Each month I pose one question to a trio of cidermakers to compare similarities and differences between creators of our favorite drink. We’ve covered a good range of topics: cidermaking challenges, preferred apple varieties, even a few behind-the-scenes peeks at...
Cidermakers across Maine are leading the way when it comes to foraged cider, sourcing forgotten fruit along the rocky coast, through longstanding farmlands, and along neighbors’ fences. Here are three places in the country’s northeasternmost state to find...
Cidermakers are rediscovering the long, delicious history of pét nat ciders At the tip of the hip cultural sphere in beverages sits “pét nat,” short for pétillant naturel — a French term that loosely translated means “naturally sparkling.” American wineries have...
After years of increasingly severe wildfires in major wine regions such as Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties in California, and in the Adelaide Hills of Australia (among others), the concern about damage caused by smoke taint in grapes grown in, near or within...
Each month I ask one question to three cidermakers to compare the similarities and differences between artist of the same craft. Last month, we learned what favorite styles of cider certain cidermakers like to produce and why. This month, I thought it would be fun...
As the days continue to get longer, and the sun is shining a bit more, spring is definitely here. It’s such a special time of year as new life begins to grow, and plenty of different fruits begin to shine. And those fruits are being showcased in ciders across the...
Apple Tales with Darlene Hayes My first deep dive into apple history came in 2017. I’d been asked to be part of an evening focused on the Golden Russet, which would include some history, a chance to sample fresh fruit from various orchards across the country, and...
Making alcohol without alcohol sounds like the beginning of a Saturday Night Live skit. And until recently, that’s how it was treated by cidermakers, brewers, winemakers and distillers. But times have changed. Pregnant women, teetotalers and occasional abstainers...
Founded in 2017, Berryland is an award-winning Ukrainian cidery, fruit winery and meadery located near Kyiv. In March Berryland was bombed beyond recognition by Russian troops. Berryland's owner and cidermaker, Vitalli, is committed to rebuilding. To support...
I have heard on more than one occasion cidermakers speak of two different kinds of cider: those that pay the bills and those that they love to make. It seems especially true at cideries of medium to larger size, where economic and market realities must sometimes...
