5-11-21 This episode, we're headed off to the Netherlands, and hanging out with Jeroen Krikke, owner of Kollectiv Mead in Den Haag (The Hague). Jeroen is a long time mead maker, and has taken his love of mead commercial, with his small, but growing meadery.

Jeroen used a sabbatical to start Kollektiv Mead in 2018, following his ambition to introduce The Netherlands to "Dutch Craft Mead". At Kollektiv he makes small batch Dessert style meads, often very fruit heavy, made with modern mead practices. His fermentation journey started with beer in 2015, with mead entering the picture around 2017. Inspired by great examples from the U.S. (Think NEIPA's, Pastry stouts, Dessert and Pastry style meads) he makes meads based heavily based on science rather then artistry.
He learned a lot at the Mead Making 301 course at U.C. Davis, was present at the first ever EMMA conference and became a MJP certified judge. all the while making more and more mead.



Kollektiv Mead was started on pretty much a shoestring budget causing batch sizes to be on the smaller side. Mead is hardly known at all in The Netherlands and when it's already known, it's from the medieval or fantasy angle. That has proven both a challenge as well as an opportunity, as a new path could be paved. From the 3-5 other commercial meaderies operating in The Netherlands, Kollektiv has clearly positioned itself on the modern craft side, introducing complex and intense meads.In response to a demand that is continuously rising, the decision was made to transform Kollektiv to a membership meadery with currently 120 spots and a waiting list several times that size.


Currently Jeroen divides his time between occupying and permitting Kollektiv Meads first very own production facility, introducing a brand new session mead style beverage, current production at Kollektiv, starting a hot sauce brand and a full-time job in IT.
Join us on the live chat!



This player will show the most recent show, and when we're live, will play the live feed. If you are calling in, please turn off the player sound, so we don't get feedback.[break] [break]Click here to see a playable list of all our episodes!



If you want to ask your mead making questions, you can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323) or send us a question via email, or via Twitter @GotmeadNow and we'll tackle it online! 9PM EDT/6PM PDT Join us on live chat during the show Bring your questions and your mead, and let's talk mead! You can call us at 803-443-MEAD (6323), or Skype us at meadwench (please friend me first and say you're a listener, I get tons of Skype spam), or tweet to @gotmeadnow.



Upcoming Shows

May 25 - Kon and Julie Paseschinikoff - Bee Boyzz Honey and Meadery - Manitoba, Canada
June 8 - Anders Reising & his partner Jarl- Askheimer Meadery, Norway
June 22 - Gert Smet - Blacksmiths Meadery, Belgium
July 27 - Danique Staal- De Noordelijke Mederij, Netherlands
August 10 - Gordon Baron - Lancashire Mead, Great Britain

Show links and notes

Top, Middle and Base Notes: A Comprehensive List
The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual - James Green and Ajana
Food Pairing website
The Flavor Bible
The Flavor Matrix - the Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extrordinary Dishes
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Unlock'd - Historical mead recipes
Wellcome Mead by Laura Angotti
Let There Be Melomels by Rob Ratliff
The Big Book of Mead Recipes by Rob Ratliff
Take part in Kevin Meintsma's Hydromel Study - email hydromel@wtibiz.com and he'll send you questions

Upcoming Events

May 12 - American Mead Makers Association - MeadCon week 3 - Carvin Wilson on mead judging and Billy Beltz on building and operation a successful tasting room
May 13 - Sweet Rebel Honingwijn, Antwerp, Belgium - Copenhagen Mead tasting
May 15 - Haley's Honey Meadery, Hopewell,