The wooden and weathered welcome sign to the town of Dryden, Washington, features one of the area’s most prized possessions: pears. The Central Washington locale in the fertile Wenatchee Valley serves primarily as a supply and shipping hub for local farms and orchards, one of those being the tenured, multigenerational Remley Orchards. Since the 1950s, the farm has been growing tree fruit just like the ones showcase at the town’s entrance and, as of 2018, it launched Independent Cider, a perry brand using those estate-grown culinary pears.
The Snow Gem Dry Perry, the flagship offering, pays its respects to the family’s heritage, receiving its name from the original pear crate label used by the farm to brand, market and promote pears from the orchard — and that Sno Gem label is still used today. Built on Anjou pears grown in the Dryden orchard, the year-round perry is juicy, aromatic, dry and accessible, while maintaining the delicacy of fermented pear, bringing both acid and citrus rind to the sweet, yet tangy, pear flavor.
