Hanukkah is known as the “festival of light” because of the miracle that occurred in the Holy Temple after defeating the Greeks way back when. There was only enough oil to light the menorah in the Temple for one night but it miraculously lasted eight nights instead. And so to commemorate the miracle, Jews all around the world celebrate by lighting their own menorahs and eating foods fried in oil. With Hanukkah kicking off yesterday, here are five ciders to accompany those latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts you’re scarfing down.
Bay Brut | Golden State Cider | Sebastopol, CA
A nice rustic and unfiltered dry cider that is packaged in cans, this drink is ideal for one of the more laid back nights of the long holiday when you’re all lounging around. It’s simple but it does it well which is why you should grab a can of this as you wait for dinner to be prepared.
Lapinette | Virtue Cider | Fennville, MI
This homage to a Norman-style cidre is aged for months in wine barrels. The result is a dry cider perfect to contrast the fried oily goodness from all those potato cakes you’ve been plowing through. The Michigan cidery takes notes from the OG cidermakers of England and France in all of its ciders but this one stands out with hints of floral and a bit of farmhouse funk.
Wild Fermented Cider | Dragon’s Head Cider | Vashon Island, WA
This farmhouse style cider will go swimmingly with your houmemade challah. While still a fairly dry cider, this drink has a nice mild sourness to it and a bit of funk. Dragon’s Head Cider does it all on its island farm in Washington State, from growing and harvesting the apples to bottling the cider. The subtle fruitiness of this cider will make that braided bread even tastier.
Pinot N’arlet | Ploughman Cider | Aspers, PA
If you were wanting something a little different then look at Ploughman’s Pinot N’arlet, a cider in which the Pennsylvania cidery uses a batch of Pinot Noir grapes from their neighbors to macerate with the apple juice. A wild-fermented mix of Macoun and Arlet apples are aged on the skins of the grapes and make for a pretty blushed-colored drink. Serve yourself a healthy helping of brisket with a glass of this.
Cidre Bouche Brud de Normandie | Etienne Dupont | Normandy, France
Here’s a cider that will work great for a night of eating and celebrating. This French cider is bubbly and has a low alcohol content which means you can sip this all night long. From the main course to dessert (maybe some apple pie?), a glass of this will go with it all. It has Champagne vibes but with an intense tart apple taste, making it perfect for the festive holiday.
