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dailyfruitwine-blog · 5 years ago

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Indian Fruit Wine – Exciting And Lots To Celebrate!

Indian Fruit wine is now lower-taxedDominic Rivard, winemaker and wine consultant is the author of The Ultimate Fruit Winemaker’s Guide, this blog and involved in the wine industry as an award-winning commercial winemaker. Passionate about wines, especially of the “non-grape” variety.

The Indian fruit wine lovers have a lot to celebrate this Diwali season. It has been a great year for India and even better for the fruit wine producers in the country. So much wonderful, high-quality fruit is grown in India, it is so nice to see this development happening.

ed, consumption and production is up and quality is increasing quickly. This is all excellent news and constitutes a literal revival of the industry and potentially turning India into a leader of quality fruit wine production.

A lot of investment, the wide-scale promotion has been done by key players in the fruit wine industry which has helped get fruit wines, ciders, and mead to the forefront of consumer’s minds and offering great alternatives to grape wines that do not always pair well with traditional Indian cuisine.

The leap forward we have all witnessed this year is thanks to leaders such as Frizzante, Wildberry, Moonshine Meadery, Nipha Winery and consulting firms such as WinePlanet Consulting India, among many others. The biggest producer of wine in India is presently Maharashtra and more specifically the region around the city of Nashik but this is changing fast. Fruit Winemaker Guide

is now found and produced in most parts of India. From the foothills of the Himalayas where apples and berries grow, in Goa, home of cashew apples to the southern tip of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, a region covered in tropical fruits and of course the mighty coconut. The country is awash with fruit, a lot of it not able to be stored for long or be transported long distances, so its a very good thing to ferment them into quality wines as a way to use the bounty of the country and provide a healthy and delicious alternative to beer or whisky which has been the staple for a long time.

To add to this good news and one of the biggest news stories of the year for producers at least in Maharashtra is the drastic lowering of excise taxes relating to fruit wines, now putting wines made from the fruit on par with their grape cousins.

While wines made from fruits such as mango, Jamun, cashew apple, berries, chikoo (sapota), strawberry and jackfruit and honey were earlier paying 100 percent of the manufacturing cost as excise duty, this has now been almost entirely waived, with the government saying that now, Fruit Winemaker Guide will now have to pay just Rs 1 per bulk liter.

Manufacturing of a 330 ml bottle of fruit wine would previously attract an excise duty of Rs 30 to Rs 40, but now, this has come down to just 33 paise.

To add to this wonderful development, there is a real sense of collaboration in the industry, producers, and suppliers helping each other out to reach the common goal of getting fruit wines, ciders and mead to consumer’s lips.

An example of this is the three-day workshop on fruit wine and mead making being held this coming month. Workshops on all aspects of production, winery business set up, laboratory procedures, marketing and more will certainly help the attendees, many who will be new wineries in the start-up stage get to the next level.

With all that is going on in the Indian industry, this coming year will see Indian fruit wines, mead and ciders more and more widely enjoyed by a larger population and start seeing these wonderful products outside of the country.

About the Author

Dominic Rivard, winemaker and wine consultant is the author of The Ultimate Fruit Winemaker’s Guide, this blog and involved in the wine industry as an award-winning commercial winemaker. Passionate about wines, especially of the “non-grape” variety.

#Fruit Winemaker Guide #Elderberry Wine

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qualityinnsuites · 2 years ago

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sockeye-run · 2 years ago

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Okay so this post ended up being YUUUUUUGE, sorry y'all lol. TL;DR in last paragraph.

The past two days have been busy! On the day before yesterday, I prepped the kitchen at the bee farm for it's regular service and for yesterday's soft launch coffee and limited menu service. This soft launch was a last-minute Collab idea between the owner and myself. Their whole purpose for wanting to establish a coffee service at the farm kitchen was to service Bee Pick-up Season. Though our farm does sell honey and beeswax, as well as offering a unique tourist experience with the meadery, gift shop, BNBs, tours, weekend events and festivals, etc., our main purpose as a farm is to sell our special bees. Our bees have been genetically selected for their inherent mite-resistant behaviors, which makes the bees stronger and safer against absolute colony collapse and destruction at the hands of a devastating pest without the influence of and dependence on harsh chemical treatments. This makes the bees high quality and value, and we breed and sell our bees to keepers of all levels and purposes all over the continental US. So the time of year during which these bees are picked up by customers, Bee Pick-up Season, is our busiest and most important by far. And these customers come from far and wide to get these bees in person, and often arrive very early to do so. The owners thought a small coffee and morning snack service would be a boon, and they were right! The coffee concept has had great interest and reception from guests. But I was basically hired to create, install, and run it. When they got my resume, they were STOKED to see my extensive culinary and coffee experience, and they told me as much. That is why I was confused to be mainly set up as a retail associate, but I have finally been able to spend more time in the kitchen as we get closer to our busy season, but I digress... I set up the new commercial brewer and set 'the girls', our kitchen lead's daughters and main workers, up for two successful services while their mother/boss was out of town. The kitchen and menu are not very big or complicated, and they have plenty of experience running the joint, so it shouldn't have been an issue. I've had to train myself through trial by fire and crash coursing my way around, learning everything first hand, pestering the kitchen lead/the girls' mother for unwritten recipes and inventory which I could then transcribe and establish, etc. So I've been at a disadvantage and have been relying on my personal culinary knowledge, skill and experience to get me by. All I needed was for someone to show me how they assemble and send orders, and I was set.

(Quick background on the kitchen: it was a pet project by one of the owners to support the meadery. There are certain laws around the service of alcohol that require food to be available for customers. Their go-to had been contracting food trucks, but due to our rural location and unpredictable customer population, it isn't always guaranteed that a food truck could be on site. So a snack shack was an obvious and brilliant idea. They built a new building next to the office/gift shop, which would serve as storage and kitchen space. They built a small but very high potential kitchen, and then attempted to establish service. Unfortunately, they hired someone with a false resume, who simply did not know how to establish, run, or even work in a kitchen, let alone have basic cooking skills. It turns out I actually know this person socially, but that's irrelevant. This person ordered tons of useless and random inventory, made a lot of waste attempting to develop recipes and menu items with zero skill or know how, and made a bad impression on paying customers, receiving multiple complaints and refunds. They were unfortunately fired, and our kitchen lead, Amber, who was primarily an office/retail worker, and her family stepped in to put the fires out. They did a wonderful job at righting the ship; they successfully established a working menu and service procedure, and were able to get the kitchen running again. There is no question that their efforts have been invaluable. But they, too, are not trained and experienced cooks. Amber, the mother, is an amazing home cook with a great eye for flavor. But she doesn't have the experience and exposure I have to the actual structure and function of a professional kitchen. That was why I was hired, I was told. To help in retail, and to bring the kitchen up to it's absolute potential and easily achievable standard. And that's what I've been trying to do for three weeks lol. Memorize retail and bee info, while basically building a kitchen. I was told I would be working in the kitchen when they needed help, like this week, while Amber is away. I was not properly trained or informed, because training doesn't exist yet lol. It's on my to-do list.)

Again, the girls are not actual cooks. They're not trained in basic kitchen protocol or etiquette. They're also simply work-inexperienced teenagers, no fault of their own, and they're used to their momboss doing all the detail and support work of the kitchen, while they usually only perform basic tasks: taking orders, assembling orders, and simple cleaning tasks occasionally. This is not me talking down on them; we all start someplace, no one is born skilled and experienced. But the kitchen needed to be run like a kitchen, and I think we all learned these past few days how ill-equipped the general crew are for independent work.

Two days ago, on my first full shift, I asked them if they knew how to make a specialty gourmet honey tasting box for a tour group, and they said they did. I asked them to make two of them for the tour the next day (which was yesterday at noon), and they agreed. I did not fully communicate the details of my needs in this situation, because 1. I didn't even know what they were as I have not received proper training or information, and 2. I didn't know how much guidance they truly needed. I was under the impression they were more self sufficient.

Yesterday morning I arrived to an unlocked building. I was the first non-beekeeping worker on site. The tip jar was left out on the porch, with money in it. The kitchen was not swept or mopped. The sinks were full of food debris. The trashes were not taken out. There were no notes or communication left behind to explain why this might be, but it turns out the only real reason was that they were used to their momboss doing these 'little, behind the scenes things' for them, so it didn't cross their minds... Despite the fact that I reviewed the open/mid/close task sheets which I had created before leaving them alone for the day. They should have known where to find the information to understand what needed to be done. And most unfortunately for me, one of the beekeepers had entered the building that morning before I arrived to gather supplies, and noticed the disarray. They then promptly told others about it, and as soon as those others arrived at the farm for the day, I was the one held responsible for the mess and for correcting the girls' mistakes. Mind you, I'm not an established kitchen lead or trainer; I'm titled and paid as an entry level worker, just like they are. It is just publicly known that I am a skilled and experienced professional, and that this week was my first scheduled shifts in the kitchen, and thus the kitchen was my domain and responsibility. I will admit, I did receive an unexpected dollar raise for my effort last week, but I feel it was well earned and easily proven by my daily performance, under which the duties of kitchen manager/shift lead do not technically fall. Regardless... It was humiliating and frustrating. I was being held accountable for the irresponsibility of others, despite the fact that the others are regularly depended on and perceived to be fully functional and independent kitchen workers without my leadership.

So I fixed the messes and made notes for corrections and training. I moved the task sheets to the kitchen door, and taped a dry erase pen on a string to it as well, so that the tasks are always highly visible reminders for basic kitchen duties that anyone can access and interact with. I then prepped and launched my first morning mini service... And discovered that not only did the girls NOT make the gourmet boxes (they made regular grazing boxes which are sold on daily service and not part of a tour package), but they SOLD one of the two boxes I asked for, which would have left me short stocked even if they were the correct items. So I had to scramble to find someone who knew the ingredients of and procedure for these specialty boxes, so that I could make them! It was a very frustrating way to learn a new task, and I had to bring it up with the girls when they arrived, too. Thankfully it went smoothly once I was able to access the resources.

After my solo service (which was very small and slow, as expected, but successful; the customers were very happy with the coffee options and quality), I closed the kitchen until afternoon service started at two. The girls arrived 30 minutes late. I immediately took lead of the kitchen and began explaining how their closing mistakes were pretty serious and cannot be repeated, then showed them the new task list set up. I made sure they both had my phone number in case they had any questions. I let them know that a gourmet honey tasting box is not the same as a regular grazing box. I trained them one on one in real time practice with making the gourmet boxes the correct way, and we prepped the boxes for the next day's tours (today's tours, of which we actually have quite a few). I taught them how to serve and clean the drip coffee machine (I decided lattes were too intricate for now, and shut the espresso station down for the day myself), and basically ran half their shift like a training shift: I taught them proper knife handling and basic cutting skills, basic food prep and handling skills, and basic sanitation and cleaning skills. Nevermind that all this information was plastered on the walls in front of them for at least a week already; I had already taken the initiative to post informative signage all over the kitchen in their appropriate sections, with rules and reminders for proper etiquette and procedure so that no one needed to feel unsure. I had to regularly remind them to use gloves on ready to eat foods and label items before storing them. It's become kitchen boot camp 101, at my expense. Again, I am not paid or titularly recognized as a trainer or kitchen lead, so I do feel as though I am just giving away my time, knowledge, and skills in order to meet what should be a basic function food service standard.

In between all of this training and regular customer service, I cleaned, organized, and labeled the ENTIRE kitchen. I made the low boy fridge and storage fridge more organized and efficient for service. I repackaged current food storage to be easier to use and store. I threw away old or unusable things. I safely organized and labeled tools while disposing of unsafe and unusable ones. I organized and stocked dry goods and paper goods. I put away orders and organized the stations of the kitchens for efficiency and ease of use. I even developed and tested a quick side recipe to enhance our tacos and nachos: green apple jicama slaw, made, of course, with our honey. And I didn't leave the building without many many reminders of closing and cleaning duties.

I do feel taken advantage of, and I am saddened by the feeling. I do believe in my heart that everyone at the farm has the best intentions in mind, and that they do recognize my skills and what I have to offer, but perhaps to not realize the value I hold as well. In any other setting, you would hire a consultant or contractor to establish and train, and they would be paid and provided for with access to resources appropriately; or you would hire a full time, fully titled, respected and established chef/kitchen manager, appropriately compensated. Currently, I am being treated as an entry level retail associate, while being expected, whether they realize this or not, to perform the duties of a kitchen manager and head chef. I do not, on any level, feel as though this behavior is malicious. I believe that this is a small operation, with the dream of a self sufficient, self sustaining food and drink option which simply supports and highlights the unique offerings of the bee farm. And I believe that the managers and owners simply do not understand the intricacies of establishing and running a professional kitchen. While this position is easy to understand and be empathetic towards, it isn't realistic. If they are presenting themselves as a professional food service, and offer actual crafted food items to customers, they must meet a basic standard, legally and socially. I can and will provide that standard, but it cannot be at my personal expense. I do deserve monetary compensation equal to the extra duties I'm taking on, as well as appropriate recognition and authority in order to establish and maintain the standard. I don't want to kick down their door and start barking demands for behavior and payment, but I also owe it to myself to set boundaries. Right now I'm playing double duty, and taking personal time and effort to support and build the kitchen. My superiors and coworkers have been very vocally supportive and readily acknowledge and appreciate my improvements and efforts. But in reality, I will burn myself out and be left at a disadvantage if I do not establish these boundaries and expectations. It's a lot of confrontation and enforcement which I do not want to engage in, as it is very uncomfortable for me to be so assertive. But if I'm not, then all my effort will eventually be undone as people fall back into old habits, and I will not have the access or authority to correct the actions and improve functionality. And I will be left at a physical, mental, and financial deficit with nothing to show for it.

I adore this job and farm. I adore my bosses and coworkers. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and experience. But I have to make some big moves now, and I'm nervous to make them. I don't want to burn bridges or build grudges. I just see so much easily accessible potential in this kitchen, and can't help but jump right in. But I need to do it right, you know? There has to be a purpose and clear plan of action for all of us to succeed. We deserve it.

TL;DR: The kitchen needs major help and I need them to let me do it and I don't know what will happen lol.

#personal fitblr #bee farm #2023 me #chef

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upshotre · 5 years ago

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Romance Scam: EFCC Arraigns Man for Duping Foreigner $240, 700

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt's Zonal Office on Tuesday arraigned Sixty- five year old Igweneme Moses before Justice A. T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As amended). Specifically, Moses was docked for defrauding a Swiss, the sum of $240,700 though several criminal disguises of love and promise of marriage. According to the statement made available by the Commission, one of the count charges read: “That you, Igweneme Moses and Igweneme Nkiruka Blessing (now at large) between the 18th and 24th May, 2018 directly took possession of the sum of $38,000 which you knew or reasonably ought to have known is the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: obtaining money under false pretences from one Chantal Helene Meadery and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 15(2) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act, 2011( as amended)”. He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. "In view of his plea, Prosecuting Counsel, A. Osu, prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial. However, Counsel to the defendant, C.V Oforleta made an oral application for bail of his client to enable him prepare for his defence. The application was, however, turned down by the judge who ordered him to place a formal application for bail before the court. "Justice Mohammed ordered that the defendant’s case file be transferred to a vacation judge pending his formal bail application. He also ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody. "Troubles started for Moses when the EFCC was petitioned by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on behalf of Switzerland Government, concerning Chantai Helene Maedery, a Swiss that was defrauded by a two- man syndicate comprising Moses and his daughter, Igweneme Nkiruka Blessing (now at large) through fraudulent online dating schemes", it said. The petitioner alleged that the defendant "was involved in the act of fraud for commercial gain (Romance Scam) while pretending to be someone else through a dating app “Bumble.com” as of 19th February, 2018 and promised to marry Chantai Maedery with the hope of building a future together in Switzerland". The petitioner also alleged that Moses and daughter feigned several different emergency situations and various other problems that ensnared Maedery into making a total of sixteen (16) different money transfers amounting to Two Hundred and Forty Thousand, Seven Hundred Dollars ($240,700). Investigations showed that the syndicate had also defrauded other foreigners through their fraudulent dating schemes. Read the full article

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travelinghobby · 6 years ago

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Mead is being reborn and it's something you need to try

Mead is being reborn and it’s something you need to try

They’ll be debuting a new cyser (that’s mead geek for “apple mead”) at the Superstition taproom during GoT’s April 14 premiere, an international collaboration with China’s No.18 Brewery — Photo courtesy of Superstition Meadery

Mead, which could perhaps attribute its most recent spike in the public consciousness to getting roasted mercilessly in a Bud Light commercial, is the liquid quintessence…

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nwbeerguide · 7 years ago

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Brewfest on the Skagit at Skagit Riverwalk Park

Saturday, Aug 12, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Advanced Tickets are $25 + applicable fees and include 5 tastes. Additional scrip for tastes will be available for $2 each at the fest. A special $15 ticket without scrip is available for 'designated drivers'. $2 off for Lincoln Theatre Members. Tickets will be $5 more day of event.

Our 15th annual BrewFest on the Skagit, the Skagit's longest running Craft Brew Festival, is set for Saturday, August 12th from 4:00 to 9:00pm at Skagit Riverwalk Park in downtown Mount Vernon, featuring dozens of local craft brews, three of the regions most popular bands, leisure games, and local food trucks.

Music:

The Margaret Wilder Band - 4:30 to 5:30pm

CC Adams Band - 6:00 to 7:00pm

The Chris Eger Band - 7:30 to 9:00pm

Emcee:

David Johnson

List of Brewers (current as of June 6):

192 Brewing

Anacortes Brewery

Aslan Brewery

Bastion Brewery Co.

Birdsview Brewing Company

Boundary Bay Brewery

BridgePort Brewing Company

Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy

Chuckanut Brewery

Diamond Knot Craft Brewing

Farmstrong Brewing Company

Flyers Restaurant and Brewery

Georgetown Brewing Company

Kulshan Brewing Company

LaConner Brewing Company

Lagunitas Brewing Company

North Sound Brewing Co.

Oskar Blues Brewery

Skagit River Brewery

Sky River Meadery

Stones Throw Brewery

Food Vendors:

Vagabond Trailer Food

Random Acts of Food

Taste of India

Thank you to our generous sponsors:

Sponsor:

BrandQuery

Supporters:

Mount Vernon Farmers Market

Mount Vernon Downtown Association

City of Mount Vernon

In-Kind:

Commercial Cold Storage

Westar Solutions

Kapteins Ace Hardware

Donations:

Skagit Cycle

Walton Beverage

This event is our most consistent yearly fundraiser, so please bring your friends to soak up the sun and support the Lincoln!

Raffle Tickets for cool stuff will be available!

Brewfest on the Skagit is a 21 and over event! ID required.

We love dogs, but please no pets except for service animals.

And special thanks to our downtown neighbors for their support of this annual community event!

#Mount Vernon #Washington #Skagit Riverwalk

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beerguysradioshow · 5 years ago

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BGR225: It's Not All Trix and Skittles at Pontoon Brewing

Pontoon Brewing made waves with their Rainbow Smiggles release, but there's more to their beers than cereal and candy

Sean O'Keefe, owner and CEO of Pontoon Brewing, is cool with the flack he got when he launched Rainbow Smiggles. He expected it. The Berliner Weisse infused with fruit and Trix and Skittles is part of the brewery's Serious Series after all. Pontoon likes to have fun with their beers, and the people that enjoy them.

However, there are still some big and bold beers available from the brewery. They frequently offer up generously-fruited Berliners and their Brownie Batter stout has seen plenty of variants with every adjunct imaginable. If you're looking to play it a little more safe then you can enjoy their Sol Crush Mexican Lager or a Galaxy Drifter IPA.

O'Keefe and Brewmaster Chris Baratz joined us in the studio this week. We talked about how their coping with Covid, brewing with lactose, crowdsourcing beer ideas, pilsners, and the plan for unique releases moving forward. We also get some details on the 2020 Brownie Bash Beer Festival with lots of collaborations and guest breweruies. Plus, O'Keefe make a BIG announcement about the brewery.

Pontoon Sol Crusher is a delicious Vienna-style Lager. The latest version drops the fruit from the previous release to let the beautiful malts shine through. (Photo: Pontoon Brewing)

CRAFT BEER NEWS

American Craft Beer Week is coming May 11-17th! Check out the link for more info on how you can support independent American brewers.

Sierra Nevada donates their lab to help create "test medium" to aid Coronavirus efforts

AB InBev wins latest round of the Corn Syrup Wars

THE BEER LIST

Pontoon Brewing

2017 Black Squall Russian Imperial Stout

Dem Bones Dry-hopped Pilsner

Galaxy Drifter IPA

Sol Crusher Mexican / Vienna Lager

Tropical Clusterf#$%! Berliner Weisse with tropical fruit

Creature Comforts Automatic Pale Ale

Highland Brewing Rising Haze IPA

The Pontoon Brewing Crew at the Beer Guys Radio studio. L-R: Earnest Hansley, Chris Baratz, Sean O'Keefe.

ICYMI: More beer (and mead) from the Dirty South

The Cannon Brewpub with Brewmaster Charles McLendon | Ep. 220

Ironmonger Brewing and Viking Alchemist Meadery bring you the Ironmonger Experience | Ep. 218

18th century yeast, slow pour Pils, and craft seltzer talk with Fractal Brewing Project | Ep. 217

It costs a lot to keep our show going every week. Starting at just $1 per month, you can show your support and help us make sure we're able to continue bringing you the best in interviews and insights in craft beer. In return we'll give you every episode commercial free, occasional bonus episodes, access to our private Facebook group, and more - plus our eternal gratitude! Get more details on Patreon.

Check out this episode!

#craft beer #beer #craft #drink local #podcast #interview #beer guys #ipa #stout #hops #brewing #homebrewing #brewery

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longislandweekly-blog · 6 years ago

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An eco-conscious vacation to San Francisco and Marin County

The iconic Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco to Marin County. (Photo by Kimberly Dijkstra)

San Francisco, the hilly city by the bay, has captured the hearts of many. Even Tony Bennett left his heart there among the cable cars and morning fog. Just beyond the bridge lies Marin County, a respite from city life with a charm and beauty all its own. Marin itself features in a song or two. The Bay Area has lots to offer as a vacation destination and is the perfect choice for the environmentally conscious.

San Franciscans prioritize sustainability in their daily lives and these practices extend into the hospitality industry. Many hotels boast eco-friendly practices, such as Hotel Spero, which is so committed to sustainability, it launched on Earth Day last year. The renovation took careful steps to pay homage to former owner Lizzie Glide, a well-known San Francisco philanthropist and activist.

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Guests receive a pencil embedded with forget-me-not seeds.

Hotel Spero strives to be Earth-friendly.

Hotel Spero, which is just steps from Union Square and located centrally to major attractions, invites guests to be a part of its mindfulness, philanthropy and environmental efforts, which ultimately makes your stay there more enjoyable. For example, the water filling station in the lobby helps minimize plastic bottle waste. The BeeKind products in every guestroom are made from all-natural ingredients, have recycled packaging and the company supports the Honey Bee Research Program at UC Davis. Guests will also find graphite pencils with forget-me-not seeds embedded that can be planted after the pencil is used.

Also, a discount is offered at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen, the hotel’s restaurant, if you turn down housekeeping service during the duration of your visit. And luggage racks in each room double as ‘giving racks,’ where you can leave spare clothing behind to be donated to the St. Anthony Foundation.

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Go Go Go

Lots of different things attract travelers to San Francisco. The Go Card (smartdestinations.com) offers admission to nearly all of them including bus tours, cruises, museums, historic monuments and family activities. The Aquarium of the Bay, located at historic Pier 39, is great for kids and pretty fun for adults as well. Home to more than 20,000 aquatic animals in 700,000 gallons of water, the aquarium works to protect and preserve the bay. It hosts shoreline cleanups and promotes green infrastructure projects. A walk through the aquarium, with all of the interactive opportunities it offers, is a walk through a living museum.

The Embarcardero, San Francisco’s pleasant bayside walkway, has a wide variety of restaurants, parks, attractions and piers to enjoy as you travel by foot or by bike. Stop at Pier 45 for a tour of the USS Pompanito, a World War II submarine that has been restored to its prime. An audio guide provides a glimpse of what life was like for sailors back in the day. More than 100,000 people visit the National Historic Landmark every year.

Across town in Golden Gate Park, one of this country’s great urban parks, the de Young Museum stands as an integral part of San Francisco’s art scene for the past century. The fine art museum has a Monet exhibition on display through May 27 and a Gauguin exhibition on through June 23. Its permanent collection includes paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, modern and contemporary art, and pieces by artists from all over the world and different time periods. One must-see piece is Salvador Dali’s Portrait of Dorothy Spreckels Munn (1942)—the surreal painting glows in an unearthly manner.

Alcatraz Island can only be reached by Alcatraz Cruises. (Photos by Kimberly Dijkstra)

Welcome to The Rock

Alcatraz Island, the former military fort and supermax prison, is known as The Rock due to its reputation for inhospitality. But you’d be surprised by how lush and inviting it truly is once you see it up close.

Alcatraz Cruises (www.alcatrazcruises.com) is the official cruise concessioner for the National Park Service, which operates the island. Tours depart every half hour from Pier 33 and it takes only about 12 minutes to cross the bay. Then you’re free to roam around and explore. Head up to the cellhouse and pick up an audio guide for first-hand accounts from former prisoners and guards. While walking the hallways and cellblocks of the prison, you’ll learn about the worst-of-the-worst convicts who were held there, as well as the well-known 1962 escape by Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin.

The cascading gardens are an unexpected highlight of Alcatraz Island.

The history of the island is fascinating and well worth spending an afternoon hearing about. The real treat however is the beautiful gardens that cover every slope and terrace. Maintained by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service and Garden Conservancy since 2003, these ornamental beds breathe life into a seemingly lifeless landscape and attract a variety of seabirds.

Alcatraz Cruises has been using hybrid ferries for the past ten years. The Hornblower Hybrid is 40 percent more fuel efficient than standard passenger ferry vessels. In addition to many other energy efficient and sustainability practices, the cruise line recycles more than 70 percent of solid waste and provides recycling bins to passengers and the food available on board is primarily organic and purchased from local vendors.

To learn more about what San Francisco has to offer, visit sftravel.com.

Drake’s Bay (Photo by Dennis Anderson)

Over the Bridge

Once you’ve gotten your fill of the city, spend some time in Marin County and you will get a fuller experience of Northern California. Nature lovers, history enthusiasts and foodies will all love Marin, which has been at the forefront of the environmentalism movement for decades.

A stay in Olema is central to many points of interest in Marin. Bear Valley Cottage is a private guesthouse on the property of the former Bear Valley Inn that’s large enough for a family and cozy enough for a couple with access to a lovely backyard and an electric car charger. Owners Amanda and Ken extend warm hospitality to guests as if they are family and eager to share their love of the area. Amanda recommends an excursion to nearby Chimney Rock to see wildflowers or take in a gorgeous sunset over the ocean.

Play a game of giant Scrabble in the backyard at Bear Valley Cottage.

The cottage sees a lot of return guests, including those with environmental sensitivities. Amanda uses ‘clean’ cleaning products and stocks the cottage with EO soaps and lotions, a local brand that uses natural organic ingredients. She had a greywater system installed for laundry and uses sulfite-free laundry detergent that, when it runs out into the garden, doubles as plant food for the hydrangeas. And she’s so committed to sustainability, she also gives discounts for taking the bus, riding a bike and walking instead of driving a car.

Punto de los Reyes

Less than a mile down the road is Bear Valley Visitor Center, one of three visitor centers in Point Reyes National Seashore, a national park with beaches, rolling hills and meadows, forests, complex ecosystems and miles upon miles of hiking trails.

In the 1906 earthquake that destroyed much of San Francisco, the triangular peninsula of Point Reyes moved about 16 feet northwest up the California coast. In recent years, people have traveled from all over the world to see the famous fence that was split apart by the rupture. Bear Valley Visitor Center’s self-guided Earthquake Trail is dotted with historic photos and interpretive panels about the San Andreas Fault leading up to a replica of the original fence.

Follow the Chimney Rock trailhead to the ocean viewpoint known for its wildflowers. (Photo by Dennis Anderson)

A destination for about 400,000 a year, the visitor center itself is filled with educational exhibits that highlight the geological history of the peninsula, the human history, the variety of animal habitats that the Park Service protects and sustainability messages.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse is also a major draw for tourists, for its historical value and for whale-watching during the first half of the year. Originally constructed in 1870, the lighthouse is currently undergoing a complete restoration, hopefully to be complete this summer.

About three miles north, Point Reyes Station serves as the commercial center of the area, with downtown eateries, a grocery store and shops of local artisans. Station House Café offers up locally sourced organic breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu highlights include oysters on the half shell, the farmstead cheese plate, flank steak salad and macaroni & cheese.

Osteria Stellina and Cowgirl Creamery are also essential dining stops and don’t miss the buffalo milk soft serve ice cream at Palace Market.

Find a little slice of paradise at Heidrun Meadery. (Photo by Kimberly Dijkstra)

Get No Kick From Champagne? Try Mead

Travelers interested in wine tasting experiences must book a tasting at Heidrun Meadery. The inviting tasting room welcomes visitors into the world of honey wine. Mead has a certain reputation for being the cloyingly sweet drink of choice for Vikings and Medieval townfolk, but Heidrun’s founder Gordon Hull is turning that stereotype on its head with his dry and delicate Champagne-style meads.

The picturesque grounds of the former dairy farm are home to wildflowers and the honeybees that pollinate them. Heidrun creates varietals from this honey, as well as honey obtained from migratory beekeepers. Since no syrups or additional flavors are added, the unique flavor of each bottle comes directly from flower pollen the honey was harvested from.

For a one-of-a-kind experience, go for a tasting at Heidrun Meadery.

“We’ve found that the chemical composition of honey is largely dependent on the source of the flower nectar from which it is derived, and most of them differ slightly,” Hull said. For example, a floral citrus flavor comes through the California Orange Blossom varietal while the Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Blossom can be characterized by the same richness of the macademia nut. Much eucalyptus can be found among Heidrun’s wildflowers, giving that varietal a distinct herbal taste.

Since there’s no aggressive farming involved and honey is a byproduct of pollination, Hull’s mead business actually has a positive impact on the environment. Bees have seen a steep decline in population over recent years and need all the help they can get these days.

Each sparkling wine varietal is tied to a different location, whether it be Point Reyes itself or nearby Sonoma Mountain or Nopa (a neighborhood in San Francisco). Every bottle becomes an intimate souvenir of that place to share and enjoy even after you’ve left.

With its natural splendor and ideal climate, Marin has so much to offer. Learn more at visitmarin.com.

For more about Marin County, see Point Reyes National Seashore Is A Bay Area Treasure and Planning A Green Vacation

The Bay Area is a perfect choice for an eco-friendly vacation. Enjoy all that San Francisco and Marin County have to offer, including green places to stay like Hotel Spero and Bear Valley Cottage, activities like the Aquarium of the Bay, USS Pompanito, de Young Museum, Alcatraz Island, Heidrun Meadery and Point Reyes National Seashore. An eco-conscious vacation to San Francisco and Marin County San Francisco, the hilly city by the bay, has captured the hearts of many.

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yegfoodie · 6 years ago

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One of the most epic places in the city of Edmonton to be able to support your local small businesses, find sustainable and healthy food choices and get that “Farm to Fork” experience is the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market.

The market started outdoors in 1983 in the space that is now the free parking. It is now Edmonton’s largest year-round indoor market with approximately 10,000 people through the door each Saturday.

A team of Edmonton bloggers was invited to a meet and greet with some of the local producers and farmers this past weekend. This was their first “food tour” and they called it the “Picnic Edition”.

It was an early start for some, but the market gets busy (and quite crowded) quickly.

After we were all introduced to our lovely Hostess, April, we were on our way to our first stop which was Sunworks Farm.

Sheila was very passionate when she was talking about her farm and the way that the animals are treated humanely and respectfully. Coming from an indigenous background myself, this is something that has always been important to me. The animals should be treated well, killed humanely and we should use as many parts from snout to tail as we are able. Sunworks does all those things.

Their farm was started because their daughter had such severe allergies and food sensitivities that they needed to be able to grow their own food. They started out feeding themselves and through a few requests started raising a little bit more, and a little bit more until it grew into what it is today. No farming background. Amazing!

Free range, BCSPCA certified humane, grass fed, certified organic and “as close to nature as possible”.

These folks are passionate about their farm and their animals and it shows. The end products are delicious, good for you AND celiac safe and allergy free. The Chicken Moroccan sausages are so good.

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Sunworks has an open farm day on September 3. Go and meet the family, have lunch and get a tour. You need to REGISTER to attend. See you there!

Our next stop is now one of my new favourite things to eat!

Alex from Golomein Noodle House introduced us to his fresh, healthy and convenient meal packs.

There is always a lovely story on how every small business started and Alex’s story is inspiring as well:

“Our Dad developed the recipe initially 52 years ago where he worked the streets of Brunei, as a hawker trying to earn enough money to support a family of 10. Struggling agains all odds, he developed the awesome recipe he would later bring to North America”.

He made his noodles only to serve his friends, family and coworkers charging them only for their gas and their time it took them to visit his home. He even delivered packages to his mother who always looked forward to the tasty treat.

The fabulous noodles caught on and before long, everyone wanted more. People searched for the delicious meals, but they were at the mercy of whenever Dad felt like making them and his kitchen was the only place this amazing taste could be found.

Alex, the youngest was unable to sleep one night , so he decided to do a marathon session of watching 5 episodes of “Dragon’s Den”. Tired of beating his head in the corporate world, he decided a change was in order.

It brought back memories of the work his Dad put into his noodle recipe that he created over 50 years ago. The noodles were so good that Alex’s childhood friend, Paris, would rid his way too small bike halfway across the city just to eat the noodles.

Recognizing the incredible opportunity before him, he immediately told his 2 brothers, Albert and Allen. Alex’s enthusiasm was infectious and it didn’t take much convincing to persuade his 2 siblings to join his quest to bring their dad’s noodle recipe to the masses. All 3 brothers were excited about continuing their beloved Dad’s legacy and making noodles for future generations.”

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For the meal packs, the noodles are lovingly prepared and then packaged in a neatly folded square of butcher paper. They are then frozen. They are sold individually ($11) or in packages of 5 ($50). You simply pop the frozen package, paper and all in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes and then unfold the package to open and enjoy! You don’t even need to transfer the contents to a plate or bowl. They are available in beef or pork.

If you crave them like I do, the family has a restaurant waaaaay in the south with a more varied menu. Worth the drive!

Next stop was Mojo Jojo Pickles and Preserves. Johwanna has been an Edmonton staple for many years now. She is definitely a pickling artist and knows how to make the vinegar bend to her will!

Salted caramel pear butter… Do I even need to say anything else? We were treated to some very lovely marscapone grilled cheese sandwiches with some equally lovely pear butter to dip it in. This was simply joy on the tongue! The pear butter would go well with so many things, as do many of her pickled veggies. Charcuterie anyone?

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Johwanna was also sampling “Shrubs” which is a drinking vinegar. I had no idea how tasty they are. I am a new fan!

If you can’t make it to the market, Johwanna has a store on the website where you can purchase most of the products.

Nancy from Market Pizza was our next stop. “Delicious take & bake pizza made with the finest ingredients”. The booth smells amazing! They offer samples all day.

If you would like to make your own creation, they also offer frozen, ready-made crusts. They have a secret recipe that makes it the lightest pizza crust that I have ever come across. It is not a thin crust, but it is light and airy, almost like the dough is whipped before baking.

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The take & bake pizzas are frozen and are $15 each. There are some amazing flavours available and it will be a different mix every Saturday at the market. I tried the Bacon Cheeseburger and the Donair pizzas. It was like you were eating a cheeseburger or a donair, just a flat version without the traditional bun or wrap. Both of them were delicious, but my favourite out of the two was the donair pizza. A donair eating experience without all the mess!

I can’t wait to get my hands on another.

Monica with Rainbow Acres was our next stop. Berry farm extraordinaire!!

How Rainbow Acres farms differently:

From Dave’s own market garden specific equipment to their modified old granary pack house, Dave and Monica are masters at making use of materials to fit their needs. This kind of instinctual innovation is part of what makes their operation so unique.

Their incredible variety of crops is a result of their eagerness to try anything new that comes to their attention. They like to “dabble” in many crops to see what will thrive on their land and add to their already diverse produce offerings. Anytime something new comes up, they want to try it out.

When they started in 1989, Dave and Monica were cautioned against doing fruits and veggies at the same time because their harvest seasons overlapped. While it can be an intense work load, they’ve been making it work for years. While most of their fruit is used in processing their delicious jams, jellies and juices, in her commercial kitchen Monica also processes many of the veggies that are leftover from market. To make sure none of their product ever goes to waste, Rainbow Acres regularly donates left over fresh produce to the Edmonton and Leduc Food Banks.

And those are just the Coles notes! Rainbow Acres is famous for their carrots, but they have a wide selection of preserves to choose from at the market. These are some hard working farmers!

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I used to help my Grandmother with the canning, pickles and jam. It’s a lot of hard work! Rainbow Acres makes it easy for you to stock up for the winter and to pop a few of their products into a gift basket at Christmas time (its close folks!)

Martina’s Vegan House, where veggies are sexy, is up next.

I got the impression that the Peanut Brittle is what Martina’s passion is. Vegan Peanut Brittle is available in the regular version, or the spicy version. The spicy version is amazing.

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Martina has frozen vegan meals, soups and stews at her booth for all of you folks that are passionate about plant based eating!

Doef’s Greenhouses visit was a bit of an eye opener. The family has been farming since 1979. What is grown today is all done hydroponically in greenhouses which allows vegetable production all year round. Currently the greenhouses span 11 acres and employ 50 people. I had no idea that we even had such an operation near Edmonton.

Tomatoes are what they started with, their grape tomatoes are juicy and full of flavour. The main crops continue to be Long English cucumbers, mini cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers, with small amounts of eggplant and hot peppers as well.

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Birds & Bees Organic Winery and Meadery was the next stop. My Grandfather kept bees so I was fortunate to see the whole process of how the honey was extracted from the hives. A sweet treat for me as a child was to be able to chew on the beeswax that had a bit of honey left behind. As an adult I still love the smell of beeswax and used to be obsessed with making candles.

From the website:

“Birds & Bees Organic Winery and Meadery straddles the fine line between naughty and nice – and sometimes more. Flirtatiously flavored and seductively styled, our full-bodied wines and mead are always up for a one night stand or an evening rendezvous.

But, you can’t have your Marilyn Monroe without your Jackie-O.

A little restraint can make a true romance.

So how do you like it? The purity and innocence of the Bird? Or the seductive tease of the Bee?”

The statement above from the website sums things up quite nicely. Naughty names like “Kinky Cranberry” and “Big Tease Raspberry” adorn the bottles. If you visit the website, it gives you the sassy profile of the wine and tells you what it pairs best with.

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The wines and meads are available at some liquor stores in Edmonton. Liquor Connect can help you find them!

Ben was next up with Farm Fresh Lamb/Blacksheep Farm

Another reason why I love the farmer’s market: Sustainably grown & humanely treated without the use of animal by-products or growth promotants. No antibiotics, no animal by-products. The sheep are fed a mixture of oats, barley, yellow peas and alfalfa hay grown on the farm in the Peace Country, and allowed to pasture graze during the summer months.

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I find that when you treat the animals well and give them a good diet, the meat tastes much better. With lamb, if it is butchered properly, it doesn’t have that “gamey” taste that a lot of people complain about. I am going to be looking up all kinds of lamb recipes now!

Last, but certainly not least was Sean from Mighty Trio. (no website) From Organic Box:

“Mighty Trio Organics is a family owned and operated business located on a beautiful acreage just outside of Redwater Alberta. They are both a manufacturer and distributer of highly nutritious, fresh foods such as hemp, flax, and canola oils. This allows them the opportunity to interact directly with customers and seed producers. By bringing people closer to the farms where their food is grown they are able to provide the freshest, most nutrient rich foods available. Mighty Trio Organics values the environment and supports local businesses, which is why they only use seeds that are grown as close to their facility as possible. By supporting Mighty Trio Organics you are also supporting local farmers and because their products have not traveled great distances, you are also making a friendlier choice for our planet. Mighty Trio Organics provides you and your family with the fats, fibers, proteins and nutrients essential for healthy bodies and minds. To your good health!”

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“Smoke Point” is a thing. Hemp is not recommended for frying. Canola on the other hand has a pretty high smoke point compared to other oils. So the hemp and flax oils are great for salad dressings etc. In fact Culina has done a collaboration project with Mighty Trio to make their salad dressing.

This food tour was an absolutely wonderful experience. It gave me the opportunity to get to know the people behind the brand. I am very passionate about shopping local, but not necessarily someone that will approach the owners to get to know them. This was very informative and very fun.

I look forward to meeting more of the vendors for the next round, and sharing them with you!

New Blog Post: OSFM Quarterly Local Food Tour - Picnic Edition! Meet 10 of the @strathconamrkt vendors. #yegfood #newfriends One of the most epic places in the city of Edmonton to be able to support your local small businesses, find sustainable and healthy food choices and get that "Farm to Fork" experience is the…

#Farmer&039;s Market #Food Tour #Old Strathcona Farmer&039;s Market #Picnic Food Tour

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cheersva · 4 years ago

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Posted on - August 24, 2020 at 08:24AM Join Funktastic Meads SATURDAY, 11am - 5pm, at Lazy Days Winery (Amherst, Va) for their first ever commercial collaborative Mead release! - Marshmallow Eyes- 375ml bottle: Dessert Mead made with Meadowfoam and Maple Honey - Bruce Wayne Shoes- 375ml bottle: Black Currant – Blueberry – Vanilla – Cashew Honey Wine **Sold as a set only = $50 + tax** Click the event listing 👇 for full details! 🐝🍯🍷 #CheersVA #VAMead https://bit.ly/32ffVAI

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viking-mjod · 7 years ago

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Sweet, sweet addiction – Miód Pitny – The polish mead.

Let there be – Miód Pitny

“At last Gandalf pushed away his plate and jug– he had eaten two whole loaves (with masses of butter and honey and clotted cream) and drunk at least a quart of mead – and he took out his pipe”

While the naughty Norse is world famous for having raided Europe a thousand years, the polish has been busy .. brewing mead. These days eastern Europe can show over a thousand years of mead-history, where we Scandinavian “re-invented” it, or rather found back to our mead roots only decades ago. (yes yes, I know there are historical references to mead brewing…) Now .. back to polish mead – Miód Pitny….

Miód , sweet Miód

In the polish language, mead has the melodic name Miód Pitny, meaning “drinkable honey”. It is a Polish culinary traditional beverage, refreshing the throat of Poles for over a thousand years, and alluded to as the “drink of the gods”. Alcoholic aging of wort i.e. a honey and water mixture makes up this Polish “drink of the gods”. It often has a trademark fresh honey fragrance much akin ( for us meadists) a Louis Vuitton perfume. Addition of fruit juices, herbs or spices also enhances this pleasing honey smell. Fruit mead is called miód owocowy in Polish, herbal mead (miód ziołowy) and spiced mead (miód korzenny). These additives give a refreshing fruity, herbal or spiced smell to the mead and help improves not just its taste. Its market value also depends on how pleasing the smell is. The color of the mead depends mainly on the kind of honey used for production. Thus, its color ranges from bright golden to dull golden color.

Serve me – lukewarm, please

Now, contrary to much incorrectness, mead is most generally served at room temperature.Traditionally served in a stoneware container or in present day times in a glass cup. During winter, some Poles enjoy mulled mead blend with ginger, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, orange slice or dark pepper. However, on a bright sunny day when we have been sun-kissed and need to cool our throat with a premium quality brewed blend of honey and water, it might be likewise drunk chilled to around 12°C and may be served with a lemon slice or mint.

Be thou heaven sent

For many years, Miód Pitny was touted as the “drink of the gods” likely on the grounds that it was conceivably one of the first beverages made by man – and must have appeared divine when they finally figured it all out.

Let’s look back in time. It’s the dark ages, and Poland is primarily an agrarian society. Vast, lush landscapes, and forests ripe with flora and fauna. A perfect habitat for bees. The 12th-century writer, Gallus Anonymus describe Poland as a realm flowing with honey”. While the climate which was not suited for the growing of grapes, it had a plenitude of honey implying that mead was more famous than wine. The fifteenth-century Venetian ambassador to Poland, Ambrogio Contarini, also notices that in spite of the fact that having no wine, the Poles made a certain drink out of honey. This astonishing drink was incredibly sweet and intoxicates individuals much more than wine. This felt great as the Poles trust then that drinking mead was drinking with the gods and at whatever point they ate or had a feast and they drank mead, they would say with all pride and swagger that wine originates from the earth muddy and grey yet mead must be sent down straight from the heavens.

Of the gods; like the gods – everlasting

The seventeenth century brought a change as mead lost fame for the most part. Wine imported from the south, particularly from Hungary, locally made vodka led to a decline in the consumption of mead. Likewise in the nineteenth century, mead came to be associated with the bygones time of preparation Poland. Mentions in the poems of Tomasz Zan makes this evident. There are also notices in the Pan Tadeusz, a Polish national poem by Adam Mickiewicz.

Glimpse of hope for our “drink of the gods”;

In 2008, Polish mead was legally classified into four grades. The grades include czwórniak, trójniak, dwójniak, półtorak. The different classifications shows the proportion of honey and water used in production. These grades were enlisted by the European Union as a traditional speciality guaranteed creating fame for Poland. Furthermore, this advanced the production of mead which relatively multiplied in less than five years. Poland has now been acknowledged as the world’s biggest traditional producer of mead. The names of the grades are gotten from the proportion of honey and water. The total number of units is gotten with one unit being honey and the other water; for instance, czwórniak is produced using one unit honey and three units water, making a sum of four units. Trójniak is produced using one unit honey and two units water, making up a sum of three units. Dwójniak is produced using one unit honey and one unit water, making up two units. Lastly, Lółtorak is produced using one unit honey and half unit water, making up one and half units.

Only four varieties of Polish mead;

Natural flavours included or raw materials utilized helps distinguish the traditional varieties. The method of ageing employed during production also help differentiate the varieties. For example, jabłczak is an apple juice flavoured mead, jeżyniak is a blackberry juice flavoured mead, miód gronowy is a grape juice flavoured mead, agrestniak is a gooseberry juice flavoured mead, borówczak is a lingo berry juice flavoured mead, czereśniak is a sweet cherry juice flavoured mead, czerniak is a bilberry juice flavoured mead, dereniak is a Cornelian cherry juice flavoured mead, gruszeczniak is a pear juice flavoured mead, morwiak is a mulberry juice flavoured mead,porzeczniak is a currant juice flavoured mead, poziomczak is a forest strawberry juice flavoured mead, śliwniak is a plum juice flavoured mead, wiśniak is a sour cherry juice flavoured mead and so forth. Other mead flavouring ingredients include cinnamon, celery leaves, cloves, ginger, elderberries, juniper berries, vanilla etc.

The proportion of which depends on the desired grade influences the subsequent sweetness and liquor content. The total number of units is contrarily relative to the alcohol content and sweetness. Obviously, the sweeter the mead, the more costly the mead. C’mon who wouldn’t have any desire to pay more for a great revitalizing thirst quenching beverage down his/her throat.

Recipe discovery;

There have been a considerable measure of myth, stories, scrolls written and folklores told about the disclosure of Polish mead. However, the most well-known and broadly acknowledged oldest known recipe for mead can be credited to the Swedish recorder Olaus Magnus who got it from a local of the Polish city of Gniezno, recorded in 1567. According to it, ten pounds of honey were were boiled with forty pounds of water, flavoured with hops and fermented with bread starter or lager yeast. Flavouring mead with pepper, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, anise, parsley or poppy seeds didn’t begin in the jet age. It can be traced back to as early as the seventeenth century. History books containing materials describing Polish culinary customs of the seventeenth and eighteenth century contain general notices of mead, as well as references to various grades of mead. The now registered mead terms czwórniak, trójniak, dwójniak and półtorak additionally dates back to the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

Produced mead were served in a special tavern known as meaderies, called miodosytnie in Polish. This miodosytnie were marked with a trademark red cross above the door. This distinguish it from wine shops and beerhouses. Wine shops were marked with characteristic wreath over the door. A characteristic straw wisp over the door was the mark for beerhouses. Mead can only be produced in the industries; Nah, production of mead can be home-made, for example półtrzeciak (mead from one unit of honey and one and half units of water). Sześciak (mead from one unit of honey and five units of water). These are however the informal honey to water proportion. Therefore, both are not economically accessible because of some lawful confinements. Polish miód niesycony (unsaturated mead) is also made particularly in home generation. This is created by blending the honey with warm or chilly water without boiling. This helps to retain a greater amount of the honey smell. The proportion depends for the most part on the required grade. For meads with high level of alcohol e.g dwójniak (two units) and półtorak (one and half units). The concentration of the sugar would be too high for the yeast to work in the fermentation process. Therefore, the wort (honey and water mixture) is prepared with one part honey to two parts water; the rest of the honey is added in the last stage of fermentation or during ageing. For fruit meads, a level of the water around thirty percent is replaced with the desired fruit juice.

Mead production steps;

Commercial production of mead involves heating up the wort at a temperature of around 100 °C. This gives a soaked mead known as miód sycony in Polish . Inorder to counteract caramelisation of the sugars, the required mead remove is acquired in a wort pot fitted with a steam coat. The microbiological security of the boiled wort has to be ensured. Therefore, the wort is cooled around the same time to around 21 °C , the ideal temperature for yeast to spread. Pitching is the next production step. This involves addition of a yeast solution to the wort in a fermentation tank.

To ensure that the fermentation process run properly, violent fermentation takes about six to ten days with the temperature kept at a maximum level of 28 °C. This is followed by another process of fermentation known as “still fermentation” but this takes about three to six weeks. At this stage, the rest of the amount of honey can be added to achieve the desired proportion for dwójniak or półtorak. When the desired alcohol content of no less than 12 percent by volume is gotten, further fermentation is deterred. The mead then undergoes a process known as racking preceding ageing.

Leaving the pitched wort on the sediments known as lees beyond the still fermentation period would unfavourably affect the mead. Decomposition of dead yeast cells will adversely affect the taste, smell and colour properties of the mead. Unwanted processes are prevented from taking place in the lees by repeated ageing (maturing) and also decantation (siphoning). During ageing, filtration and pasteurisation may be carried out. This is basic for guaranteeing the right taste, smell and colour properties for the product.The desired flavour of the final product may be modified by adding honey to sweeten the mead. Also, addition of ethanol or preferred herbs or spices helps add a better flavour to the mead. Bottling of the mead ready for sale is in traditional carboys, oak barrels or earthenware bottles. This usually takes place at room temperature or a temperature range of 18–25 °C. Mead an everyday drink in Poland; However, dissimilar to any popular notion, mead is not the regular drink in Poland. It has always been a luxury drink chiefly reserved for feasts and special occasions such as weddings. It is mostly available only to the rich and seemed valuable enough to be deemed a suitable gift for dignitaries, monasteries and foreigners. Beer like in most countries has however filled in as the daily thirst quencher of an ordinary Polish native.

Revenue generated by mead;

Incomes created from commercial production of mead appeared to have expanded to a great extent. This has prompted an increased production of mead in Poland from around 760,000 litres in 2008 to 1.4 million litres in 2013. This earned Poland the reputation of being the world’s largest producer of mead made with traditional methods. Mead consumption in Poland has greatly declined despite having a long-standing tradition of mead consumption. This is as a result of the different types of alcoholic drinks. Mead consumption amounts to less than one percent of the total alcohol consumption in Poland. Nowadays, the Poles who drink mead did so mostly at a social or family gathering especially during a festival.Polish mead producers have focused instead on exports, mainly to the United States, Western Europe, Australia, Mexico, Japan and China. Demand for Polish mead is growing on external markets at an average rate of twenty percent per year. However, domestic demand is only less than ten percent per year. There has also being a major concern in the bee production with the bee hives collapsing. This might pose a threat in future production of mead if it is not properly solved on time.

A must-do someday; When next you need a treat of alcoholic drink. Request for a premium quality brewed Polish mead produced with mostly autumn honey and a touch of spring honey with herbs, spices and juices and experience sunshine and flowers in a glass of Polish mead. Have a drink with the gods today; make it a Polish mead.

The post Sweet, sweet addiction – Miód Pitny – The polish mead. appeared first on Vikingmjød.

from Vikingmjød http://viking-mjod.no/sweet-sweet-addiction-miod-pitny-the-polish-mead/

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