Stewards of the land in California’s Sonoma County, Ethic Ciders is founded on its principles of “regenerative agriculture.” For the family-run cidery and orchard, Ethic’s Ned and Michelle Lawton farm with the intention of connecting with their communities and leaving the world in a better place than they found it. Admirable aspirations set the married couple out in 2013, first purchasing a small, organic, heirloom apple orchard outside of Sebastopol.
One of Ethic’s first (of two) ciders is the Golden Rule, an orchard blend of 85 percent Golden Delicious apples, with Jonathan, Rhode Island Greening and Gravenstein apples filling out the remainder of the equation. A signature showcase of what the orchard is growing, ripe and juicy golden apples spill forward in the aromatics, fringed with notes of white flowers and apple skin. Flavors of honeycomb and honeydew add to the apple footing, and acid dances throughout the finish. A fitting cider to ease with the transition into fall.
