rediscover Braggot |
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welcome to our braggottery rediscover Braggot
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Meet the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man, made by fermenting honey and grains.
It dates back to a time long before agriculture when people didn't have enough grains for beer or honey for mead.
It combines the body of a beer with the flavour of a mead.
The most important and precious ingredient in our Braggot is the honey from our bees here in the Vancouver area, which makes it a unique and local product. Our Honey is 100% organic, and our apiaries are located in Delta, BC, where our bees forage on the rich nectars of the Fraser valley. Seasonality, weather, vintage and terroir are all very important aspects of our Braggot and Honey, because they determine which flowers are available to our bees.
We have tried to capture these concepts in our symbol, which represents the passing of time in a
specific location. It can be considered a calendar and a compass. The positions of the sun and the moon change on our labels to represent
the time of the year when the honey was collected.
Here you can read more about our symbol.
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our Braggot |
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While a specific beer style is expected to be consistent and reproducible, wine is rather enriched by vintage and terroir
variations. In the case of our Braggot these variations are even more pronounced than in wine, because of the different nectars
present in different batches. | ||||||
regular varieties |
ABV:5.0%
IBU:8
Ingredients: 50% Pilsner malt and 50% light honey from spring nectars. Saar hops in the boil only.
Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
In this Braggot the bready flavours of the lightly kilned malts complement the floral notes of the honey from
cherry blossoms, maple and dandelion flowers.
The first impression is similar to a lager beer with comforting mouthfeel, but shortly after,
floral and notes emerge with a vibrancy similar to champagne.
ABV:6.8%
IBU:8
Ingredients: 40% pilsner malt, 10% caramel malt, and 50% Amber honey from early summer nectars. Hersbrucker hops in the
boil only. Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
In this Braggot the caramel flavour of the malt blends with the fruity notes of our honey collected during the richest
season in terms of nectars; from the abundant blueberry, raspberry, clover and strawberry to the more subtle chicory, alpha-alpha, mustard,
fleabane, yarrow, etc.
While the caramel malt is the protagonist of the first sip with its syrupy mouthfeel, the fruity notes of the berries' honey quickly
take over. This complexity leaves the palate with a slightly citrusy aftertaste.
ABV:6.0%
IBU:20
Ingredients: 40% Pilsner malt, 10% brown ale malt, and 50% Amber honey from mid-summer nectars.
Bitter-gold hops in the in the boil and in the fermenter. Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
In this Braggot the lightly kilned malt is matched with the fruity summer nectars in which the blackberry is predominant.
Mid-summer is the time of the year when the nectar flows are at their peak bringing the most complex and rich flavours to our Braggot.
The first impressions are distinctively fruity and floral, but these are quickly overpowered by the bitterness and complexity of the
hops that pleasantly linger in the mouth asking for another next sip.
ABV:5.8%
IBU:12
Ingredients: 40% pilsner malt, 10% dark roasted chocolate malt, and50% Dark honey from late summer nectars. Hesbrucker hops in the
boil only. Our special yeaast adapted for malts and honey.
The taste of this braggot can be overwhelming due to its complexity. The smoky anand coffee like notes of the malts are amplified by
the richness of late summer nectars such as Himalayan balsam, buckwheat and thistle.
The first impression is that of a stout with the smoky and velvety mouthfeel. However, this quickly changes into a more wine-like flavour profile
with surprisingly light body for a dark drink. In certain vintages like 2022, in which fruity nectars are more predominant, this Braggot turns out
particularly refreshing and drinkable even in a warm summer day.
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Limited Editions |
ABV:11.9%
IBU:8
Ingredients: 40% Pilsner malt, 10% caramel malt and 50% amber honeys from mid summer nectars.
Herbrucker hop in the boil only. Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
Inspired by the nectar of the gods, this is the pinnacle of Braggot.
Made from local nectars in high concentration it is an elixir of immortality as both Ambrosia and nectar mean "un-dead".
It is a true and unique Braggot made with double the ingredients compared to our regular varieties. It boasts 11.9%
of alcohol and an unsurpassed richness in taste and body. Its refined and complex floral notes enhanced by a mild
alcohol burn are nothing comparable to any other drink. It leaves the mouth with a flavour similar to a Cognac.
ABV:11.9%
IBU:15
Ingredients: 50% pilsner malt, and50% of light honey from spring nectars. Bitter gold hops in the boil and
in the fermentation. Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
In this Braggot the bready flavours of the malt blend with the floral notes of our honey made from early spring nectars such as
cherry, maple, dandelion, clover, and strawberry.
This Braggot is also made with double the ingredients and out of all our varieties is the most similar to a mead with an intense honey aftertaste.
ABV:6.0%
IBU:20
Ingredients: 50% Pilsner malt, and 50% Amber honey from mid-summer nectars.
Saar hops and orange zest in the boil only. Our special yeast adapted for malts and honey.
In this Braggot the lightly kilned malt is paired with floral spring nectars and orange zest.
It is a fruity refreshing drink but with an unexpected intensity of flavours punctuated by the bitterness
of hops and of the essential oils of the orange zest. It works surprisingly well both in summer and winter.
ABV:9.8%
IBU:12
Ingredients: 40% pilsner malt, 10% dark roasted malt, and50% Dark honey from late summer nectars. Bitter-gold hops in the in
the boil and in the fermenter.. Our special yeaast adapted for malts and honey.
The complexity of this Braggot results in extraordinary drinkability. The taste is extrmely rich: starting with the intensity of the
late summer nectar with the toasted grains and finishing with a lingering floral bitterness of the hops enhanced by the higher alcohol content.
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our values |
Authentic: |
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More about our Honey |
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Honey is a sweet product made by bees mostly from the nectar collected form the flowers. It also contains small particles
of pollen and propolis. Nectar is mostly sweet and consists mainly of Sugars (Saccharose, Glucose, Fructose). The pollen is
rich in protein and the propolis is a natural antibacterial substance that is also used to seal openings in the hive. The
nectar is transformed in the stomach of the bees into simpler sugar molecules less prone to crystallization and therefore
easier to preserve. This process is called inversion. The next phase is the evaporation of the water content, which can be
up to 80% in nectar, in order to be able to preserve it. The inverted nectar is therefore placed in the open cells until
the water content is down to 14-18%. During this phase, the bees are fanning their wings to facilitate the evaporation.
In the summer days at night it is very easy to hear a buzzing sound coming from inside the hives, made by thousands of wings
fanning for this purpose. The end product is Honey a highly concentrated fluid rich in sugars, vitamins, minerals, enzymes
and amino acids. |
Wildflower honey is made with the ensemble of nectar collected throughout the year, which
approximately starts in
February and ends in October.
its properties and taste are determined by all the floral sources contained in it, which
depend on several factors: first of all the weather, affecting the abundance of flowers and the ability of the bees
to harvest. The strength of the hive is also an important factor: for example a hive that is building up early in the
season will use most of the honey of the spring months to raise new bees and will have leftover later in the season.
Blueberry Honey has exceptional antibacterial properties. In a recent study the antibacterial activity of different
types of honey has been
tested against several strains of bacteria that have been found to infect wounds.
In general, all honey varieties show antibacterial activity,
thanks to the low water activity, high acidity, the presence of Hydrogen peroxide and antioxidants; however, Blueberry, Buckwheat and dark
honeys have been found to be the most effective thanks to a higher level of antioxidants. For this reason, blueberry honey can be used directly
on wounds to accelerate healing and cicatrisation.
Blueberry honey is also useful against intestinal infections and is indicated for sight and circulation problems.
It is a true and unique expression of what nature has to offer at any given time of the year. You can read more about our honey here.
Blackberry honey is very rich in fructose and tends to remain liquid for long time. Its colour is light amber and has a
clear fruity taste.
It is used for medicinal purposes for colds, it is given to patients in feverish conditions, it
eliminates the cough and has antipyretic effects.
The honey of Himalayan Balsam is a dark honey with a rich flavour that resembles the scent of the
flower. As a dark honey
it is more concentrated and therefore richer in all its nutrients especially antioxidants,
which fight aging and aging
related diseases such as arthritis, stroke and cancer. This dark honey in particular is even richer than normal dark honey,
because of the extremely high sugar content of the nectar, it originates from (40times more than the average flower) and for
the high pollen content.
Comb Honey
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Our Bees |
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Our bees are a mixture between Italian and Carniolan Honey Bees. They are widely distributed in Canada because of their
excellent traits from both strains.
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Our Location |
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We are mainly located in Delta, BC, part of the greater Vancouver area. We are at the mouth of the Fraser River, very close to the ocean. The climate of this region is characterized by a rainy and mild winter, the temperatures rarely go below -5, but it is very humid. Generally, the nectar flows start around February, drastically decrease towards the end of August and stop at the end of October. The summer is also mild and generally quite sunny; the temperatures rarely go above 30 degrees. It is the typical weather of the west coast with occasional strong wind. The region is characterized by the presence of blueberry farms, and an abundance of wild so that blueberry bushes, so blueberry and blackberry honeys are two of the single varietal honeys that we are able to harvest every year. |
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Vegetation trees and flowers |
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The main nectar flows of our region are Blueberry, Blackberry, Maple, and Himalayan Balsam, but there is a huge variety of nectars and pollen throughout late winter, spring, summer and early fall, thanks to the mildness of the climate. Generally the earliest pollen flows is Alder, its inflorescence can be seen as early as end of January or beginning of February, it produces almost no nectar, but the yellow pollen is extremely precious for spring build up, as pollen is the main nutrition source for larvae and young bees. Another early inflorescence is willow, and soon after a wide variety of flowers start to appear like the crocus, the snowdrop and many others such as the maple. Maple nectar is generally abundant, but is generally entirely consumed by bees for brood rearing, that's why it is rare to extract maple honey. The variety of flowers in the spring provides a diverse and nutritious diet for the bees. Cherry blossoms are one of the most evident signals of the arrival of the spring in our region. Another spring indicator is the Dandelion. This is normally considered a weed, but it produces a very nutritious nectar and pollen available on colder days or early mornings, when the fruit trees (generally preferred) produce no nectar. It now the time also of the salmonberry flowers: dark pink flowers on wild bushed at the edges of the forest. This is not an abundant source, but worth to be mentioned as it can be easily spotted on spring walks on parks and trails. In late April - beginning of May the most abundant flowers are undoubtedly the blueberry, with their tiny white-pinkish bells. As all fruit flowers they result in a delicious honey rich in fructose, which stays liquid for longer time. It is one of the honeys with the best antibacterial properties. Raspberries and strawberries are not very abundant on this side of the Fraser, but certainly present in our honey. In the summer there are so many flowers that it is impossible to list them all: all the grasses, bushes, and trees, from the Mustard to the Swamp Hedge-Nettle. The next big harvest is the Blackberry, which usually flowers in the middle of July (often throughout July). It is a wild bush present almost everywhere in the lower mainland with big white-pink flowers. Blackberry honey is particularly delicious and rich in fructose. In August the nectar flows start to decrease, but there are still a lot of flowers for late harvest or very useful to build up the winter storage. The fireweed is present at higher elevation and flowers throughout August. Another abundant flower is the Himalayan Balsam, it is a white and purple flower, vaguely resembling an orchid, up to a meter tall. It is an invasive species and can be seen everywhere especially on the sides of creeks. It is almost a blessing for beekeepers, and it provides an abundant late nectar perfect to replenish winter stores. Main nectar flows Blueberry The flowers are normally grouped in a raceme inflorescence containing 2 to 10 flower, which can be either solitary or multiple on the leaf axis. The stalk can be widened close to the flower and are generally divided. They usually have five petals but occasionally they can range from 4 to 6. The number of sepals (the little green leaf below the flower) is the same as the petals. The shape of the flower is tubular similar to a little bell. The color ranges from partially green, white, pink and rarely red. Because of the shape of the flower with its downward facing aspect the pollination can only be accomplished by visiting insects, which in the process of collecting nectar and pollen transport the pollen from one flower to the other. If the flower is not pollinated within 3 days after flower opening, fruit set will not occur For this reason most blueberry farmer need to make sure to have a large abundance of bees and other pollinating insects by the flowering time, which normally occurs between May and June. Blackberry The flowering time is between June and August, the plant produces flowers only the second year. The flowers have 5 petals and sepals and over 20 stamen and pistils. Its colour ranges from white to pink and can be found growing wild in abundance on fields, the sides of rivers, roads, etc. They produce plenty of nectar rich in fructose, which attracts large numbers of honeybees and pollinators. Himalayan Balsam It has a pink and white flower 3 to 4 cm long a$ As for the medicinal properties, the plant has been used in light doses as a diuretic and the flower is believed to treat condition of stress Main Summer Wildflowers |
Agoseris:
Also called fake
dandelion but it belongs to the sunflower family. It can be found on mountain slopes and on grassy areas.
Chicory:
Blooms from mid June
through August, produces a yellow honey and white pollen
Clover:
Clover Honey helps to
normalize blood pressure, it helps against liver diseases, has a stimulating effect on the stomach and bowel activities.
Common Fleabane:
Is a
short-lived perennial plant, the flowers close at night. It can be found on grassy areas, it flowers from May to July.
Water lily
It grows in ponds and
normally flowers from early morning until noon.
Goldenrod
It can be found in the
meadows, along roads, ditches and waste areas. It produces a sticky and nutritious nectar, its honey is generally light in color and tends to
crystallize soon, because of high glucose content.
Ground Ivy
It belongs to the mint
family, it can be used in salad, is rich in Vitamin C. It was used in beer brewing before the usage of Hop. It has a variety of medicinal
properties: it is useful for the inflammation of the eyes, recommended against tinnitus, as a diuretic, astringent, tonic and gentle stimulant.
Useful in kidney diseases and indigestion.
Siver weed
It belongs to the
rose family, grows on river shores and grassy areas. It can be used as an antispasmodic for diarrhea and was believed it could ward off
witches and evil spirits.
Sow thistle
It is common on
roadsides and disturbed areas, it can range from 30 cm to 2 m tall and has a good quality nectar.
Stork's bill
It can be found in
bare land or on grassy areas. It is a valuable nectar and pollen source.
Sunflower
Its honey is yellow,
delicate and tends to crystallize rapidly.
Thistle
It produces a good light
amber honey. It was once used as a remedy for headaches.
Wild Bergamot
It belongs to
the mint family, grows in rich soils, flowers from June to September. It is used to treat colds, mouth and tooth infections and frequently
made into tea. It is an excellent source of nectar and therefore used as a Honey plant.
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Our Philosophy |
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Our philosophy is to take care of bees while maintaining the balance of nature: the way it has worked for millions of years. The results of this approach are strong bees and a high-quality honey. We don't use any chemicals to treat bees; we only utilize natural approaches. We carefully monitor the parasite levels and only in case of necessity we isolate and remove affected brood. The usage of chemicals in the long run makes parasites stronger (because they develop resistance) and bees weaker. It might be a good solution in the short term, but in the long term, it leads to weaker and weaker strains of bees and ultimately to what is now called colony collapse disorder (CCD). We prefer to stick to nature's way, where the next generation is determined by natural selection, not by chemical selection. We also never feed sugar syrup to our bees, not only because we don't want to contaminate our honey, like that dilute liquid sold for honey in many supermarkets, we don't even feed in the fall in preparation for the winter. We simply don't think it is fair to steal honey from the bees and replace it with sugar. Sugar is only carbohydrates while honey contains also a variety proteins, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It would be the same as if humans were eating only bread: it has energy but lacks fundamental ingredients: we wouldn't be able to stay healthy on a diet of pure bread; so, how can we expect the bees to be happy with that. Every summer we make sure to leave to each hive more than enough honey to survive through the winter, we harvest less honey, but in the spring our colonies are clearly stronger than those fed on syrup and they don't need any spring feeding for buildup, because they are already numerous and ready to harvest the early nectars. Feeding is a vicious cycle; we want to stay away from it. Another strategy we have is to distribute small apiaries in different location because diseases spread from one hive to the other and if the apiary is big the losses can be huge, that's why many commercial beekeepers are forced to use chemicals and antibiotics to eliminate the pest. We also avoid monoculture farms, because even if the quality of the nectar and pollen is good, it is only one quality. Comparing it again to humans, it would be like eating only one type of food, like chicken for example: it is good and nutritious, but it simply lacks all the nutrients of a complete diet. All these approaches are not profitable in the short term, but in the long term give us stronger bees, better honey and the consciousness that we are contributing to re-establish nature's balance in beekeeping. I know that many beekeepers and people out there are sharing our ideas and I hope through us more and more people will realize the same thing. |
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Our History |
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Our history of wine making dates back to 1077 but that was quite different from wat we do now, although the castles and the cliffs are still there... more or less. More recently, surrounded by the environment of celtic and medieval festivals in modern Cisalpine Gaul, where copious amouts of honeybrews are consumed in festive and ritual settings, we brewed and sold our first metheglin in 1996. Metheglin is mead with herbs and spices. After years of perfecting Mead, Metheglin, Melomel (Mead with fruit), we finally converged on Braggot. The reason is that Braggot is the oldest, the most authentic and it has a superior body (protein content) to complement the floral notes of the honey for optimal drinkability and versatility. After the turn of the millenium, we settled in Vinland (The way Canada was called by ancient Europeans) and we decided to start keeping bees to be able to make Braggot with our own honey. After tasting the honey from our bees we couldn't go back to commercial honey, the taste was something we had never tasted before: something between honey and juice. This was a major turning point: we became purists. Since then we stopped adding anything to flavour the Braggot. We wanted the honey to shine, with all the richness of the nectars, the land and the seasons. We established our business EBapi and Api Crafts in 2006 mainly selling honey and hive products in Vancouver island. In 2011 we moved our operation to the Fraser Valley, mainly Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Aldergrove reaching all the way to New Westminster. At that point we started doing pollination and selling bees as well, as our operation was expanding beyond our manpower. Our honey, pollen and candles were available at the farmers markets of New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge. We were also selling at numerous stores After years of building our apiaries and our experience keeping bees we decided to establish our Liquor side of the business in North Vancouver as Braggot Brewing in 2020. We opened our door of our current location at 370 Esplanade East in the summer of 2022 and since then we grew. |
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More about our Symbol |
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More that any other drinks our Braggot changes with the seasons and more that any other drinks it reflects the flavour
of the land where it is produced, more than beer, more than wine, more than mead. The uniqueness of our Braggot is not
determined by our work, not by our efforts, not by how many ours we put into our business, not by the recipe.
It is determined by the work of our bees, by what flowers they have visited, but what plats are available at any given
moment in their surroundings, which in turn is determined by the weather, the wind, the temperature, and the soil. Water,
air, fire and earth. |
Contact info and hours of operation
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Contact info
604 671 8854 |
Hours of operation
Monday closed: beekeeping day |