we are headed for the warmer climes down in Mexico today for our last show of the year. We'll be talking with Alberto Leyva, owner of Hidromiel Aliens Kaab in Bacalar, Mexico.

12-3-24 We are headed for the warmer climes down in Mexico today for our last show of the year. We'll be talking with Alberto Leyva, owner of Hidromiel Aliens Kaab in Bacalar, Mexico.

Alberto has been a Beekeeper in the Riviera Maya, Bacalar, Quintana Roo since 2013,  and founded of Aliens Kaab in 2019. His expertise ranges from hive management to the fermentation of artisanal mead, ensuring a product that embodies the richness of local honey. Alberto is passionate about fermentation processes and wild yeasts, and crafts his mead through cold and wild fermentation, which in his point of view results in unique flavors and aromas while making the mead gentler on the body. His goal is to reflect the natural wealth of our surroundings in every bottle.

Alberto has won some medals and recognitions and considers himself an eternal learner.

The motto at Aliens Kaab is "let yourself be abducted by new experiences", and they take the term abduct as arousing in someone a powerful attraction and that is what they are looking for, to abduct more people to discover this great world of Mead.

Join us to hear more about Alberto and his mead making adventures!

This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don't get feedback.[break]

Sponsor:

Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. 

Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online!

If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States)

Join us on live chat during the show

Upcoming Shows

On break for the month of December, we're back in January!!

Show links and notes

Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff

The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff

Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff

Upcoming Events

Dec 4 - Kingview Meadhouse and Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night

Dec 7 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Mead Making Classes

Dec 7 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Emma Nobbe Rocks the House live music

Dec 7 - Honey & Hops Breworks, Fredricksburg, VA - Winter Wine Festival

Dec 8 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC - Tasting with the Meadmakers

Dec 10 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - Trivia Night

Dec 12 - KingView Mead, Mount Lebanon, PA - Good Brother Earl live music

Dec 12 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - Mead and Cheese pairing

Dec 13 - Blom Mead + Cider, Ann Arbor, MI - Permanent Jewelry with BOGO deal for multiple chains!

Dec 14 - Crafted Artisan Winery, Mogadore, OH - Mead 101 Class

Dec 18 - Kingview Meadhouse and Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night

Dec 20 - Valkyries Horn Mead Competition Entries open!

Dec 20 - Midwinter Homebrew Competition Entries open!

Dec 20 - Apis Mead and Winery, Carnegie, PA - Springs and Arrows live music

Dec 21 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Blight of Many live music

Dec 21 - Mjodgard, Haslev, Denmark - Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a 2 course dinner, mead and a solstice ceremony

Jan 25 - Crafted Artisan Winery, Mogadore, OH - Mead 101 Class

Feb 6 - Mjodgard, Haslev, Denmark - Mead and Food Pairing at Bregnen

You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com

1-18-24 Tonight we're headed to Alberta, Canada in the now-frozen north. We'll be chatting with her about mead in Canada, what she's doing with her meads, and what she's seeing for mead's direction.

11-18-24 Tonight we're headed to Alberta, Canada in the now-frozen north. We'll be chatting with her about mead in Canada, what she's doing with her meads, and what she's seeing for mead's direction.

Kristeva's journey into the world of meadmaking began as a humble hobby beekeeper. In her third year of tending to her bees, they produced an impressive 450 pounds of honey. Knowing the incredible labor that goes into producing even a single teaspoon of honey, she was determined not to let this liquid gold go to waste.

Prior to this, mead had never held a special place in her heart. In fact, she had often dismissed it as unpalatable. However, on a snowy Christmas Day in 2017, she decided to take a chance. She delved into the world of mead crafting, using her own honey as the primary ingredient. To her surprise and delight, the mead that she produced was unlike any other that she and her husband, Eric, had tasted before. For them, it was a revelation.

Their mead was unique, a flavor profile distinct from the offerings found on the commercial market. It left them curious and craving more. Kristeva was not content with just savoring her newfound passion; she sought to share her creation with others. To do so, she needed unbiased opinions from the most discerning critics: judges at a mead competition.

With the courage to take a step into the unknown, she submitted her mead to a competition. The anticipation was palpable as the results were announced. To her astonishment and sheer delight, she clinched a gold medal, and the judges provided glowing feedback that lit her path forward. It was a pivotal moment that encouraged Kristeva to follow her newfound dream.

With fresh determination, she continued crafting mead throughout the year. The following year, she took her passion even further, entering five distinct meads into various competitions. To her joy, each of these meads earned medals, validating her skills and innovative approach.

As she stood before the judges to collect her fourth medal, a voice from the crowd pierced through the room. "We want to come drinking at your place!" The words resonated in her ears, marking a turning point in her journey. It was that precise moment when Kristeva made a life-altering decision: she would embark on the path of making mead on a commercial scale, sharing her unique creations with the world. The Stolen Harvest journey had just begun.

Motivated by a daily awareness of the need for change, Kristeva takes action on various fronts, from aiding the homeless to navigating the bureaucratic challenges of the alcohol industry. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she faced many barriers, overcoming them through self-funding and the support of a dedicated group of friends.

Located in scenic Grovedale, Alberta, Stolen Harvest Meadery is hand carved from the Alberta boreal forest: it is ten acres of a rural oasis. There are hand planted gardens with a wide variety of vegetables and numerous heritage garlics growing. There is a fruit forest as well as a newly planted orchard (2018) with Saskatoons, haskaps, and prairie cherries. Each spring, the fields come alive with a symphony of wildflowers. Some, such as dandelions and wild roses, are lovingly harvested each year in anticipation of the moment when water, yeast, and local raw wildflower honey come together and magic unfolds. The property is adjacent to a larger forest where mother nature provides a bounty wild edibles, some of which make it into our micro-batch hand crafted meads.

Her community involvement extends beyond the walls of Stolen Harvest Meadery, with contributions to charities, fundraising events, and local initiatives. Kristeva's impact is felt not only through financial donations but also in the relationships she builds and the small acts of kindness she executes, such as giving warm meals and clothes to those in need.

This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live,

Tonight on Gotmead Live, 9PM EST, we are talking with Raul de la Garza, meadmaker at Freya Brewing in Monterrey, Mexico. Yes, we're ignoring the election. Raul has been making excellent mead, winning medals all over Central and South America. And he's had some interesting adventures wending the craft alcohol world in Mexico along the way. We will be talking about his mead, his methods, and how it's going with getting things back on track since COVID.

11-5-24 We are abandoning the election stuff (in the US) tonight, and visiting with Raul de la Garza, owner of Freya Brewing Company in Monterrey, Mexico.

Raul is also a guest host here on Gotmead Live! We got the chance to hang out with him when Kevin and Vicky went to the Copa Hidromiel mead competition in Mexico City.

Raúl de la Garza, meadmaker at Freya Brewing in Monterrey, Mexico started making mead as a hobby in 2008 and later went professional in 2015. Over the years Raul has won several awards (including best in Mexico) in Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and Panama. They've sold mead all over Mexico and even in San Diego (crossing it through the border the Han Solo way).

After a break thanks to COVID-19, they're trying to make a comeback with plans to relocate the meadery and open a taproom.

This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don't get feedback.[break]

Sponsor:

Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. 

Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online!

If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (United States)

Join us on live chat during the show

Upcoming Shows

November 19 - Kristeva Dowling, Stolen Harvest Meadery, Alberta, Canada

December 3 - Alberto Leyva, Hidromiel Aliens Kaab, Mexico

Show links and notes

Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff

The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff

Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff

Upcoming Events

Nov 6 - Kingview Meadhouse & Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night

Nov 7 - KingView Mead, Mount Lebanon, PA - Day One (acoustic) live music

Nov 7 - The Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Minis Two for One - Painting D&D Miniatures

Nov 8 - Adesanya Mead & Microbrewery, Grandville, MI - TYFYS (Thank You For Your Service) Mead Release with Talons Out Honor Flight and Mosher Family Apiary

Nov 9 - Dawg Gone Bees Apiary & Meadery, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class

Nov 9 - The Viking Alchemist Meadery, Smyrna, GA - Mead and Metal Artisan Market

Nov 10 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC - Tasting with the Meadmakers

Nov 12 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - Make Your Own Mead with Us!

Nov 13 - Adesanya Mead & Microbrewery, Grandville, MI - West Michigan Pink Boots Society Chapter November Meet-Up

Nov 14 - Apis Mead & Winery, Carnegie, PA - Thursday South Hills Group Run

Nov 15 - Grimsby Hollow Meadery, Middleville, MI - Drink Mead, Learn Things: Viking Warrior Societies

Nov 15 - Bumbling Fools Mead, Minneapolis, MN - Karaoke Mead-Up

Nov 16 - Crafted Artisan Winery, Mogadore, OH - Mead 101 Class

Nov 16 - Cigar City Cider & Mead, Tampa, FL - Celebrating 10 Year of Cigar City Cider and Mead

Nov 16 - Kimmel Orchard, Nebraska City, NE - Mead Making Workshop

Nov 16 - Dawg Gone Bees Apiary & Meadery, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class

Nov 17 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - 8th Year Anniversary and Sea Wolf Voyages Mead Release Party

Nov 22 - Oppegaard Meadery, Tukwila, WA - Make Your Own Mead with Us!

Nov 23 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Veronica Live

Nov 23 - Red Lion Smokehouse, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada - Meadmaking with TBay Mead

Nov 27 - The Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen, South Bend, IN - Perry Vine Wine Mead Tasting

Nov 29 - Dawg Gone Bees Apiary & Meadery, Hanover, PA - Mead Making Class

Dec 8 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC - Tasting with the Meadmakers

Dec 14 - Crafted Artisan Winery, Mogadore, OH - Mead 101 Class

You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com

Tonight at 9PM ET we're talking with Dominic Roth, a relatively new meadmaker in Australia. Dominic feels he's 'new' in that he thinks there is much more he can learn about making mead. We'll be talking technique, styles, recipes and more!

10-8-24 Tonight we're talking with Dominic Roth, a relatively new meadmaker in Australia. Dominic feels he's 'new' in that he thinks there is much more he can learn about making mead. We'll be talking technique, styles, recipes and more!

Dominic is a home mead maker in Australia. He started making mead a couple years ago, as a replacement hobby following the birth of his most recent child. A dodgy mead recipe in a cookbook led him to the hobby, and then to more reliable sources!

He thoroughly enjoys the 'art and science of mead making'; consuming as much knowledge as possible on the craft, and playing around with different styles, techniques and ingredients.

This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don't get feedback.[break]

Sponsor:

Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. 

Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online!

If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! 9PM EDT/6PM PDT

Join us on live chat during the show

Upcoming Shows

October 22 - Alberto Leyva - Aliens Kaab Mead

November 5 - Kristeva Dowling, Stolen Harvest Meadery

November 19 - Raul de la Garza - Freya Mead

Show links and notes

Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff

The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff

Let There Be Session Meads by Rob Ratliff

Upcoming Events

Oct 11 - Breeden's Orchard, Mount Juliet, TN - Charcuterie, Mead and Music with Graze Craze

Oct 11 - Thistlerock Mead Co,, Charlottesville, VA - Conley Ray and the Joneses live music

Oct 12 - Starrlight Mead, Pittsboro, NC - Mead Making 101

Oct 12 - Dawg Gone Bees Apiary and Meadery, Hanover, PA - Mead Making class

Oct 13 - Skal Beer Hall, Seattle, WA - Fall Mead Festival

Oc 16 - KingView Meadhouse and Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night

Oct 17 - Combgrown Mead, Auburn, NY - Mead and Whiskey Cocktail Class with Cellar and Folly Whiskey Company

Oct 18 - Apis Mead & Winery, Carnegie, PA - 732 the Electric Duo & Mary Spayd-Armstrong live music

Oct 19 - Iron Stone Meadery, Erie, PA - Mead and Bleed Craft Fair and Bleeding Disorder Fundraiser

Oct 19 - Four Brothers Mead, Festus, MO - Blight of Many live music - the Halloween Show!

Oct 25 - Windchaser Meadery, Williamsburg, VA - HallowMead

Oct 27 - St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah, MI - HallowCHEESE: A Mead and Cheese Pairing Event with the Cheese Lady

Nov 2 - Amber Dragon Meadery, Abilene, TX - Meadfest 2024

Nov 2 - MeadKrieger, Loveland, CO - The Sogs live music

Nov 2 - Honeytree Meadery, Nashville, TN - Mead Making class

Nov 6 - KingView Meadhouse and Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Trivia Night

Nov 7 - KingView Meadhouse & Winery, Mount Lebanon, PA - Day One acoustic music

Nov 8 - Adesanya Mead & Microbrewery, Grandville, MI - TYFYS (Thank You For Your Service) Mead Release with Talohns Out Honor Flight and Mosher Family Apiary

You can buy mead online at https://shopmeads.com

If you want to get your event on GotMead Live, let us know at [email protected]

9-24-24 Tonight at 9PM ET we're talking with Frederick Rodriguez, Francisco Olachea and Rob Tyrrson in Mexico. Kevin and I were in Mexico for the Copa Hidromiel Mead Competition a couple weeks ago, and got to check out the meads that these folks produce, and we'll be talking about their methods, meads and plans.And bonus, we are bringing in a new guest host, Raul de la Garza, owner of Freya Meadery in Monterrey, Mexico.

9-24-24 Tonight we're talking with Frederick Rodriguez, Francisco Olachea and Rob Tyrrson in Mexico. Kevin and I were in Mexico for the Copa Hidromiel Mead Competition a couple weeks ago, and got to check out the meads that these folks produce, and we'll be talking about their methods, meads and plans.

And bonus, we are bringing in a new guest host, Raul de la Garza, owner of Freya Meadery in Monterrey, Mexico.

Francisco Olachea is a biochemical Engineer, and holds general Certificate in Brewing and Spirits by the IBD, is a Certified BJCP judge, Certified Cicerone®, and a Mead BJCP judge, Cider BJCP judge, Unionbirrai Beer Taster, Master Mezcalier, Cigar Sommelier and Sommelier member of the Mexican Sommeliers Association. He is also an instructor at the Mexican Academy of Sommeliers. Finally, he is CEO at I+D CERVEZA SA de CV since 2011.

Frederick Rodriguez is a photographer, producer and director with more than 30 years of experience in the audiovisual industry.  He has produced, photographed and carried out various feature film, short film, video clips, corporate, institutional and documentary projects.  In 2012 he edited and post-produced the documentary series “Hallazgos” of the INAH, Partner and founder of La Valija Industriarte, obtaining the PACMyC award for the development of the documentary “Los paths that van” 2014 as director and photographer, In 2012 with the company Museum he developed a 360º mural for the Museum of Music in Puerto Rico and from 2015 to 2017 he developed an interactive table for the exhibition of the Constitution in the National Palace at the same time he developed 2 video walls for the Museum of Constitutions of the UNAM, since 2022 he documents the “Copa Hidromiel México”, creator of the documentary “Fermentos Ancestrales”  (watch the trailer) in which he focuses on mead and pre-Hispanic ferments of Mexico and he is a mead judge (in process) since 2023.

Frederick has also done a 2023 collective exhibition “I Feel Then I Re-sisto” UAM- University of Brighton” video art “Viaje sin Regreso”, 2022 researcher of the script “Tierra barbara” mini series. Currently he is the owner of Phocal Photography where he directs, produces, post produces and photography for different companies such as Lincoln Towncar, Laboratorios Decrha, Intervet Schering Plougth, MSD Salud Animal, Sony Entertainment, Municipality of Lerma, Adidas, Nissan, América Express, Sicario, KRBO Bikes, Del Pacifico Sea Foods, US Meat, Crayola and the guild meadery.

Rob Tyrsson is owner of Tyrsson Meadery in Mexico City.

Rob started in 2019 in the middle of the COVID era, all starts trying to pay some bills and deal with a few problems he had, his first batch wasn't ready for the first Copa Hidromiel México, and he just sold it pretty cheap, fortunately a few friends told him he was making a pretty good thing, and he sent it to Guatemala at Copa Quetzal and won a gold medal. In 2020 he tried to go professional and sell his mead at festivals.  After that everything is history!

 

 

This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don't get feedback.[break]

Sponsor:

Look no further than Honnibrook Craft Meadery in Castle Rock, Colorado, for your go-to destination for wonderful, light, and refreshing mead! We have 20 meads on tap and four seasonal mead slushees. 

Go to honnibrook.com for review our tap list, upcoming events and to order online!

If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @realGotMead and we'll tackle it online! 9PM EDT/6PM PDT

Join us on live chat during the show

Upcoming Shows

October 8 - Dominic Roth - beginning in mead in Australia

October 22 - Alberto Leyva - Aliens Kaab Mead

November 5 - Kristeva Dowling, Stolen Harvest Meadery