A joint operation of friends and family, SARO Cider launched in late 2018 as Nebraska’s first cider-only producer. With influences from beer but a devotion to the apple, the wide variety of ciders feature everything from exclusive yeast strains and locally roasted coffee to jalapeño and Hood River, Oregon, juice. The Ardennes — named for the sweepingly scenic region in southeast Belgium — follows by witbier example in this Belgian wit-style cider fermented and blended with coriander, lemon, ginger and orange. All of those added characteristics ring through in the resiliently apple-forward sip. Heaps of candied Meyer lemon and orange peel weigh on the honeyed nose, with baking spices on the full-bodied, semi-sweet palate. That juicy Oregon apple base comes in with full force in the middle of the sip and carries on in the bouncy, ginger-y finish.
