One tradition to which we adhere in our household is having a seasonal fermented beverage ready for the long, dark, cold months of winter here in Vermont. This year’s beverage is a recipe Rick created with traditional English Christmas pudding as the inspiration. This sweet stout starts off with the smell of figs and a
Beer & Brewing
Updates and new directions: May 2020
Welcome back! After an intentional and much-needed hiatus we are finally ready to share what we’ve been up to for the past few months, most of which has overlapped with the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus in 2020. Highlights include Rick’s latest beer recipe, Melon Collie Berry, a thank-you to Trisha and Arthella, the hostesses with
L’odeur du Printemps: The Smell of Spring in a fruity French Saison style
L’odeur du Printemps is our first saison in a very long time, and we were overdue brewing one. This recipe uses French yeast and (mostly) German malts and hops, coupled with some honey malt for a little added sweetness to accentuate the fruit notes found in the Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon hops. A little
The Hairy Porter – A Rich Winter Warmer
The Hairy Porter is a full-bodied, slightly sweet, chocolatey beer without the astringency some dark ales have. We forwent the usual black patent malt and swapped it with a dark wheat malt, leaving the familiar brownish-red color and highlighting the Belgian Special B and chocolate malts. The flaked oats and the wheat malt make for
2019 into 2020: celebrating successes, building community, and embracing inspiration
We hope you’ve had a satisfying and rewarding year of making. We certainly have, primarily on the brewing and knitting fronts, with a lot of natural dyeing as well. In each of these spheres, we’ve tried new types of projects, mastered skills, and published our own recipes and patterns. So come along and explore what
Metaphors & Rainbows … Whatever: A Juicy Vermont IPA
Metaphors & Rainbows … Whatever is our first attempt at a Vermont IPA. We’ve brewed IPAs in the past, but never one with the distinct haze, orange color, and big, fruity flavors associated with the Green Mountain State — and adopted by the rest of New England. The most well-known of the commercial versions are
DiploMEADic CHAImunity – Braggot
DiploMEADic CHAImunity gets its start and origin from a recipe by Rob Friesel, whose blog Rick has been following for over 15 years. The recipe was published along with his article in Brew Your Own magazine on the Braggot style. Having done a few meads this past winter we were very interested in this fusion
2019 VT NanoFest – Small Breweries with Big Ideas
VT NanoFest is a tiny festival celebrating some of Vermont’s smallest breweries, and it’s held at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds, which means it’s right in our back yard. In this week’s video we’re sharing our impressions of old favorites and new brews that we sampled this year. The 2019 Vermont NanoFest — the 4th annual —
Strawberry Melonball MIPA: A First Attempt Combining Fruit & Lactose
A trip to Portland, Maine in February 2019 reminded us that there is still some fun to be had with even with the most familiar styles of beer. Strawberry Melonball is our first attempt at the milkshake style as well as working with whole fruits, and after some unexpected delays we were finally ready to give it
Tasting Mead and Melomel: Patience pays off
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this brewing experience, Rick and I showed you how to make mead and how to add fruit juice to create a melomel from the same base. Now, after months of patiently waiting, it’s finally time to taste them! This week we’re joined by Nancy, who along with Sarah