competition, it should get through just fine (as has successfully been tested).