In which Ricky the Meadmaker is rather star-struck.
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TRANSCRIPT
Ricky Klein
Welcome to Ask the Meadmaker, where I, Ricky the Meadmaker, usually answer your questions about mead making, mead drinking, mead brewing, and really any question you're willing to send to me, but not this week. This week, I am in sunny Baltimore at the national home brewers' conference, and I ran into two of the most important people in the world. They are important to me, because all of you send me your questions every week and I have been so happy to answer them. But I want to introduce the two people that taught me to brew. A decade ago, when I was learning to brew, I came across a video with these two young men in it. I want them to introduce themselves and tell you a little bit about what they do.
James Spencer
Well, Ricky, I'm James Spencer, and I, along with my friend Steve Wilkes, have started Basic Brewing, Basic Brewing Radio, Basic Brewing Video, and our DVDs as well, and we've been doing this stuff for 11 years.
Ricky Klein
I wasn't even allowed to drink 11 years ago.
James Spencer
You may not be allowed to drink now, depending on what Kelly says.
Steve Wilkes
There you go. So, we started we started bringing in 1995.
James Spencer
Somewhere around there. '96?
Steve Wilkes
Yeah, '95 or '96. We've been brewing a long time. We finally started doing it professionally, you might say, and I'm glad that you appreciate what we did.
Ricky Klein
Absolutely.
James Spencer
We got to meet Ricky in person when he was just a lad, about what? Seven years ago.
Ricky Klein
Yup.
James Spencer
He brought us some beers that had a lot of honey in it. Braggots, and nearly braggots, and things like that, and they were really delicious. And now here we are, we're in Baltimore and we get an email from Ricky. And now he's the owner of two meaderies and the Mead Hall and all this stuff. And he brings us these meads that are some of the best commercial meads I've ever had in my life. They're extremely drinkable. They have interesting flavors. They won't knock you on your butt because they're not high-gravity meads. So awesome. The only question I have to ask is when are you going to start distributing in Arkansas where we live?
Ricky Klein
We're working on it. And that's the end of our show. I don't have a word of the week this week because other Ricky is still in Vermont. So, thank you guys. Keep sending your questions and I'll get to them as soon as possible. Cheers.
James Spencer
Happy brewing.
