Missive: Spring War and Rowany Festival
Unto the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers of Lochac does Clerk Bjorn send Greetings,
===Spring War===
At Spring War this past 5th day of October AS 59, there was held a meeting and general tasting of the Guild. At least 10 (according to my records) Lords, Ladies, and other Gentles were present for the meeting. Most, if not all of whom are Members of the Guild.
A Guild Competition was held for SMaSH Beers. Entries were to be brewed with a single base malt and a single hop variety, with as many additions as desired.
We had 3 entries in the competition. Lord AElfred se Leof was the winner of the competition, having made all from the same base a Strong Ale, Small Ale, and a Strong Ale with lower carbonation levels emulating what ales may have been more like in period. Lord AElfred received a large mash paddle made by mine own hand with the badge of the guild etched in fire upon its handle. Sadly I do not have a photo of the paddle to share with you all, but Lord AElfred has indicated an interest in making of the paddle a perpetual trophy of sorts.
In addition to the SMaSH Beers, Lady Rosalind presented a Red Ale. Of Wines and Ciders, Lady Rosalind presented her Date Wine, and I presented a Hypocras. Of Meads and Melomels, Lady Rosalind presented her Cardamom Metheglin before Master Ianto treated us to his flight of the Diemen Drink: Traditional Mead, Mead with Citrus, White Metheglin, and of course the Blackcurrant Mead.
As always, the tasting was an excellent opportunity for novice and experienced brewers alike to come together to enjoy and discuss the details of our Noble Art.
===Rowany Festival===
The dates have been set and bookings open for next Rowany Festival, 16th-21st of April. There is some interest in the Guild taking responsibility for the Tavern at Rowany Festival. This could be a good opportunity for the Guild to facilitate a social venue that has not been prominent at Rowany Festival for some years. It could also be a useful “home” for the Guild at Rowany Festival where the Guild could hold its Annual Meeting, conduct tasting(s) without concern of cutting into (or being disrupted by) the scheduled activities in other venues, and where various classes and workshops of the Noble Art might be shared with the populace.
I am interested in exploring this possibility further and would like to invite Members of the Guild who might be interested in this idea to reach out to me. Feel free to drop me a message on Facebook or email me at nick.k.watson(at)gmail(dot)com
More details will be forthcoming as the idea takes on more shape.
In any case I will organise the Annual Meeting at Rowany Festival, at which shall be held a Competition that has been set by Master Ianto van Diemen. The details are:
“The favourite I keep making”
I hope this will give people a chance to present a recipe they are practiced at, and know how to make well. It does not have to be made specifically for the competition if they already have it available and ready to drink. Do tell us when it was made.
The winner shall receive a RAPT Pill Hydrometer & Thermometer, sponsored by Master Ianto van Diemen. This piece of sorcery measures the specific gravity and temperature of your brew wirelessly from the inside.
I already have an idea of what I might enter. Do you have any ideas?
Yours in Service to the Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers
ᛓᛁᚭᚱᚿᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛚᛧᛓᛆᛌᛆᛌᚭᚿᚢᚱᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛁᚢ
Virðuligr Drottin Bjorn Bjarnylr Bassason ór Bjarneyu
Clerk
New Brewers and Upcoming Events
Unto the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers of Lochac does Clerk Bjorn send Greetings,
===Inter-College War===
On Sunday the 7th of July at Inter-College War there was held a Meeting and Tasting of the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers Guild.
Entrants were called for the Short Mead competition. Unfortunately none were received, so I have set the challenge again for Inter-College War next year.
There were, however, a good dozen people present for the Tasting. Of Ales & Beers, Skaering & Yaast did present a Ginger Beer and a Triple Caramel Wheat Beer; and I did present an American style Porter. Of Wines and Ciders, Skaering & Yaast presented a “Rosé” Cider, and I presented an Apple & Blackcurrant Cider and a Strawberry Wine. Of Meads & Melomels, I presented a Blackberry Morat. Of Spirits, Theodwin presented a Honey Coconut Casked Gin that he did produce in the dispatch of his employment under licence. A delightful novelty for Terra Rosa.
The meeting served as a good opportunity for a few newer brewers to have their brews assessed, and many to partake in the delight of assessing such libations and discussing their qualities. There were many educational moments to share the processes of our Noble Art, and many an eye did leave with a gleam of excitement for what new craft might lay before them.
I also ran a basic class on brewing mead, which was well attended, particularly for the hour of the morning in which it ran. I look forward to seeing what these new brewers come up with in the future.
===Southron Gaard Yule===
I understand there was also a Guild Meeting at Yule 2024 in Southron Gaard at the end of June. If someone who was present at that meeting would regale us of the happenings, I would be most appreciative.
==Guilded Symposium==
Unfortunately, due to personal commitments, I will no longer be attending the Guilded Symposium.
Master Iames Douglas has indicated he will be in attendance, and will be running the following classes:
- Basics of All-Grain Brewing
- How to Taste Beer w/ the style guidelines
I heartily encourage anyone with an interest in these subjects to attend. Master Iames is obviously a Master Brewer and a great communicator.
===Spring War===
I am excited to announce that I will be sponsoring a SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) Beer Competition at Spring War in early October (4th-7th).
Entries must be brewed with a single base malt and a single hop variety (as many additions as you like). For those without experience in brewing from grain, I commend to you the basics all grain brewing class that Master Iames Douglas will be running at the Guilded Symposium.
For those who are interested in having a crack, but have not broached beyond extract brewing, an unhopped malt extract will meet the entry guidelines. You mightn’t produce something as exciting than from whole grain, but I’d be delighted to see what you come up with.
The winner will receive a mash paddle engraved with the badge of the Guild.
If there are members of the guild interested in participating in the tavern, I understand that Lord Ragi Gamlason is running it this year.
If you would like to run a Guild competition or meeting, please let me know so that I can advertise it on regular Guild channels.
Yours in Service to the Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers
ᛓᛁᚭᚱᚿᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛚᛧᛓᛆᛌᛆᛌᚭᚿᚢᚱᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛁᚢ
Virðuligr Drottin Bjorn Bjarnylr Bassason ór Bjarneyu
Clerk
New Rankings & Upcoming Competitions
Unto the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers of Lochac does Clerk Bjorn send Greetings,
It is my honour and duty to declare that the following members of the guild have achieved Ranking within the guild.
Lord Padraig Lowther achieved the rank of Craftsman, with his Cabernet exploration of Maceration, Cabernet Guava Blend, Cabernet from Amphorae, Sir William Paston’s Mead, and Cabernet for the Wilderness having been found of Particular Merit by Master James Douglas, and Master Ianto van Diemen. Craftsman Padraig’s Cabernet for the Wilderness achieved a Gold Bell (1st Place) in the Experienced Category in the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition held at the Crown Tournament for the succession of Aonghus I & Ginevra I last March; and his Cabernet from Amphorae also achieved a Silver Bell (Judges’ Honourable Mention) at the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition at the Coronation of Anghous I & Ginevra I last November. Craftsmen Padraig has also demonstrated service to the guild, an understanding of medieval verses modern methods, and has shared his knowledge, skills, and understanding of the above on more than two occasions, by the witness of Master James Douglas and Master Ianto van Diemen, as well as by dozens of others I am certain.
Congratulations to Padraig Lowther, newest Craftsman of the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers Guild.
I, Lord Bjorn Bassason, achieved the rank of Apprentice, with a brew made by my hand having been found Drinkable by the witness of Apprentice Rosalind Beaufort and Apprentice Stuart the Brewer.
Lady Otillia Simion achieved the rank of Apprentice, with a brew made by her hand having been found Drinkable by the witness of Master Ianto van Diemen, and Apprentice Rosalind Beaufort.
Congratulations to those members who have thus achieved higher Ranking in the Guild.
The current Ranked Membership is listed on the website here.
I heartily encourage members of the Guild to hold Tastings and Competitions of the Guild that the noble Art may be thus shared amongst one another and with the populace. And I further encourage members to explore the Rankings of the Guild as a pleasing yardstick of achievement, and to inspire others to like achievement in the noble Art.
To that end, I am announcing a Tasting to be held at Inter-College War XXV, being held this year in the Barony of Mordenvale in just over a month (5th-9th July). Therein I will sponsor a Competition.
“Short Mead”
All brews must contain fermented honey, and be brewed within 6 months of the competition. The winner shall receive the last bottle of my Light Bochet which won the Silver Medal in the Specialty Category of the 2022 Hunter Homebrew Competition.
Master Ianto has also announced the Competition for next Rowany Festival, being the victor of this year’s “Something Red” Competition set by Craftsman Padraig Lowther.
“The Favourite I Keep Making”
Master Ianto hopes this will give people a chance to present a recipe they are practised at, and know how to make well. It does not have to be made specifically for the competition if you already have it available and ready to drink. Do tell us when it was made.
Master Ianto is putting up a RAPT Pill Hydrometer & Thermometer as the prize. This piece of sorcery measures the specific gravity and temperature of your brew wirelessly from the inside.
If you would like to run a Guild competition, please let me know so that I can advertise it on regular Guild channels.
Yours in Service to the Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers
ᛓᛁᚭᚱᚿᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛚᛧᛓᛆᛌᛆᛌᚭᚿᚢᚱᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛁᚢ
Virðuligr Drottin Bjorn Bjarnylr Bassason ór Bjarneyu
Clerk
Missive from the New Clerk & Rowany Festival Meeting
To the Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers of this great Guild of Lochac does THL Bjorn Bassason send hearty greetings,
Now that my administrative access to this website is sorted (my thanks to Mistress Rohesia Le Sarjent and to Brían dorcha ua Conaill), I will repeat my missive here that I previously made via the mailing list and Facebook Group.
At Rowany Festival this past 19th day of April AS58, there was held an Annual Meeting of the Guild in accordance with our Charter. At least 28 (according to my records) Lords, Ladies, and other Gentles were present for the meeting. Most, if not all of whom are Members of the Guild.
My utmost thanks to Journeyman Padraig Lowther for conducting the business of the meeting. I was confirmed as the new Clerk of the Guild, Journeyman Padraig gave a good explanation of rankings as they are in the guild, and the guild Competition “Something Red” was conducted with Master James Douglas, Thomas Bacchus, and Ottilia Simion judging.
There were nine entries in the Competition.
Journeyman Padraig presented his Cherry wine made using a recipe from the Closet of Sir Kenhelm Digby, and also presented a Lambic-style brown ale using the cherry pomace from that wine
Uberto Renauldi presented 2 styles of Mulberry Cider
I myself presented a black raspberry liqueur in the style of Chambord
Isolda Daye presented a Blackberry Sekanjabin based on a period recipe that I apparently did not write down
Apprentice Rosalind Beaufort presented Raspberry soda and a Red Ale
Master Ianto van Diemen presented his Blackcurrant Melomel
After extensive deliberation, the judges determined Master Ianto to be the winner, with Isolda Daye a close second.
Journeyman Padraig offered up a mash paddle for the winner of the competition, which Master Ianto offered on to Isolda since he does not mash.
The meeting then opened up to a general tasting, interjected by myself with brief discussion of the Guilded Symposium. The event will be held 23-25th August in the Shire of Bordescros (Yackandandah, VIC).
I have booked my own attendance at the event, and will organise a guild tasting and a tavern/bar for the guild to further share its libations. I will write further on this soon in another missive.
I will shortly report to the Lochac Minister of Arts and Sciences on the state of the Guild with minutes of the Rowany Festival meeting. If you believe anything else should be reported, please be in touch.
I would like also to echo Paddy’s encouragement of guild members seeking advancement in ranking. The Guild exists to encourage and celebrate the Art of crafting and appreciating libations, and to bring we interested in sharing in that Art with one another together into fraternity and community.
In that Art, we develop skills in the merit of beverages by their palatability and historicity, as well as understandings of the history of the Art itself, sharing the knowledges of these things, and serving the guild that the Art may be furthered and its merits and delights be spread to those others that it might benefit. We pursue these virtues and celebrate them each other, and the Rankings of the Guild give a scaffold for that pursuit.
To all events that I attend as Guild Clerk, I will bring paperwork for this purpose. I will endeavour, similarly, to hold tastings and support the running of Guild competitions at such events. I encourage other members of the guild to do similarly, and to report on any outcomes of such meetings. Please contact the list (preferably both by email and by Facebook), as I and many others would delight in seeing activities of the Guild progress, and would similarly delight in offering any support of them we are capable of. Or if you would prefer, I welcome you to contact me privately.
As for my duties, I hope to keep the guild informed on the mailing list, on the website, on the brewers guild channel of the Lochac Discord server, and on the Facebook Group Lochac Brewers. I’ll admit to not knowing many of the senior members of the guild. Does the guild currently have a webwright as set out in the charter, or should I contact Masonry about gaining access to post?
Thankyou to all members of the Guild who have expressed their confidence in me as the new Guild Clerk, and to the rest of you for your tacit acceptance. I hope to serve you all well.
Yours in Service to the Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Imbibers
ᛓᛁᚭᚱᚿᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛚᛧᛓᛆᛌᛆᛌᚭᚿᚢᚱᛓᛁᛆᚱᚿᚢᛁᚢ
Virðuligr Drottin Bjorn Bjarnylr Bassason ór Bjarneyu
Clerk
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.
November 2020.
Good greeting, Brewers, Vinters and Imbibers of Lochac! My, what strange times we find ourselves in. I hope this missive finds the members well, as we come blinking back into the daylight in the hope of some semblance of normality.
I wish to bring to notice of the membership some happenings within the Guild.
Kotek Torzhoskoi will be conducting a Guild tasting on the Thursday, 12/11/2020 after opening Court at Golden Flight 2020, being held in Southron Gaard. I would commend Guild members attend and support Kotek if able. If you are not a member, but are going to the event, please join in and enjoy yourself with the largess of some of the Kingdoms best brewers display their craft.
For those attending Golden Flight and seeking advancement in the Guild’s ranking system, please speak to Kotek for forms.
Staying in the Islands, Canterbury Faire is approaching, on 24-30 January, 2021. The Guild normally has a strong showing at this event, and I enjoyed myself the time I was able to attend. We are seeking a volunteer or two to run the tastings at this event, and provide a brief run down to myself afterwards. If you think you would be interested, please contact me.
As there was no Rowany Festival, there was no Guild Meeting. If we are able to meet again at Rowany Festival in 2021, I would hope to retire from this role and return to my estates. As such, please consider volunteering to become the next Guild Clerk. If you are interested, again, please contact me to discuss what this entails.
Also, I would like to thank Master Drake Morgan for his session on Discord in May on Basic Beer and Ale. This channel is available if anyone was thinking of running any classes, or just starting a discussion.
Again, I wish our members well, and hope to catch up soon, and raise a glass in company as events recommence.
Yours in service,
Iames Douglas.
Guild clerk.
In Strathcorbie
From the lands of the Wiradjuri
Rowany Festival Guild Meeting
Rowany,Canty, Fields of Gold, oh my!
Greetings fellow brewers. I have been travelling this Kingdom, and seen the wondrous activity of our brewing community. At Fields of Gold, held in Politarchopolis in early December, Lord Bjorn organised an area for any guild members to present their wares to the Kingdom. Ably assisted by Jochen Schwabe, who provided a fantastic “hole in the wall”, the event was well provisioned by Bjorn’s meads and ciders, Lord Aymer’s cider, and my own yppocras and beers, as well as Bjorns snacks. I am looking forward to what we can put together for next FoG, and, sorry about the “appley” beer and if I missed any contributors.
From FoG, my family joined the caravan and headed east, to Canterbury Faire, an event most splendid and worth the journey. I was welcomed by our fellow brewers with open arms and proffered bottles, and enjoyed the spirits tasting held on the Monday of that event. Many thanks to the organisers of the tastings, in particular Lord Maximilian and Lord Kotek. It was good to see the enthusiasm for the brewing arts, and the amazing display of wares offered up for tasting.
At this event, two of our number, being Mistress Aveline and Lord Damien had their wares examined, and were granted elevation to the rank of Journeymen of the Guild. Congratulations on achieving this, and I look forward to tasting your work in the future.
Again, with rankings, and after reading back through correspondence received, three members of the Guild have been added to the number of Apprentice, being Kotek Torzhoskoi, Howard of Gildenwick and Sir Master Vitale Giustiniani. My apologise for not attending to this sooner, and congratulations on your apprenticeship.
Finally, Rowany Festival draws nigh, and as is the tradition, Master Padraig, who won last years brewing competition, and set the rules for this year’s brewers comp, to be judged at the Guild Meeting at Rowany this Easter. His conditions for entry are as follows: “a dark ale or beer, to whatever recipe or redaction the entrant favours so long as it come from grain”. I, for one, am looking forward to see what is offered at the tasting this Festival, and look forward to meeting more members of the Guild. Once the date and timing of the meeting is confirmed, I will advise in all the usual places.
Your servant,
James Douglas
In Strathcorbie, on the feast of St Victor and Claudian, in the Reign of Eva and Felix