Flourish Magazine

Heidrun Proprietor, Gordon Hull, on the farm with his busy workers. G ordon Hull has a lot to cel- apprentice and then as a paid commercial Scandinavian Norse Mythology. As legend ebrate this holiday season. As brewer, really galvanized the desire to goes, Odin, the Allfather of the Gods one of the newest entrepre- start a business of my own," he reflects. and ruler of the Asgard kingdom, was neurs to call West Marin his He always pictured that business would paranoid of being poisoned by his en- home, Hull is making a name for himself be a brewery, but the micro-brew indus- emies. To thwart their murderous intent, as the proprietor of Heidrun Meadery — an try was already booming and Hull wanted he shunned food and subsisted entirely artisan operation tucked off Highway One to set himself apart from the pack. on mead produced from the udder of his just north of Point Reyes Station where he Making mead seemed like the perfect magical goat, Heidrun. In considering a crafts his unique brand of fermented honey compromise. name for his business, Heidrun seemed wine. Hull, a former Seattle-based environmen- "The idea of fermenting honey into like a natural fit to Hull who initially wine sounded beautiful and romantic to launched the meadery in Arcada, Califor- tal geologist, first caught the "brew bug" in me," he says reflectively, "but the com- nia in 1997. the early 90's when he started experiment- mercial meads I sampled were excessively ing in his kitchen making homemade beer. sweet, cloying, and flavored with fruit, tastes and the knowledge he had gained The fermentation process so intrigued him herbs, and spices that overwhelmed the while working at Lost Coast, Hull set out to that he took a leave of absence from his ca- natural essence of the honey." He pauses make his own style of mead — aiming for reer to enroll in a ten-week apprenticeship to lift his champagne flute and examine a finished product that was dry, naturally program at the American Brewers Guild. the sparkling liquid before finishing his effervescent, and true to the distinct floral As fate would have it, the apprenticeship thought. "Intuitively, I felt mead should be nuances of its honey base. Heidrun is the led to a job offer at Lost Coast Brewery, a a light, refreshing, and pleasurable bever- only company in the world that uses the commercial ale producer in Arcata, Califor- age that revealed the aromas of the honey traditional Methode Champenoise style nia. Hull said "yes" to the offer, packed his from which it was made." which incorporates fresh yeast and a sec- bags, and relocated to California's rugged Though mead is a novelty that is gain- Armed with his decidedly "beer-centric" ondary fermentation to create a naturally North Coast where he immersed himself in ing popularity in the marketplace, many sparkling finished product. The multi-step the brewery business. people are surprised to discover it is a process takes four months from start to drink with ancient roots tracing back to finish. "The experience I gained, first as an WINTER 2013 • FLOURISH 15

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