hello@stacktracemead.com

Engineered Meads

A technology geek engineering modern interpretations of the world's oldest beverage
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About

Who I Am

I'm a geek obsessed with the minute details of modern meadmaking: continuously tweaking recipes, trying to improve my process, and learning a lot about home fermentation along the way. I also love researching and experimenting with new ingredients, drawing inspiration from flavors found at home in Chicago and from my travels. Whether you're a geek like me or you're brand new to mead, I'd love to share a bottle. Cheers!

What's With the Name?

Stack Trace is a nod to my roots - it's the deep detail that software engineers use to troubleshoot issues. 🤓

Meads

Deployed to Production

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Proxy Continuation

Metheglin | 11%
Valkyrie's Horn 2020 - Silver Medal
Orpheus MeadFest 2019 - Gold Medal

Inspired by CH Distillery's OxyContin cocktail (now renamed to Cease & Desist), this metheglin combines wildflower Gentle Breeze Honey from Mt. Horeb, WI with Lapsang Souchong tea from Rare Tea Cellar, juniper berries, ginger, and lemon zest.

  • Batch 1 - May 2019, 12.7%
  • Batch 2 - May 2020, 11%
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Reid

Melomel | 14%
Mazer Cup 2021 - Bronze Medal
Reserve Series
Waterless

Reid is a waterless dessert mead - the only liquid comes from the over ten pounds of fruit per gallon of finished mead. It borrows from my favorite berry melomel recipes, Heartbleed and EternalBlue, and uses Michigan Bluecrop blueberries, Michigan red and black raspberries, and Florida orange blossom honey. A diversion from my normal naming convention, I crafted this mead as a tribute to the sweetest little addition to my life, who joined us on June 29th, 2020.

  • Test Batch/Blend - June 2020
  • Batch 1 - June 2021
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EternalBlue

Melomel | 11.7%

A viscous dessert mead where almost all liquid comes from the over ten pounds of fruit per gallon of finished mead, EternalBlue is a berry melomel that combines Bluecrop blueberries from Roedger Bros. Farms in South Haven, MI with orange blossom honey before aging on American oak.

  • Batch 1 - June 2020, 12.6%
  • Batch 2 - May 2021, 11.7%
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Heartbleed

Melomel | 17%
Waterless

A viscous dessert mead where all liquid comes from the almost six pounds of fruit per gallon of mead, Heartbleed is a berry melomel that combines red and black raspberries from Lyons Farm in South Haven, MI with Florida orange blossom and Minnesota wildflower honey.

  • Batch 1 - March 2020
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Full Stack

Other | 14%
Reserve Series
Waterless

Full Stack starts with my Reid recipe - a dessert melomel with Michigan Bluecrop blueberries, Michigan red and black raspberries, and Florida orange blossom honey - and then adds maple syrup and vanilla.

  • Batch 1 - July 2021
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SUNBURST

Melomel | 14%

SUNBURST is the result of a late summer vacation to Michigan and includes Michigan Red Haven peaches, Michigan apricots, and California orange blossom honey. Batch 1 also includes Rare Tea Cellar Georgia Peach Rooibos tea.

  • Batch 1 - June 2022
  • Batch 2 - September 2024
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Peach.py

Melomel | 13.8%
Reserve Series

Peach.py starts with my SUNBURST recipe – a peach melomel with Michigan Red Haven peaches, Michigan apricots, and California orange blossom honey – and then adds Korintje cinnamon and Mexican vanilla.

  • Batch 1 - October 2024
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Gingerbread Architect

Metheglin | 11.5%

Gingerbread Architect is a metheglin that combines Michigan star thistle honey from Sleeping Bear Farms with Rare Tea Cellar Gingerbread Dream: a rooibos tea that includes Guatemalan ginger, sliced almonds, pistachios, Mekong cinnamon, Spanish orange peel, Indian coriander, spice essence, and baby pink peppercorns. The resulting mead was also conditioned on whole Mexican vanilla beans.

  • Batch 1 - December 2022
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Fairy FLOSS

Pyment | 17%

Fairy FLOSS is a pyment that uses five pounds per gallon of Cotton Candy and Moon Drop grape varieties for unmistakable nostalgic flavor alongside Florida orange blossom honey. Upvotes to those on /r/mead for open sourcing the recipe!

  • Batch 1 - March 2020
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DateTime

Melomel | 17.7%

DateTime is a melomel that combines Medjool and Deglet Noor dates with avocado blossom and tupelo honey before a treatment of French oak.

  • Batch 1 - January 2022
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Generics: Mesquite

Traditional | 11.6%
Generics Series

Generics is my series of meads that highlight a single varietal of honey. This dry traditional mead is made with mesquite blossom honey from Arizona's Sonoran Desert and no other ingredients: just honey, water, and yeast. Thanks to Rachel Davis for the honey!

  • Batch 1 - January 2022
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Málagarithm

Pyment | 17.7%

Málagarithm is inspired by the dessert wines of Málaga, Spain. This pyment combines muscat grapes with dark Midwestern wildflower honey, Málaga avocado blossom honey, and French oak.

  • Batch 1 - May 2021
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Byte-Sized

Traditional | 8%

Byte-sized is my series of hydromels or low ABV session meads. This sparkling traditional mead is made with Florida orange blossom honey and no other ingredients: just honey, water, and yeast. This approach highlights the flavors of this excellent honey.

  • Batch 1 - January 2020
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Apple.Py

Cyser | 14.1%

This still cyser started with organic apple juice and Minnesota wildflower honey before getting a treatment of traditional apple pie spices: cinnamon, vanilla, clove, and allspice.

  • Batch 1 - December 2019
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Rumtime Error

Other | 16.3%

Rumtime Error is an experimental mead that replaces some of the honey with Dutch suikerstroop, a thick syrup made from beet sugar that is similar to molasses. Then, additions of vanilla, spices, and French oak round out the spiced rum flavor.

  • Batch 1 - May 2020
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Composition

Other | 11%

Composition is a blend of Proxy Continuation, a lapsang souchong and ginger metheglin, and Star Schema, a star thistle traditional, that is further aged on ginger and French oak soaked in Icelandic Brennivín.

  • Batch 1 - May 2020
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Hands to Keyboard

Melomel | 13.6%

Inspired by a recent trip to the state that looks like a hand, this cherry melomel combines Michigan star thistle honey from Sleeping Bear Farms with Michigan tart cherry juice before adding vanilla to accentuate the fruit flavor.

  • Batch 1 - December 2019
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Compilation

Melomel | 15%

Compilation is my series of mixed-berry melomels. This batch started with Mexican mesquite honey, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries before adding vanilla and finishing with Mexican avocado blossom honey.

  • Batch 1 - September 2018
  • Batch 2 - June 2019
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Basic Systems

Melomel | 16%

Basic Systems is an easy introductory mead with raspberry and blueberry that teaches the beginner meadmaker the basics. Drink in [positive] moderation. Made in collaboration with Jeremy Davis.

  • Batch 1 - June 2020
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Star Schema

Traditional | 14%

This traditional, dry mead is made with Michigan star thistle honey from Sleeping Bear Farms and no other ingredients: just honey, water, and yeast. This approach highlights the flavors of this excellent honey.

  • Batch 1 - December 2019
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Vanilla Star Schema

Metheglin | 14%

Vanilla Star Schema is the sweeter variant of Star Schema, a traditional dry mead made with Michigan star thistle honey from Sleeping Bear Farms, enhanced with a bit of vanilla.

  • Batch 1 - January 2021
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Angle Brackets

Braggot | 13.6%

This still braggot (mead with malt) combines wildflower Gentle Breeze Honey from Mt. Horeb, WI with Maris Otter malt, vanilla, and cinnamon.

  • Batch 1 - June 2019
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CIDR

Cider | 7%

Hard cider made with apples from Smith Farms in Frankfort, IN and wildflower honey from Linden Tree Bee Garden in Lafayette, IN

  • Batch 1 - December 2018
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Bee-Tree

Metheglin | 15.2%

Vanilla and cinnamon metheglin with wildflower "Sunny Hill Honey" from May's Honey Farm in Marengo, IL.

  • Batch 1 - April 2018

Still In Beta Testing

Nothing in progress currently. Check back soon!

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