Cider is bound to no particular season, but nothing gets us fully tuned in to the colder seasons like apples with some extra spice. Cideries across the country are fully embracing the peak of fall with some Chai ciders — or as some are more endearingly called, chaiders. Find one in your region below.
Apple of My Chai | Far From the Tree | Salem, MA
Far From the Tree has been creating ciders with English inspiration since 2014. This black tea infusion sips semi-sweet, with spices like clove and cardamom and an orange peel addition. In addition, the Salem-based cidery doesn’t shy away from spices, like incorporating rosemary and sage into their Bog cider and smoked nutmeg with cherry in the Cherry Dive.
Chai Me A River | Newtopia Cyder | San Diego, CA
Since opening in early 2017, Newtopia is fresh to the cider game, making progressive cider styles at their production facility in Scripps Ranch. Chai Me A River is their tribute to fall where chrysanthemum, chamomile and cinnamon blend and linger with the apple base for a smooth, chai-inspired finish.
The Spice Merchant | Noble Hard Cider | Asheville, NC
At Noble Hard Cider, the Spice Merchant isn’t limited as a seasonal but ventures on as one of the main flagships, accompanied with other vagabond-themed ciders like the Golden Arrow and the Village Tart. Cardamom, cinnamon and clove build upon semi-sweet apple base. The Spice Merchant also showcases organic, locally-sourced chai from AppalaChai just outside of Asheville.
Chaider | Schilling Cider | Auburn, WA
For Chaider, Schilling collaborates with Dragonfly Chai, Portland’s organic tea microbrewery. The cider is one of the Seattle-area-based cidery’s top winter seasonals and available until December. If you can’t get enough, the Schilling staff has put together some warm and chilled cider cocktail recipes for the Chaider on their page.
Vanilla Chai | Nine Pin Cider | Albany, NY
Based on their selection, you may notice that Nine Pin likes to push boundaries, exploring many different ingredients to add to their ciders. One of their seasonal explorations this time of year is the Vanilla Chai. This winter warmer is aged on vanilla beans and infused with chai from Short and Stout Tea Co. in Albany.
