Orcharding isn’t the only thing that was passed down for generations at the Bauman’s Farm and Garden in Gervais, Oregon. According to Christine Walter, the fifth generation to run the land, her great-grandfather also fermented the apples from the farm, just like Walter does today with her Bauman’s Cider. Draft-only until the soon-to-be-released bottles arrive in the market, Bauman’s Cider produces small-batch offerings ranging from estate logenberry infusions to heritage apples grown onsite and fresh hops from the neighbors.
One of many Pacific Northwest cideries to indulge to hopping their ciders with farm-fresh hops — it is a loose requirement in beer that a fresh hop ale is one that is hopped with the plant within 24 hours off the bine — Walter gets her Willamette and Nugget varieties from their next door neighbors, hop grower F&B Farms. Stepping up that game, Walter plunged into her hops into the cider within five minutes, and also added pineapple purée to counter the bitterness of the plant. Mostly built on dessert apples, like Gala and Jonagold, the Fresh Hopped cider from Bauman’s blends juicy apple fruit with the herbal and floral qualities of the hops, with the pineapple ripening the bitter components and broadening the palate, finishing off-dry and succulent in soft apple acid. Get it while it’s fresh.
