By Ty Hillis
Oregon Cider Week is returning to Oregon this June, with celebrations and events revolving around all things cider. The 10-day, statewide celebration begins on June 18th and will include tastings, dinners and cider maker summits.
This is the fourth annual Oregon Cider Week, which has been gaining popularity in conjunction with cider’s increasing rise to fame. In the past, the weeklong event has been a hub for cider makers, enthusiasts, and casual fans alike to gather and enjoy the best that the northwest has to offer.
Many of the regional cideries that will be featured have won international acclaim for their traditional dry ciders and perrys. There will also be a number of new, extremely unique blends to enjoy. These will include black currants, hops, lavender, quince, and many more unusual ingredients to give event-goers a truly new experience.
In addition to cider tastings, the week will feature a number of cider-focused activities. There will be new cider cocktails to experiment with for those that want a little extra kick. Pairings between cider and meals will be planned so that both will highlight the other. Chefs will be using cider to cook with, surely producing great, subtle flavors to the food. And of course, cideries will be in attendance to offer the newest and best ciders from around the world.
Last year, cider week featured ciders from 20 local northwest cideries and featured more than 30 cider-related activities. This year is looking to build on that success and have even more.
While Oregon is next up in celebrating the greatness that is cider, many other states also have a week dedicated to it. California, Michigan, New York, Virginia and Washington are among the others that feature a weeklong celebration. In September, Washington will kick off their week on the 10th and will also feature ciders from the northwest region.
The celebration kicks off on Thursday, June 18th, and will run for 10 days, concluding on Sunday, June 28th. The Northwest Cider Association is organizing the event, which can be viewed here. As proud sponsors of the event, along with our sister publication Sip Northwest, we hope to see you there!
