Story has it that fictional protagonist and beloved narcoleptic wilderness-man Rip Van Winkle (in the namesake story by author Washington Irving) wandered through New York’s Catskills Mountains, following a man dressed in dated Dutch clothing. The man led him toward the sound of rolling thunder, which ended up being a game of nine-pins (bowling with—you guessed it—nine pins). RPW joined in, drank some moonshine with his new Dutch friends and passed out for 20 years. In honor of RPW’s time-binding game and drink, Albany, New York’s Nine Pin Cider Works takes their name from this legendary tale.
Using fruit from the Hudson Valley and Capital Region on New York, including apples grown from seed on the del Peral family farm, cider maker Alejandro del Peral produces a number of ciders, pressed in the orchard with the juicing moving directly to the cidery. The Nine Pin Signature Blend is the flagship of the lineup, procuring fruit exclusively from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York. Funky and yeasty yet bold and crisp in apple flavors and aromas, this cider fleshes into pear and a variety of apple flavors in the finish, leaving the mouth with a refreshing and dry taste.
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