A sweet tooth is hard to deny. To sate this hankering, Urban Orchard Cider Co. in Asheville, North Carolina, has a sweet and sticky solution.
Pairing takes priority at this popular urban cidery, which brings cider to the thirsty and savvy masses of this buzzing beverage city. Focused on pairing their ciders with each food item on the menu, whether it be savory, sweet, raw or cooked, marketing and creative director Jeff Anderson says it really brightens up the dish.
One of Urban Orchard’s ciders on their menu is the Sidra Del Diablo, a cider infusion with habanero and a bit of vanilla. Recently, Anderson has been experimenting with the cider-soaked habanero peppers and turning it into a fresh puree for dishes as well. For a sweet tooth craving, Anderson says he likes to reduce the spicy cider and drizzle it atop his vanilla ice cream, particularly the vanilla bean ice cream from neighboring artisan The Hop Ice Cream Café. This spicy, alcohol-free cider syrup can also be used in a variety of dishes and cocktails as well.
“It’s a hot sauce complement,” Anderson says of the pure and natural sipper. “It’s all habaneros that have been infused with our cider.”
Spicy Cider Syrup
Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 5-8 bowls of ice cream
Ingredients:
16 ounces Urban Orchard Sidra Del Diablo Habanero-Vanilla-infused cider, or another chili-infused cider
3 tablespoons raw sugar
Directions:
Bring 16 ounces of Urban Orchard Sidra Del Diablo to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Lower heat to medium and allow to reduce by half. Once the cider is darker in color, about 10 minutes, add three tablespoons of raw sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved then place back on medium heat. Continue to reduce until the cider-sugar mixture is slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. A dark, thin syrup is the desired result after cooled. Drizzle over your ice cream of choice and enjoy.
