Banana Mead- 18% ABV
Made from real bananas, this mead brings you back to the islands and the sweet breezes of the ocean. Subtle and innocent this gypsy tells us a tale that is beyond comprehension. She seems so nice, a little awkward, but nice. Yet her roots are never far behind her. Thus, her delicate banana notes will come at you with an ease and steal your sanity if you are not careful…
The Legend of the Island Gypsy
A young lass in her mid-twenties arrived at the Big Lost Cabin a few months back. Her origins were unknown to all around. Unkempt and dirty from her travels, she still had a subtle beauty about her. She was not very talkative and her language seemed to be from another time. The awkward syllables and word junctures were able to convey the message, but the delivery was as though she had made up her own language from pieces of many others. Yet underneath her almost childish babble was an astute and fierce attention. She was keenly aware of her surroundings and those about her. Her interactions with the others at the cabin was obstinate to say the least though. A minor passing compliment from the Flathead Warrior resulted in the over emphasized thank yous that you would hear from a pre-teen first meeting a celebrity. The poor girl was trying her damndest to fit in, but to no avail. Unfamiliar with trade and goods, she would often steal from others as they were not looking or just help herself to one’s meal right from under their fork. While no one in the cabin was ecstatic to be around her, they all understood the naivety in her heart and were still fearful of her intentions. People are always scared of what they do not know.
Despite her abrasive and difficult social interactions though, one could tell she was one of the wisest people in the room. There was no detail too small for her hungry eyes. Not used to a world with so much stimuli she longed to experience it all. Extremely self-aware and unable to turn off her survival instincts made her a force to be reckoned with. Our Sweet Dame though would eventually sit down and take the time to understand this mysterious woman and her story was legendary to us all…..
Many years ago a young gypsy girl from Romania had set off on a voyage of necessity towards the New World. Packed like cordwood into the depths of an old wooden ship called the Diversity, her senses were wrought with the stenches of 80 people living for two months in a cramped and smoggy box. But as the weather got warmer and air just a little bit sweeter, a strong storm was seen from the starboard side of the Diversity. Coming in hot the crew of the ship began preparations for a battle with nature. Their efforts would ultimately be for naught though, as she would keel over within minutes of losing her main mast in a ferocious gale. As the Diversity rolled over, the main hull broke in half and flooded the gypsy cavern with the young girl still in it. She was able to grasp ahold of a mead barrel though as it floated up to the surface. Yet despite her good fortune, the luck of all of her kin and the rest of the ship would parish in that forsaken vessel. Floating upon her barrel for an unknown amount of time passed and the sea took her to a remote island somewhere in the distance.
Arriving on this island she waited for a couple days to see if any other survivors would make it to her, but nothing. Instead of perpetually waiting until her ultimate demise, the cunning young lass began building a shelter and finding a water source. Foraging for food and developing fishing techniques she was soon a master of her little paradisiacal prison. And luckily for her, a barrel of mead was not bad to have on hand either! As the days transitioned into months, she knew that this place would be her new life and she would make do.
Searching whilst she was there she found that she was truly alone on this caye, not even Wilson was there to befriend her. But as a young maturing lady she needed interaction with others, so she soon developed the uncanny ability to have conversations with herself. With an almost vexing quality she would go on to develop a language all of her own devises. All in all she was the only mammal in an area that was nearly seven acres with nothing but oceanic abyss in every direction. This language and desolation was to define her innocence in the greater world around her.
Many adventures would find this girl during her stay. Everything from hunger, to hurricanes, to ailment, a vicious shark attack, quicksand, a rogue monster crab, and even a lightning strike that decimated her living quarters. For 18 years she would call this decrepit island her home. Until one day a passing ship would see her roaring fire and find her waiting.
As the ship approached the island, they noticed the fire had mysteriously gone out. They boarded their landing craft and rowed towards the wispy smoke. Seeing these men with ironclad helmets, the lass sank back into the darkness of the jungle. Not used to seeing people for 18 years she was not exactly sure what to think of them. As they walked up to the fire, they noticed this was no natural fire. Neatly stacked wood piles, cooking spits, and heat reflective housing was qualitative signs of occupancy. As they began searching for the tenant of this island, the gypsy snuck to the beach and boarding their landing craft. Searching for anything worth using she came across and large knife that would be perfect for butchering barracuda. She grabbed it and snuck back off into the trees. With her new prize she decided to get a closer look at these strangers. Slipping quietly as a leapress she crept behind one of them. Smelling the tobacco smoke upon his clothes and the salt in his hair she was near enough to whisper in his ear.
Eventually the desire to show herself and talk with them was overcoming and she caved into her curiosity. She swept right beside him brushing his left arm. The fear instilled within in this man caused defecation in his britches; his embarrassment was palpable. Stunned they all looked upon this beautiful and mysterious woman. Her words didn’t make sense but they tried to communicate with her anyhow. She merely stared at each of them, studying every detail about them. Despite her small stature, they were petrified of her. After several hours of cautious fascination both parties decided she would go with them to the mainland. Three hours later the gypsy was on the landing craft moving away from her island world never to lay eyes upon it again.
Three weeks later this young lady would land in the Americas, only to vanish from the men within minutes of landing. They never did find where she went or even got her name. While perplexed, secretly they were ecstatic to be out of her presence. They gypsy on the other hand would wonder around from village to village and from remote landscape to desolate hollow for a while in pure ecstacy at all the new things to discover. Eventually she would find her way to Western Wyoming and land at the Big Lost Cabin, where she would rediscover her favorite beverage and mystify a new group of passersby in her life. To a young girl tuned into capable woman with nothing but her own tenacity and cunning, we raise our horns of mead and tankards of beer and give respect to young Island Gypsy that is tougher than we’ll ever be! Get Your Pillage On Island Gypsy, Get Your Pillage On!