Buy in, load up, #drinkcider: these are the six picks from the Cidercraft staff, from our cider fridge to yours.
West Avenue Cider House North by West
Chris Ackerman, Revenue Manager
“I was introduced to West Avenue’s North by West ice cider at our CIDERCRAFT Awards. I have to admit I was expecting an overly sweet dessert beverage but was delighted to discover the full apple and warm herbal flavors of the cider. A vintage-based cider, cidermaker Chris Haworth uses only Ontario-grown apples for the blend, which really showcases the cold winters of the Niagara region. It makes you want to find a relaxing place to curl up with good friends and enjoy this wonderful libation.”
Stormalong The Grand Banks Whiskey Barrel-Aged
Shea McCammant, Accounts Manager
“Stormalong has described this cider as ‘liquid apple whiskey gold,’ and I couldn’t agree more. A blend of heirloom apples is aged in charred oak whiskey barrels from Bully Boy Distillers in Boston for just under a year, which lends this cider serious notes of whiskey, plus vanilla, coconut and toffee, with savory acidity and layered tannins. Oh, and did I mention the whiskey? The repurposed barrels give this cider just enough of the whiskey flavor and spice I love to warm from the inside out.”
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Bloom
Melissa Miller, Chief Operating Officer
“Bloom was my first introduction to cider, and has left a lasting impression ever since. To this day, that off-dry, fruit-forward cider from the Oregon producer is still my favorite and barometer for others. I’m a big fan of Thai cuisine, so the tropical fruits and soothing apple flavors, not to mention easy acidity, make it a no-brainer when it comes to pairing. It’s on the bottle list at one of my neighborhood bars, too, which makes it even more convenient of a choice.”
Citizen Cider bRosé
Kristin Ackerman Bacon, Publisher
“Channeling my inner bro while bringing in my affinity for all things pink, Citizen Cider’s bRosé has quickly become one of my top selections for fruit-infused ciders. Apples from the cidery’s go-to orchard, Happy Valley, in Vermont are co-fermented with Vermont-grown blueberries, for a cider the ‘three bros’ at Citizen say is the ‘embodiment of cooperation.’ I feel pretty good about drinking a cider that is all about us just getting along — doesn’t hurt that it tastes great, too!”
Sonoma Cider The Pitchfork Pear
Randi Karabin, Creative Director
“I had a wonderful pear cider when traveling in New York City last fall. It was a beautiful, crisp day in the city and an idyllic afternoon to stroll the High Line then enjoy a light beverage while watching people walk by. I have been searching for that beautiful, crisp pear cider ever since and have found it in this blend. Creamy but refreshing, the delicate pear flavor, the acid, the touch of vanilla added, how it balances it with food — the combination is perfection on a cool autumn day.”
Blue Bee Cider Harrison
Erin James, Editor-in-chief
“You have to respect Virginia apple growers for their dedication of rehabilitating and even reincarnating old apples. Harrison is the perfect case: rediscovered by pomme fruit expert Tom Burford, nurtured in the orchards of Albemarle CiderWorks and brought to cider life in this bottling by Blue Bee’s Courtney Mailey. This is a small-batch bottling in the urban cidery’s Heirloom Series, and one of rich, tannic, full-bodied proportions. This intricate tipple takes on even more layers of unfolding acid and apple when paired with some aged sheep’s milk cheese.”
This story originally ran in Cidercraft Vol. 10, for the full article and more like it, click here.
