Defining cyser can go one of two ways: is it cider or is it mead? Typically a co-ferment of both honey and apple juice, calling this shot might ultimately be up to the maker. Denver’s Colorado Cider Co. opts for the cider handle with its Pome Mel, adding 300 pounds of Colorado wildflower honey to a batch of juice and keeping alcohol levels – somewhat miraculously as there is a lot of sugar to convert into booze in honey — at an approachable 6.5 percent. This ABV also legally allows it to be labeled as a cider, versus a mead (or honey wine). With a nod to the important roles of pollinators that bees play in agriculture, specifically in apple orchards, this honey-infused cider showcases floral components of rosemary, lavender and white flowers on the nose that carries a bit of fermented honey funk and yeast aromatics. Flowers continue to accent the edges of the juicy apple on the palate, with a light layer of honey in the off-dry finish.
