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Behind the Scenes: Winter at Dragonfire Meadery

dragonfiremeadery

Updated: Feb 6

As winter is in full swing, so is Dragonfire Meadery, embracing the season with enthusiasm and dedication. While our events that we attend are less frequent than during the rest of the year, we are still busy with a myriad of tasks that keep us engaged and productive. The down time from the bustling markets allows us to focus on the essential preparations for the upcoming season, ensuring that we are ready to delight our customers with new offerings and beloved classics.

Derek is diligently working on crafting new flavors to unveil this year, pouring creativity and passion into each batch, while also ensuring that your favorite meads are being meticulously prepared for distribution. Meanwhile, Carolyn is busy orchestrating the behind-the-scenes fun, where the magic truly happens. We are revamping our signage and displays to enhance the visual appeal of our products, updating our website to provide a smoother user experience, and refining the range of products that we offer to our valued customers. This period of introspection and innovation is crucial for our growth and sustainability.



Winter at the Meadery: A Unique Season


With the farmstead covered in a picturesque blanket of snow, and temperatures plummeting below freezing, Dragonfire Meadery remains a warm and inviting haven. Inside, the meads bubble away as part of the intricate process for developing the next season’s flavors. Winter is not merely a time of rest; it is when we carefully plan and initiate the batches for the summer and fall months ahead.


The fermentation process for mead can take anywhere from three to six months, or even longer, from start to finish. Therefore, while we savor and enjoy drinking the meads that are in season, we are simultaneously hard at work developing the flavors for the next season or planning to restock our current offerings, ensuring a continuous supply of delightful beverages for our patrons.


Fermentation Process in Winter

You can see, there's very little change in our fermentation process during the winter months. We consider ourselves fortunate, as our building is earth-bermed on three sides, creating a naturally insulated environment where the temperature remains relatively stable. This stability significantly aids in the fermentation process, allowing us to maintain the quality of our meads. Additionally, we have temperature control systems in place that can be utilized if needed, ensuring that we can adapt to any fluctuations in temperature.

However, if we were operating in an older warehouse or barn without the benefit of temperature control, Derek would have to make adjustments by switching to different strains of yeast. Some yeasts are specifically known to ferment better in colder conditions, which would necessitate a careful selection process to ensure that the fermentation remains effective and produces the desired flavor profiles.



Seasonal Ingredients and Local Sourcing


We are excited to announce that we are actively sourcing local maple for our beloved maple-based mead. In collaboration with local suppliers, we are working diligently to secure enough maple sap to reintroduce Gitaskog, a favorite among our loyal customers. The weather patterns over the past few years have been unpredictable, resulting in lower yields from our trees, which posed a challenge for our production. However, we are optimistic and thrilled that we will be able to craft our cherished mead recipes this year, bringing back the flavors that our customers have come to love and expect from us.



A Winter Toast to Mead Making

Winter is a season of quiet beauty, a time when the land rests beneath a blanket of frost, preparing for the vitality of spring. In the mead making cycle, winter offers a necessary pause—a time for reflection, patience, and the slow magic of transformation. The meads crafted in the warmer months mature and develop their character during these cold days, evolving into the rich, complex flavors we celebrate.

As the hearth glows and the evenings stretch long, it’s the perfect moment to pour a glass of your favorite Dragonfire mead. Whether it's the deep fruitiness of Muirdris, the indulgent chocolate and raspberry notes of Ekhidna, or the warm undertones of Pu Lao, each sip tells a story of the seasons that shaped it. Let the flavors of these winter-friendly meads enhance your own seasonal rituals, inviting comfort, connection, and a little bit of magic.

We warmly invite you to visit Dragonfire Meadery and experience our handcrafted creations firsthand. Stock up on meads that pair beautifully with winter gatherings or quiet nights by the fire. And as the days slowly begin to lengthen, keep an eye out for our upcoming spring releases—a fresh chapter in the ongoing journey of mead and the seasons.


Here’s to winter’s stillness and the promise it holds. Cheers!

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© 2020 by Dragonfire Meadery LLC.

580 Main Street, Coventry, CT 06238 

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