NOW YOU MIGHT HAVE SIPPED ON BEER OR WINE, BUT WHAT ABOUT MEAD?
>> I’VE HAD MEAD. IT’S GOOD.
I’VE NEVER HAD IT. YOU’RE ABOUT
TO. I CAN’T WAIT TO MAN FROM
YPSILANTI ARE ON A MISSION TO
BRING MEAD INTO MORE HOMES.
>> NOW WE ARE JOINED BY JEFF
FRAZIER AND PATRICK ECHLIN FROM
MANIACAL MEAD COMPANY. THAT’S
WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. WELCOME.
HELLO. THANK YOU. IT’S GOOD TO
HAVE YOU GUYS. THANKS FOR HAVING
US. YEAH SO I JUST WAS TELLING
THEM THAT IT SMELLS SO FRAGRANT.
YES. YES. SO FOR FIRST, FOR
THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IS
MEAD AND WHAT ARE THE
INGREDIENTS IN A TRADITIONAL
MEAD? WELL A TRADITIONAL MEAD IS
JUST THREE INGREDIENTS.
>> IT’S HONEY WATER AND YEAST.
AND THE YEAST EAT THE SUGAR AND
THE HONEY TO MAKE ALCOHOL.
>> HEY, OKAY, SO LET’S LOOK A
LITTLE MOONSHINE KIND OF ISH.
NOT QUITE.
>> I WOULD SAY IT’S A LITTLE
MORE REFINED. PERHAPS THAT WAS A
JOKE.
>> WELL, I’M SO EXCITED BECAUSE
I WAS TALKING TO YOU GUYS
EARLIER. WE HAVE SOME OF YOUR
MEATS WITH US TODAY. CAN YOU
TELL US ABOUT THE VARIETY YOU
OFFER?
>> SO WE OFFER A VERY LARGE
VARIETY, ACTUALLY AT OUR TASTING
ROOM, WE HAVE 19 DIFFERENT MEATS
ON TAP. SO WE BROUGHT SOME SOME
BOTTLES HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH
YOU. WE OPENED A TRADITIONAL AND
WE OPENED ONE MADE WITH APPLE
CIDER AND THEN WE HAVE A REAL
FRUITY ONE AGED IN A BOURBON
BARREL.
>> OH, SO WHAT IS THE BOURBON
BARREL? DO TO IT?
>> IT JUST GIVES IT A WHOLE
NOTHER LEVEL OF FLAVOR PROFILE.
OKAY
>> AND STRENGTH, PROBABLY.
>> AND SO THAT’S WHAT I WAS
THINKING. DOES IT MAKE IT
STRONGER? RIGHT
>> POSSIBLY A LITTLE BIT. A
LITTLE BIT.
>> OKAY. SO SHOULD BE MEAD BE
SERVED COLD OR AT ROOM
TEMPERATURE? WHAT’S THE BEST WAY
TO HAVE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN,
LIKE A CELLAR TEMPERATURE, LIKE
55, 60 DEGREES.
>> YOU CAN KEEP IT IN YOUR WINE
CELLAR OR YOUR BASEMENT OR. OR
YOU CAN DRINK IT RIGHT OFF THE
SHELF. THAT’S FINE, TOO.
>> OKAY, SO WHEN YOU MAKE MEAD,
WHAT IS THE PROCESS AND HOW LONG
DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE IT SO FOR
US AT MANIACAL, IT MOST OF OUR
MEADS ARE ABOUT SIX SIX MONTHS
TO A YEAR.
>> OH WOW. AND THEN THEY COULD
GO INTO A BOURBON BARREL FOR
ANOTHER YEAR OR LONGER. OH WOW.
>> WOW. OKAY.
>> IT’S A VERY REFINED PROCESS.
SO I FEEL LIKE SINCE WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT MEAD AND YOU HAVE
THIS BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY HERE, WE
SHOULD PROBABLY TASTE THEM.
>> YOU SHOULD.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO
HERE’S HERE’S ONE OF OUR
TRADITIONAL MEADS, AND IT’S MADE
WITH A SINGLE VARIETAL HONEY,
THAT COMES FROM THEM.
>> SO THIS IS THE TRADITIONAL,
TRADITIONAL ONE.
>> IT COMES FROM A MEADOWFOAM
FLOWER.
>> OH, THIS IS GOOD.
>> THAT’S DELICIOUS. A WET
FLOWER.
>> MEADOWFOAM.
>> OH, I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT
IS.
>> IT’S LIKE THE WEST COAST.
>> OKAY, THAT’S DELICIOUS.
>> I LIKE IT. CHEERS
>> RIGHT ON. THAT WAS MY WAY.
OKAY, SO WHAT DO WE HAVE NEXT?
>> I’M KEEPING MY GLASS OVER
HERE. I KNOW, RIGHT?
>> LET ME KEEP IT FOR WHAT?
>> SO THIS IS SO THEN THIS IS
OUR. IT’S CALLED A SIZER, WHICH
USES A CIDER. AND THEN HONEY AS
WELL, TOO. SO
>> SO TRADITIONAL. AND THEN
SIZER. RIGHT. OKAY, SO WE PRESS
THESE APPLES FROM PATRICK’S
PROPERTY UP NORTH.
>> OH, THIS IS GOOD TOO.
>> THIS IS DELICIOUS. YOU GOT TO
CHEER ON THIS ONE, TOO. YEAH, WE
HAVE TO. CHEERS.
>> LIKE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
>> SO WE DO LIKE THE SWEETER
SIDE OF BOTH OF THESE ARE VERY
SWEET, THOUGH.
>> YEAH, THEY’RE REALLY GOOD.
YEAH, THEY’RE DELICIOUS. AND
THEY’RE MIGHT. THEY’RE NOT
STRONG.
>> THEY’RE NOT HEAVY. THEY DON’T
FEEL LIKE YOU’RE SMACKING YOU IN
THE FACE. I WOULD WANT TO DRINK
THIS IF I’M EATING SOMETHING
REALLY SPICY. SURE. SURE. THAT.
REALLY WELL, ABSOLUTELY. YOU
NEED A FOOD PAIRING PERSON. I’M
HERE FOR YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO
WHAT’S THIS FINAL ONE?
>> SO THIS IS A BOURBON BARREL
AGED MEAD WITH VANILLA. IT’S GOT
A BUNCH OF BERRIES IN IT. SO
THIS IS THE ONE THAT’S BEEN IN
THE BARREL FOR A LITTLE WHILE,
RIGHT?
>> OKAY. WITH VANILLA BEANS.
>> IT SMELLS GOOD.
>> OH, THIS ONE IS A LITTLE
STRONGER. LIKE IT’S GOT A MORE
TANGY TASTE RIGHT THERE ON YOUR
CHEST.
>> A LITTLE TART PUT A LITTLE
HAIR ON YOUR CHEST.
>> CHEERS. AGAIN THESE ARE
REALLY GOOD. SO TELL US ABOUT
YOUR TASTING ROOM. WHERE IS IT
LOCATED? SO WE ARE ON THE EAST
SIDE OF YPSILANTI ON ECORSE
ROAD, 1497 ECORSE ROAD.
>> BUT WE’RE ALSO AT THE FARMERS
MARKET AND IN YPSILANTI, ANN
ARBOR. AND JUST RECENTLY WE GOT
INTO THE SUNDAY MARKET AT
EASTERN MARKET HERE.
>> OKAY, GUYS, SO THAT’S WHAT
YOU DO.
>> SO FIND THE MEAT WITH YOU
GUYS AT THE FARMER’S MARKET, ANY
STORES OR ANYTHING? WE’RE AT
ABOUT 20 LIQUOR STORES AROUND
AROUND THE GREATER DETROIT AREA.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> I’LL SAY HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. HIGHLY,
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I’M TELLING
YOU, THIS IS GOOD.
>> THANKS FOR.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US. OF
COURSE. DELICIOUS. ANYTIME YOU
NEED MORE TESTERS, YOU KNOW
WHERE TO FIND US. ALL RIGHT. TO
HEAR MORE ABOUT COOL PLACES IN
AND AROUND THE ANN ARBOR AREA,
VISIT ALL ABOUT ANNARBOR.COM,
WHICH IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THESE