May Crown Brewing Competition and Guild Rankings

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

I apologise for the delay in this missive, but I have been kept busy with the requirements of my estate.

At May Crown last was held a competition on Meads and Fruit Wines, and I congratulate Wolfgang Germanicus on winning the competition.  This completed his requirements for advancement within the Guild, and so I am pleased to name him a Journeyman of the Guild.  Additionally, William Montrose has completed the requirements to be name an Apprentice of the Guild, and has been recorded as such.

I hope that this missive finds you well, and look forward to seeing you all in future.

Warm Regards,

Padraig, Clerk of the Guild,
In Innilgard, on the Feast of St Saturnina, Ariston and Lilavati being Crown

 

 

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

New Guild Apprentices and Guild AGM

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings!

It pleases me to write that we have two new Apprentice Brewers in the Guild, being Rosalind Beaufort and Bjorn Sæmundarson.  They are well and gladly known to the Mordenvale Company of Brewers, and welcome members of the Lochac Guild as well.

Additionally, the Rowany Festival beckons, and with it our Guild’s Annual General Meeting.  Business for this meeting may be submitted to me at patrick.neumann@sydney.edu.au , though you should know that the business will also include the Election of the Guild Clerk.  I have enjoyed my tenure as Clerk and intend to stand again, and request that if any wish to contest the election with me, that they inform me by the means mentioned above and wish them good fortune in the election.  The duties of the Clerk are not onerous; they are to foster the actions of the Guild, promote the Arts thereof and their Mysteries to the populace, to furnish the Kingdom A&S officer with a report after Rowany Festival of the Guild’s activities and to organise the Guild AGM at Rowany Festival.  The AGM is currently scheduled for 3pm on Saturday in the Tavern, though this may well be subject to change due to the controlled chaos of Festival.

I hope that this finds you all in good health, and know that I remain

Padraig Lowther, Clerk of the Guild
In Drachenwald on the Feast of Saint Patrick of Malaga,
During the reign of Ariston and Lilavati

A New Apprentice in the Guild

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Cordial Greetings to you all!

 

It is with happiness that I announce that Baron Nathan Blacktower, Master of the Pelican and Knight, has had diverse members of the populace attest to the standard of his brews, and is now enrolled as an Apprentice in this Fine Guild.  I note for those who might find travel difficult that His Excellency had local Citizens of Good Standing to attest to his own production of the beverages; thus even if you must send your brew off to judging without you being present, it can still be judged and feedback given.

I look forward to hearing of the brewing competition at the coming Border War and remain

 

Yours in Service,

Padraig Lowther, Clerk of the Guild
at Innilgard on the Feast of St Benedict of Aniane, during the reign of Ariston and Lilivati

 

Guild Competitions: Canterbury Faire, Rowany Festival and May Crown in Aneala

My Dear and Fellow Brewers, Greetings.

I write this to remind you of upcoming competitions, some of which have been previously described and one which has been mooted but not described in detail as yet.

Firstly, Canterbury Faire will be upon us in a couple of months, which will include the competition of “Mead plus One.”  The conditions of this competition can be found elsewhere, but in brief all entries are to comprise honey, yeast, one other ingredient attested to in a period source for use in mead and yeast nutrient if deemed necessary.  Entrants from outside of the Crescent Isles are reminded of import restrictions due to biocontamination and quarantine regulations, and to ensure that they have a written testament to the boiling regimen that their entry has undergone.  This competition will count towards guild rankings, and is being organised by Rohesia, Journeywoman of the Guild.

Secondly, there will be held at Rowany Festival a competition in a similar vein as to that run at Canterbury Faire, but with a different source of sugar.  This competition will be on “Cider plus One,” with the conditions being that the brew contain apple juice (pressed yourself, storebought or otherwise is fine), yeast, one other ingredient attested to in a period source for use in cider and yeast nutrient if deemed necessary.  This competition will count towards guild rankings, and will be run myself at Rowany Festival, with further details on the time and place of the judging to come closer to the event.

Thirdly, at May Crown next in Aneala, there will be a competition on Meads and Fruit Wines.  I would encourage all who are able to craft a beverage that will comply with local quarantine restrictions to submit one to Wolfgang, Apprentice of the Guild, who will have more to say as to the mechanics of the competition closer to the event.  This being an official guild competition, it will also count towards guild rankings.

Finally, I would like to wish all entrants in these competitions the best of luck, and to remind folk that we are heading towards stone-fruit season; I look forward to drinking some interesting things done with the produce of the coming months.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me, and know that in the meantime I remain

Padraig, Clerk of the Guild
At Rowany, on the Feast of St Gregory Palamas