Pattern-Building Perfection: Why Blood of an Englishman Shines for Two

**Meeples & Wine Episode 105: Climbing Beanstalks with The Confidence Man Mead & Blood of an Englishman** Hey board game couples and podcast fans! Welcome back to another cozy episode of Meeples & Wine, your go-to board game podcast for couples who love reviewing games with a drink in hand. We’re Michael and Suzy, and today we’re pairing a bold Illinois mead with a clever two-player card game that brings the classic Jack and the Beanstalk tale to the table. Grab your glasses and settle in—this one’s perfect for date night board gaming. ### What Wine (or Mead) Are We Tasting Today? We’re sipping **The Confidence Man** from Honey Heist Mead Co. in Cobden, Illinois (Shawnee Hills AVA). This Old Fashioned-inspired mead is aged on American oak with cherries, a hint of orange zest, cinnamon, bitters, and sweetened with bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. Smooth, complex, and a little dangerous—exactly the vibe for a game about facing a giant. Perfect for couples looking for unique mead pairings with board games or podcast listeners hunting for craft beverage recommendations alongside tabletop reviews. ### What Game Are We Playing? **Blood of an Englishman** (2016) is a pure two-player, open-information card game designed by Dan Cassar (of Arboretum fame), with art by Chris Ostrowski and published by Minion Games. On BoardGameGeek it sits at a solid 6.5/10 with a light complexity of 1.85/5—ideal for couples who want a quick, tense evening without a huge rules dump. One player is Jack, trying to grow three beanstalks and claim the Bag of Gold, Golden Goose, and Singing Harp. The other is the Giant, maneuvering Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum cards to trap Jack or starve him of the cards he needs. Setup is simple: shuffle the 50-card deck into five face-up Castle Stacks. Jack gets a free “Giantess’ Protection” move, then players alternate. Jack gets three moves per turn to rearrange cards and build ascending beanstalks (six cards + treasure). The Giant gets one powerful action—discard a beanstalk card, shift groups of four cards, or reposition a single card. Win conditions check constantly, so every play feels sharp. No expansions needed. It’s pure asymmetric pattern-building and variable player powers in about 30 minutes. Great for fans of two-player board games, light strategy card games, and fairy-tale themed tabletop experiences. ### Last Call And for our Last Call Kickstarter spotlight: check out **Viva La Dungeon! Rise of the Neckromancer**—one book, three heroes, a dungeon you explore with choices, dice, and a story that changes every run. Cool solo/coop storytelling for board game podcast fans who love narrative adventures. That’s it from us! If you enjoyed this board game and mead pairing podcast episode, share it with a fellow gaming couple. Reach us anytime at meeplesandwine@gmail.com, on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn, or leave a voicemail at (707) 572-5282. See you next time on Meeples and Wine! Buh-Bye! * * * **All URLs mentioned in this episode notes:** - The Confidence Man mead: https://vinoshipper.com/shop/honey\heist\mead\co/the\confidence\man\167353 - Honey Heist Mead Co.: https://www.honeyheistmeadco.com/ - Blood of an Englishman on BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/206504/the-blood-of-an-englishman - Designer Dan Cassar: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/53889/dan-cassar - Artist Chris Ostrowski: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameartist/69028/chris-ostrowski - Publisher Minion Games: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepublisher/13433/minion-games - Viva La Dungeon! Rise of the Neckromancer Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zontcogamingdivision/viva-la-dungeon-rise-of-the-neckromancer