Essential to any successful holiday gathering is picking the right libation to consume. You want something that your hip cousin won’t turn his nose up at but also something that your mother, who swears by the big commercial brands she can find at Safeway, will be OK with. We asked two cider experts — Katie Kiele, co-founder of Leavenworth Cider House in Leavenworth, Washington, and Steven Baird, managing partner at Cardiff Giant and The Owl Farm in Brooklyn — to weigh in on what they’d recommend filling your cart up with.
For the Welcome Toast
Cidermaker’s Reserve | Snowdrift Cider Co. | $19
“I’d save this one to celebrate with ones you hold dearest,” Kiele explains. “This cider is not only a beauty in a glass it tastes just as good as you would expect it to. Yummy cheese plates accompanied with hearty breads for sharing would be ideal for this limited release sparkler.”
For the Cider Newbie
Kinda Dry | Brooklyn Cider House | $10
“This is a crisp and refreshing off-dry cider made from New York-grown culinary apples and fermented with white wine yeasts,” Baird details. “It’s the perfect intro for someone looking to move beyond the mass market, overly sweet ciders, and also enjoyable for the seasoned cider drinker.”
For the Seasonal Selection
Sassamanash | Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse | $13 |
“With its beautiful rose-blush color and 9.9 ABV, this cranberry-hibiscus-apple cider will be a fond holiday memory to last,” Kiele says. “Faintly sharp, with a polished, lingering sweet finish, Sassamanash will make you wish it was accessible year-round. However you can always look forward to next year’s holiday season to have this gem make its awaited arrival.”
For a Festive Celebration
Autumn’s Gold | Eve’s Cidery | $18
“Sub this in wherever and whenever you’d be drinking Champagne,” Baird suggests. “A bone-dry, traditional-method sparkling cider from Finger Lakes apples. And bubbles, lots and lots of bubbles.”
For the Holiday Tune Crooner
Snow Globe | One Tree Cider | $14
“This cider makes you want to turn on Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ and dance around the Christmas tree,” Kiele says. “Its soft cinnamon smell and apple cinnamon caramel taste makes for the jolliest of ciders and bonus: glitter! Yes, the glitter in this [cider] glass is sure to turn some heads and give you the illusion of a looking into a snow globe.”
For the Dessert Course
Pommeau | South Hill Cider | $28
“Serve this after dinner like a dessert wine,” Baird recommends. “It’s a blend of one-third apple spirits and two-thirds unfiltered, unfermented fresh cider. The resulting blend is then aged before being bottled. The resulting liquid is sweet, complex and strong — 20 percent ABV — and perfect for sipping by the fire.”
