[Artemisia] Brewer's Guild: Friday, Feb. 2nd

[rcfaevans at comcast.net]

Very well. Here are the issues of the debate:

When I judge brewing, I include a 'difficulty factor'.  No big surprise.  Cordials live in two worlds.  If a cordial is made in the Period way (brewing a wine, mead, or mash, distilling, flavoring, etc.)  it would be the very most difficult brewing thing to make.  But, it is illegal to distill any alcholic beverage of any type in any way in the United States without a license.  So, even if someone did it 'on the sly', the entry would be void because it broke Corpora Law.  So, a person is left with buying a mundane liquor (vodka or white brandy, normally) and flavoring it.  Very easy.  

Because of the ease of making a Cordial, I tend to judge them pretty harshly.  At an event where we were judging brewing, Morgan and I debated (with Cas in between us) my judging criteria.  One such item was, in fact, clarity.  My stance was that clarity is a judging factor for Cordials and that this factor should be looked at keenly.  I will leave it to Morgan to state his position.

There are other factors I look at, also very keenly:
Documentation (obviously)
Periodness (cordials were originally medicines, not beverages.  A bad-tasting cordial is often the best, Period-wise.  I ALWAYS open a can of worms on this one!!!!)
Materials used
Flavor
Odor

So, let the debate begin!!!!

Ryryd 

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: morgan wolf <morganblaidddu at yahoo.com> 

> Now Ryryd, you know damn well I'm at work at 6 pm on Fridays! Heck, at 6 I'm 
> just finishing my lunch. So, having promised the folks a spirited debate, what 
> exactly is it about judging cordials that we're debating? I'm sure that there 
> are plenty of folks on the Aerie that would love to "hear" the debate just as 
> much as anyone in Loch Salann would. Is this the clarity thing again? 
> 
> Morgan 
> 
> ----- Original Message ---- 
> 
> To All Those Gentles Interested in the Fine and Ancient Art of Brewing: 
> 
> Loch Salann will be holding its quarterly Brewer's Guild meeting this Friday, 
> February 2nd, 2007 starting at 6:00 PM. This activity will be hosted by Lady 
> Anna and Lordship Ryryd at their keep, located at: 
> 
> 972 East 7725 South 
> Midvale, Utah 84047 
> (801) 706-0075 
> 
> The featured activity will be the making of cordials, under the direction of 
> Mistress Casamira. 
> 
> We will also be doing the second rack of the Uprising Mead made at our last 
> meeting. 
> 
> Finally, a short class on the judging of cordials at A&S competitions will be 
> conducted. (If Morgan should come, there will be the added bonus of a spirited 
> debate between Morgan and Ryryd on this very issue, with Cas as referee and Anna 
> using a heavy stick to keep us in line.) 
> 
> Please join us! 
> 
> Ryryd and Anna 
> 
> 
> 
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