Spring is riiiiiight around the corner! And wow, are we ready for it. While, at first, we were grateful for winter’s chill and the many excuses it gave us to stay inside and make comfort-food snacks (hello, pretzels with cider cheese sauce) and sip warm winter ciders, now we crave sunshine! Short sleeves! Berries by the barrel-full!

Happily, there are ciders for every season, and we’ve gathered seven ciders that feel just right for the blossoming of glorious spring:

Castle Hill Cider Celestial 2021

It might seem funny to kick off this list with a cider that’s not pretty in pink or packed with spring fruit, but some of the strongest signifiers of spring sipping for us are light, easy, breezy ciders that balance complexity and pure refreshment. Find all of that in Castle Hill Cider’s Celestial, a subtly tannic cider with notes of citrus, floral and spice. A combination of 100% estate-grown heirloom and bittersweet apples (Harrison, Albemarle Pippin and Gold Rush) yield a truly pretty cider that’s perfect with vegetable-forward seasonal fare. Shop online. 6065 Turkey Sag Rd., Keswick, VA; (434) 296-0047.

Golden State Gingergrass Cider

Just as our lawns start to grow back and bring some much-needed green to the color palette of the world, Cali-based Golden State Cider‘s Gingergrass Cider offers a dose of freshness and life. We love how lemongrass, ginger and apples play together, an earthy, herbal experience that’s kind of like putting your face to a patch of sunshine-warmed grass and taking a sniff. This refreshing cider offers big notes of lemon and grapefruit on the nose, with a tart, balanced finish. Shop online or head to Golden State’s taproom. 180 Morris St., Ste. 150, ​Sebastopol, CA; (707) 827-3765. 

Graft Cider Native Oranje

Graft Cider‘s recently launched a line of wine/cider hybrids, Native, which come in a variety of flavors. Perfect for spring? Native Oranje, a hyper-local co-fermented blend of spontaneously fermented Finger Lake Riesling grape skins and Hudson Valley apples. Native Oranje is like a spring love affair between cider and orange wine: light-bodied and fresh, with notes of rose petals, lychee and little bit of funk. Shop online, or find some near you with the Graft finder tool. Newburg, NY

Stargazer Cider Gemini

Give us ALL of the strawberries! Gemini is a perky seasonal from Stargazer Cider, blending Southern apples with strawberries and rhubarb for a light-hearted, berry-forward situation. Look for it, for a limited time only (just like strawberry season), on Stargazer’s online shop or at the James Creek Cider House tasting room in Cameron, North Carolina. 172 US-1 Highway, Cameron, NC; (910) 245-9901

Portland Cider Co. Pineapple Rosé

Rosé ciders are here to stay, and we expect we’ll be seeing updated varieties and spin-offs from cidermakers as we progress through spring and summer. Case in point: the seasonal cider, Pineapple Rosé, from Portland Cider Co., made with real pineapples and a blend of culinary apples, and a hit of blueberry for color. Tasting notes include pineapple and strawberries and cream nose, with flavors of jammy pineapple, blueberry, marionberry pie and cotton candy in the juice. Use Portland Cider’s finder tool or check out its cider pubs in Clackamus, Beaverton and Portland, Oregon. 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR; (971) 888-5054; 8925 SE Jannsen Rd., Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR; (503) 744-4213; 4005 SW Orbit St., Beaverton, OR; (503) 626-6246.

Wildcraft Cider Works Elderflower Quince Cider

We love the subtle elegance of elderflower and wonder, quite frankly, why we don’t see more ciders made with it. WildCraft Cider Works Elderflower Quince Cider blends this botanical’s best qualities with Jonagold apples, and three hand-picked quince varieties that are planted, grown and harvested at the biodynamic WildCraft Orchard at Meadowview Farm. The quince are shredded and lightly fermented on skin for two weeks prior to pressing, then naturally aged for six months, which turns them into wine, which is then blended with cider and then cold-conditioned with elderflowers. Wildly floral and elegant, this is a knockout at your next picnic. Shop online for this and more WildCraft ciders, or go to its Cider Mill Market to shop for these and other locally made products. 232 Lincoln St., Eugene, OR; (541) 735-3506

Wayside Cider Skinny Dip

Not all spring ciders must be redolent of blooming gardens and berry brambles — sometimes you just want something zesty, juicy and clean. Our pick for that is Wayside Cider‘s Skinny Dip, made almost exclusively with slow-fermented dessert apples. A touch of quince lends subtle fruitiness and crisp acidity. Serve this natural sparkler nicely chilled, and enjoy refreshing tasting notes of pear and wet stone. This is also a good cider to impress your natural-wine-loving friends! Find Wayside Cider at better bottle shops and restaurants throughout New York City and state, or at its dreamy tap room in a restored barn in the Catskills. 55 Redden Ln., Andes, NY; (845) 676-6002

What ciders scream “SPRINGTIME!!” to you? Let us know!

• Feature photo: Dish Works

The post 7 Ciders to Put You in a Springtime State-of-Mind appeared first on Cider Culture.

Nope, we’re not gonna do it — we’re not going to give in to either side of the Valentine’s Day debate. We’re not going to say that “love sucks” because, in fact, we love love and think that the world could use a whole lot more of it. But we’re also not going to lean too far into the over-the-top romance, because there are infinite types of love beyond the soulmate kind of love. If you are in love, it’s probably something you should celebrate way more often than just on February 14.

That said, Valentine’s Day is a holiday that can be really fun, sometimes in conventional ways, like with a fancy dinner or with chocolates and roses (wait … does anyone actually do that?), and sometimes in more modern ways, like a Galentine’s brunch, or a cozy night mixing up cocktails and eating pizza and too much candy with a sibling. Whatever type of vibe feels right for you, there is a cider that’s just right for the occasion.

Here are 13 ciders you should be cracking open this Valentine’s Day, no matter how you celebrate:

Look at this little cutie from Austin Eastciders! This Texas-based brand always keeps it fun and casual, which is what staying in on Valentine’s Day is all about. Austin Eastciders’ Dry Rosé is firmly on the dry side, and at 5% ABV, you can sip it all the way through Kill Bill (or whatever your Valentine’s Day movie of choice is), no problem. The rosé has tasting notes of crisp apple, rose petals, black currant and hibiscus, and it would make a great pairing with takeout sushi.

If your idea of the perfect date night includes homemade cheese fondue (very MCC fabulous) and goblets of cider, pair your Gruyere dipping with SpaceTime Mead & Cider’s Les Terriens Soltaires. This natural-style cider is this producer’s third in a series of releases inspired by traditional ciders from Brittany and Normandy, France. Made from fresh-pressed apples from Ayer’s Orchards in Ransom Township, PA, this keeved cider is dry and a pleasantly funky.

Instead of a bouquet of flowers (which are totally out of season in most parts of the country right now anyway) try a floral, herbal cider! One of the best-selling offerings from City Orchard, also from Texas, is its Lavender Royale, made with a blend of culinary apples, steeped with lavender from the Texas Hill Country and balanced with local honey. Though it is fresh and botanical, you won’t have that unfortunate “Am I drinking body wash?” experience that sometimes happens with other floral beverages. Find City Orchard’s products at its tasting room in Houston or shop online.

Planning to destroy a box of chocolates with your BFF? Pair all of those super-rich bon-bons with a fresh, fruity cider, like Stem Cider‘s Raspberry Cider. This dry cider is a juicy, balanced sipper with enough tartness to stand up to dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel, alike.

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Ciders made from red-fleshed apples are practically meant for this narrow color-schemed holiday. Snowdrift Cider Co.‘s Red Cider, which comes in a cute 500-ml bottle, channels the loving feelings with a beautiful hue and complex profile of bright acidity and nuanced fruit flavors. Tasting notes include: cranberries, watermelon, rhubarb and strawberries (all the red things!), with soft toffee tones on the finish.

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If you can get your hands on anything from Fable Farm Fermentory, we highly suggest you do! The quiet elegance and complex flavors of its ciders and wines are perfect for a special occasion. If you have a few to choose from, try Fluxion, a sparkling apple wine made from the merging of multiple vintages of cider aged in an assortment of wood barrels.

This dry, refreshing cider was made in the traditional method, with maple syrup used to start a secondary fermentation in bottle. According to Fable Farm, “Fluxion is defined as ‘the act of flowing; the matter that flows.'” Isn’t that what we’re all hoping for when it comes to love? Shop online, head to its tasting room in Barnard, Vermont, or peruse one of Fable Farm’s stockists, which are mostly in Vermont, but a few other places, as well.

Reuby True is a fun, collaborative release from Philly’s Hale & True Cider Co. along with Chef Reuben R. Asaram, a local chef specializing in wildly creative tacos. This co-fermentation of red dragonfruit and Asian pears has Galentine’s written all over it. The charming ruby-red color, plus the tasting notes of tangy fruit, flowers and cream, is meant for living room dance parties, preferably with a very Robyn-heavy playlist.

Hoping to spice things up? Ginger ciders bring a real sassy kick to the party and make incredible pairings with some of our favorite takeout options, like Thai and Vietnamese food. Ginger and apples are also cozy companions, as apple’s sweet-tart nature and ginger’s cool heat create a good kind of tension — know what we mean? Hudson North Cider Ginger Citrus is an special extra-spicy ginger cider with notes of orange and grapefruit that’s a real winner for a casual date night.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all pinks and reds — but sometimes it’s fun to just lean all the way into it. The special Bouquet of Rosé gift set from Finnriver Farm & Cidery, is a love letter to the land, the magic of fermentation and the community surrounding Finnriver! Meant to uplift love and spark joy, this fun collection plays on the stereotypical V-Day gift of floral bouquets but in cider form: the trio includes bright and tart Autumn’s Blush, lush botanical Cranberry Rosehip and the delightfully sweet Raspberry Brandywine.

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If it is pink cider that you’re after, and you want a large-format bottle for your cozy dinner in or out, one of the best of the bunch is Scarlett from Ethic Ciders. This seasonal cider release is a blend of dry farmed heirloom apples (57% Gravenstein, 38% Jonathan and 5% Northern Spy) from its orchard in Sebastopol, CA, with local, organic blackberries and raspberries picked at peak ripeness. The name is a tribute to the cider makers’ young niece, Scarlett, who they say is, “beautiful, playful and wildly charismatic.” Effervescent and dry, with a lush berry finish, it’s a really pretty, really delicious cider. Shop online or use Ethic’s cider finder to locate a shop near you that carries its ciders.

In most parts of the US, February really isn’t berry season. Skip the sad, pale grocery store berries and sip a raspberry cider instead! Nine Pin Cider’s Raspberry is a co- ferment made from a blend of early apple varieties and late season raspberries. It’s tart, balanced and the most charming pink color (break out the coupe glasses for the full effect). For bonus romance points, pick up the Nine Pin Valentine’s Day Gift Box, which includes a collaboration candle between Nine Pin and Collar City Candles and a dozen red roses. This is available only for local pick-up on Wednesday, February 14, in Nine Pin’s tasting room located on Broadway in Albany, NY.

Are you anti-Valentine’s Day, all about it, or ambivalent? Either way, let us know what you’ll be cracking open this year on February 14! Tell us in the comments here, or on the Cider Culture Facebook page.

• Feature photo: Virtue Cider
• Hereford Gold photo: Anxo Cider

The post 13 Perfect Ciders for Valentine’s Day (No Matter How You Celebrate) appeared first on Cider Culture.

Winter is a great time for snack plates. Going out might not be super appealing, and the holidays are now in our rearview mirror, but there are still some fun reasons to socialize coming up with the Super Bowl so many movies being released straight to on-demand. But, do you really need a reason to rock some snack food? Whether it’s fancy hors d’oeuvres or chips and dip, party foods are a fun way to make a Friday night feel festive. And cider is amazing with party foods.

I want to take you through several of my favorite snacky foods and awesome cider pairings. I’ve done it with a little bit of a twist! I’ve paired different party dishes together in a friendly head-to-head competition: Casual vs. Fancy. The casual snacks might be better for game day, and the fancy ones for a Hollywood premier, but feel free to serve them when and wherever you please!

Ready to get started! Our first pairing in the ring is:

Potato Chips (casual) vs. Sweet-and-Salty Popcorn Mix (fancy)

Both of these are great, but potato chips are about as easy as it gets for a party snack, while homemade sweet and salty popcorn mix is a bit more swanky. My favorite potato chips (since moving to Upstate New York) are Utz Kettle Classic Dark Russets. And when I did an impromptu poll of my friends, folks love party mixes like this eye-catching Pretty in Pink Popcorn Party Mix. Both of these are powered by intense salty rich flavors, so they need powerful cider pairings.

Muse Cider Bar‘s Slingshot, with its alluring whiskey barrel presence, or the tart, herbaceous and dry Redbyrd Orchard Cider‘s Wild Heart are great pairings. Both of these ciders dials up the intensity, whether through wild apple acidity or boozy barrel notes. That means that you’ll still be able to taste them when you’re munching on these addictive, salty snacks.

Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese (casual) vs. Spicy Brussels Sprouts on Skewers with Garlic Aioli (fancy)

Wings are a thing about which everyone has an opinion or preference: bone-in, boneless, or tofu. Then, there are the sauces: Are they better with barbeque, Buffalo or a dry seasoning mix? For me, it’s all about Buffalo tofu wings with blue cheese, but I never turn down pineapple teriyaki tempeh or honey BBQ seitan. For a more formal affair though, you might want a hearty appetizer that’s a little less messy. This type of party just begs for spicy Brussels sprouts with garlic aioli. Serve them on skewers or toothpicks to make them a bit more dippable for that garlic aioli that everyone is going to rave about. Also, things on toothpicks = fancy pants.

Much like the last round, these snacks have powerful flavors, which are even more intensified with some real heat. That changes the pairing, drawing us toward sweeter ciders for balance. I think Eden Cider‘s Cinderella’s Slipper would be absolutely unbeatable with either of these dishes — it’s beautifully rich.

Mexican Seven Layer Dip (casual) vs. Stuffed Mini-Peppers (fancy)

Everyone loves seven layer dip, or at least that’s how it seems whenever it shows up at a party. It just vanishes! I usually swap out olives for chopped roasted red peppers when I make it for myself, but olive fans will likely want to keep it classic. Stuffed peppers make a similarly hearty centerpiece in a party spread, and using mini-peppers makes them individually-sized and cute. You can stuff them with almost anything you want, but some starch (think rice) and a protein, plus cheese, of course, will help give them substance.

These foods both need dry, high-acid ciders. Golden State Cider‘s Save the Gravenstein or Farnum Hill Extra Dry fit the bill perfectly. Save the Gravenstein is bright and fruity with plenty of minerality; it’s almost as though it’s designed to lift up heavy flavors. Farnum Hill’s Extra Dry is legendary for its savory complexity and ability to just ride the edge of farmy and funky.

Pimento Cheese Spread and Raw Veggies (casual) vs. Cheese Plate with Pickled Vegetables (fancy)

This snack match up hardly seems fair, because at an ideal party, I’d like to have both pimento cheese dip and a nice cheese plate! But, they do tick the same boxes by providing the crucial snack intersection of vegetables and cheese. This is the most flexible pair of dishes in the whole bunch, and I want to use that blank canvas to show off some very fine apple-centric ciders.

Whitewood Cider Company’s Newtown Pippin is a dreamy cider. This single varietal made with apples from the Hood River Valley in Oregon is tropical, clean and wonderfully balanced. My other recommendation for either of these dishes is more regional: Cornwall Cider Co’s En Plein Air. This cider is made from late-season apples that were picked frozen off the tree, and features a pronounced peachy flavor with a hint of juniper.

Mini BLTs (casual) vs. Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Crostini (fancy)

Bacon is practically a religion, so finding a way to incorporate it into your party menu will certainly earn points with your guests! Mini BLTs are a perfect way to do that: super-simple and dangerously delicious. Just be sure to buy the best, ripest tomatoes you can! If your grocery store’s tomatoes aren’t up to your BLT standards, pear, walnut and blue cheese crostini is a great winter alternative. It pairs savory and sweet flavors, and you can get fantastic pears in winter so long as you buy them about a week before the party. Letting pears fully ripen at home is key!

I chose two sparkly favorites to go with these little open-faced sandwiches. I love how Slyboro Ciderhouse‘s La Sainte Terre si back-sweetened with house-made ice cider, which keeps all the sweetness natural and apple-y. Big Fish Cider’s Highland Scrumpy is another surefire pairing. This cider wins awards wherever it goes! It uses a huge blend of local apples, allowing it to have balance and tons of fruity notes.

Lemon Squares (casual) vs. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (fancy)

Finally, dessert! A party is only a gathering if there’s nothing sweet to eat. Both of my choices are really easy to make at home, so you might find time for both if you’ll be hosting a sweet-toothed crowd. Lemon squares are a Southern staple from my younger years, perfect for brightening up a chilly night. When I worked at a chocolate shop in grad school, I learned an important secret: Chocolate-dipped strawberries are easy and fun. If you’ve never tried making your own, do yourself a favor and give it a go!

Both of these fruity desserts pair wonderfully with rich and full-bodied, semi-sweet ciders. I like to pair sweet with sweet for dessert. Aeppeltreow’s Sparrow Spiced Cider uses a signature blend of mulling spices to make a delectably sweet, spicy cider. For fans of maple and barrel flavors, I’ll recommend Angry Orchard‘s Wooden Sleeper. It has great mouthfeel and a host of luscious dessert flavors.

Whatever you plan to do to get through the depths of winter, I hope it involves enjoying food and cider together. A glass of great cider and some stellar party snacks always complete the night, no matter your plans. Cheers!

• Photos: Dish Works

The post Cider Loves Food: Snacks Pairings appeared first on Cider Culture.

Feeling a little stir-crazy? Every winter brings with it a housebound lifestyle, especially in northern locales, and sometimes it feels like hibernation-mode won’t ever end. The urge for a change of scenery can be strong, even if the weather isn’t especially accommodating to spending time outdoors!

If every weekend brings an intense longing for cider adventures, you’re in luck: Craft cider goes hand-in-hand with outdoorsy lifestyles, and plenty of cideries have been hard at work creating safe outdoor spaces to keep guests comfy, even in the depths of winter. Before you head out, make sure you’ve thoroughly read through the cidery’s guidelines/rules, and don’t forget a blanket!

Here are seven rad outdoor cidery spaces to visit while we wait for warmer temps to come:

*Just a quick note to say that if you have accessibility issues that make outdoor hangs uncomfortable or impossible, there are still plenty of ways to support your favorite cideries! Consider buying cider online or joining your local cidery’s cider club! 

Midwesterners famously aren’t afraid of a little cold standing in the way of outdoor fun! For example, at Thor’s Hard Cider‘s farm and tasting room in Minnesota, you’ll find a full-on ice skating rink ready for action! Open Friday through Sunday, the rink is open to any guests (just bring your own skates!) and features benches for taking skates on and off, and a bonfire to stay warm. When you’re done skating, grab a cider in the taproom! 6428 Manning Ave. N., Stillwater, MN; (651) 278-8666.

Smack in the middle of Pennsylvania’s beautiful apple country, find Big Hill Ciderworks Taphouse. The rustic farm environment is complete with incredible views, cozy fire pits and plenty of Big Hill’s cider on draft. There is plenty of indoor space, but if you want to enjoy a brisk evening by the fire pit, guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for increased comfort. You can even bring your own telescope for stargazing after dark! An outdoor screen projects sports games and movies, and on specific weekends, local food trucks and live music enhance the festive atmosphere. 338 Georgetown Rd., Gardners, PA.

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Ironbound Hard Cider‘s Outdoor Cider Garden provides multiple “zones” for socializing. There are a number of fire pits, surrounded by custom-made Adirondack chairs or tree stumps, which can accommodate up to eight guests. The Woodshed is a covered pavilion that allows guests to watch Ironbound’s chefs work around the Mother Fire, 30-foot Argentinian-inspired open-fire grills!

The tasting room menu includes plentiful cider, of course, as well as cocktails, wine, warm drinks and non-alcoholic drinks. The food is eclectic, with snacky appetizers, salads, sandwiches, hearty mains and sweet treats. While you’re there, don’t forget to shop at the Ironbound Farm Market! 360 County Road 579, Asbury, NJ; (908) 940-4115.

Upstate New Yorkers are no strangers to making the best of long, cold winters. The Nine Pin Cider Tasting Room rewards those who are willing to brave the cold with epic fire pit hangs. You can rent out its campfire space for private events (email cara@ninepincider.com to make it happen), or stop by on the last Friday of the month for public campfire nights, which run from 6 to 8 p.m. Enjoy Nine Pin’s great menu, which includes tasty ciders and locally sourced sourdough pizzas around an expertly built wood campfire! This fun option is available all winter long. 929 Broadway, Albany, NY; (518) 449-9999.

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Sociable Cider Werks is embracing winter to its fullest with its excellently appointed outdoor patio. There is an actual outdoor ice skating rink on site at the cidery, so after you enjoy some hot cider, food truck grub and s’mores around the fire pits, strap on some skates for an open skate session (on Fridays only), or join a curling league! Bring a blanket or folding chair and get ready for a rad cider experience, Midwest-style! Note: Outdoor patio and ice rink hours may close due to inclement weather. You can also rent a private curling lane for groups up to 8 people. 1500 Fillmore St NE, Minneapolis, MN; (612) 758-0105.

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You can hang with your pod in a literal pod in the intimate igloos at the Two K Farms tasting room. Each geodesic dome-shaped structure includes comfy seating and twinkly lights for magical feels during nighttime hours. Reservations are suggested for the igloos, though technically they are first come, first served! There are also fire pits available on a patio overlooking West Grand Traverse Bay, as well as the opportunity to snowshoe throughout the breathtaking property, including rows of grape vines and apple trees. 3872 SW Bay Shore Dr., Suttons Bay, MI; (231) 866-4265.

Last year, Botanist & Barre unveiled its new private heated igloos at its farm in Cedar Grove, North Carolina, just about 30 minutes outside of Durham. Guests may reserve an igloo for 90 minutes, with cider and snack packages, for parties of up to 2-3 or 5-6 people. The comfy spaces are set up like an outdoor living room, with carpet, a heated table, plants and party lights. It sounds to us like a lovely place to sip through the cidery’s wild and experimental pet-nat ciders. Reservations are offered Thursday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. 105 Persimmon Hill Lane, Cedar Grove, NC.

Where have you been enjoying cozy cidery visits this winter? Let us know in the comments!

• Feature Photo: Sociable Cider Werks
• Big Hill photo: Big Hill Ciderworks
• Nine Pin fire pit photo: Nine Pin Cider

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Pumpkin ciders aren’t the only seasonal flavors you should be reaching for as the temperatures start to drop! Cranberry cider is an ideal autumnal cider combo: Bright, sweet-tart and beautiful in the glass, these ruby red ciders are perfect for a fall day. They also pair exceedingly well with food, especially roasted meats (here’s looking at you, holiday turkey!). The interplay of the apples and cranberry makes for a refreshing quaff that cleanses the palate between each bite.

Here are seven standout cranberry ciders to try this fall:

Bent Ladder

Bent Ladder Cider and Wine, located at Rittman Orchards in Doylestown, Ohio, is gearing up for the holidays with its winter seasonal release, Mulled Cranberry. This cider is made from a blend of estate-grown apples, cranberries and mulling spices. Along with Bent Ladder’s other unique draft ciders, including Barrel Blues (blueberry cider with lavender aged in whiskey barrels) and Home Slice (apple pie-esque cider infused with cinnamon and vanilla), Mulled Cranberry makes a snappy alternative to all the heavy holiday-focused libations on the market.

“Northeast Ohio has so many great Christmas beers, I wanted to craft something for the gluten conscious folks in our area,” said Matt Vodraska, Bent Ladder’s owner and cidermaker. “Mulled Cranberry is the perfect holiday drink with warm flavors of mulling spices, like cinnamon and allspice, along with orange and lemon peel. It is sweet and tart, pairing wonderfully with so many holiday foods and desserts.”

Mulled Cranberry is available at Bent Ladder’s tasting room and will soon be available at select area bars and restaurants.

Nine Pin Cider

Albany, New York’s Nine Pine Cider launches its seasonal Cranberry Cider every year in November. Available on tap and in 750ml bottles, this scarlet-hued autumnal treat is made with a co-fermented blend of New York apples with cranberries sourced from a bog in the Adirondack hills. At 6.5% ABV, it’s chill enough to share with a few family members around the Thanksgiving table — or keep it all for yourself and enjoy with some New York State goat cheese.

Portland Cider Co.

Portland Cider Co.‘s seasonal release Crangerine, is part of the cidery’s Small Batch Series, and is ready to go for the holiday season. This medium-sweet crimson cider hits tart and juicy, with the fresh combo of Oregon-grown cranberries and tangerines.

“We love the tartness of this cider and how the citrus zest of the tangerines interacts with the fruitiness of the rich red cranberries,” says Lynda Parrish, Portland Cider Co. co-owner. “This cider is perfect for the holiday season—it works well with food pairings, especially the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and makes a delicious cranberry cider cocktail as well.”

Crangerine is available on draft and in 19.2-ounce cans. Use Portland Cider Co’s Cider Finder to locate Crangerine at a retailer near you!

Ricker Hill

Ricker Hill Hard Cider‘s Mainiac Gold with Cranberries starts with its classic Mainiac Gold cider, made primarily from Golden Delicious apples mixed other varieties of golden apples, and then adds tart cranberries, for a cider with a nice little kick. The cranberries are grown at Ricker Hill’s family farm in Turner, Maine, which has been in operation since 1803. Though this 5% ABV sipper is perfect for fall, it is available year-round in 750ml bottles. Use the brand’s store locator tool to find Ricker Hill Ciders at retailers in New England.

Thornbury Craft

From its cider house in the heart of Ontario apple country in Canada, Thornbury Craft makes light, champagne-style cider. Its Cranberry Apple Cider is made from 100% Canadian apples and cranberries for a balance of natural sweetness and fruity tartness. Thornbury suggests serving this specialty cider over ice, or with a splash of orange juice (could be fun for brunch!). You can find this in some LCBO stores in Canada or at Thornbury’s Cider & Brew House, just minutes from the historic downtown of Thornbury, Ontario.

Wyndridge Cider

Located on a beautiful farm in Central Pennsylvania, Wyndridge Farm makes a range of craft cider and beer. One of its popular winter offerings is its Cranberry, utilizing PA apples, yeast and real cranberry juice. There are no excessive sweeteners, so this champagne-style cider can show off the wonderful sweet/tart play of the two fruits it’s made from. This fresh, clean-tasting cider weighs in at 5.5% ABV, and it is distributed across 10 states on the East Coast, and it’s also available at Wyndridge’s restaurant in Dallastown, PA.

Urban Orchard Cider Co.

Part of its Berry Series, Urban Orchard‘s Kalikimaka is a semi-sweet holiday seasonal; kalikimaka means “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian. This 6% ABV cider is infused with cranberries for a tart, bold flavor and a lovely red color. This one only rolls around during the winter season, so look for it in December at Urban Orchard’s tasting rooms (check what’s currently on tap here) in Asheville, North Carolina.

Which cranberry cider cans are you cracking this fall and winter? Does a local cidery in your town make a great version? Let us know!

• Feature photo: Portland Cider Co.
• All other photos: Courtesy of their respective cideries

The post 7 Cranberry Ciders to Sip This Fall and Winter appeared first on Cider Culture.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, because I love celebrating all things spooky, ghostly and costumed. The candy certainly doesn’t hurt, either! Whether the candy comes from the pre-Halloween parties or it’s discreetly snatched from a sugar-crazed child’s hoard, you can enhance the candy experience with a skillful beverage pairing or two.

As a cider lover, I’m biased, admittedly, but I really do love cider as a pairing for these autumnal treats. Cider is such a varied category, it’s easy to find just the right cider for all different kinds of sweets. Here are just a few cider and Halloween candies to start our pairings with, but feel free to explore far beyond these brands and types. Have fun!  

Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups: Embark Craft Ciderworks Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cider

I want a cider with real body to accompany any candy with peanut butter and chocolate. If I get any pairing right, it will be this one, because I eat Reese’s cups so often. They are my very favorite candy year-round. A strong cider pairing needs to incorporate body from some kind of barrel-aging. I like ciders that have spent some time in a spirit barrel, ideally a bourbon barrel. Embark Craft Ciderworks makes a Whiskey Barrel-Aged limited edition cider that is all treats and no tricks.

Twizzlers®: Virtue Cider Michigan Cherry Fruit Belt Cider

Fruit licorice, like Twizzlers, benefits from a complementary pairing: a modern cider with cherry or berries. Michigan Cherry Fruit Belt from Virtue Cider is a lovely option because of its balance and tasteful use of local cherries. This is a way to pair like with like, and use the fruity notes of a semi-dry cider to bridge the gap to a sweeter, chewy candy, like Twizzlers.

M&M’s®: Oyster River Winegrowers Wildman Cider

There’s something so special about M&M’s. Perhaps it’s the fact that this is the only candy that delivers both technicolor, bright hues and chocolate. I recommend pairing M&M’s with a dry, spontaneously fermented cider that uses only apples. Oyster River Winegrowers Wildman Cider will keep you and your guests haunting the cider table for more. What I especially like about this pairing is that the cider allows the sweet milk chocolate to play merrily across the palate, without turning bitter or sickly sweet. Wildman Cider, made with made with apples gathered from wild seedling trees, is unfiltered and made with native yeast fermentation that’s bottle conditioned with no sulfites added, which lends a tangy, feral quality, perfect for the spirit of Halloween.

Candy Corn: Stem Ciders Pear Cider

I know it’s already a controversial opinion to like candy corn, but this is the hill I will die on. There is a time and place for candy corn, and obviously it’s Halloween. Because this candy is such a delicate expression of sweetness, I want something that will blend with that. Pear cider is perfect, because it has sugars in the fresh pear juice that cannot ferment into alcohol, and blended with the apple cider, will maintain a very natural, fruity sweetness. Stem Ciders’ Pear Cider is blend of fresh-pressed pears and apples with notes of caramel and a crisp finish. The aromas and delicacy of this might be enough to sway even candy corn naysayers!

Mounds®: Portland Cider Company Pineapple Rosé

While Mounds aren’t my favorite candy, they are spectacular for fans of coconut and dark chocolate. Too few mainstream candies use dark chocolate, so this provides something fun for pairing. I want to push the coconut into a tropical vibe by choosing a pineapple cider like Portland Cider Company’s Pineapple Rosé. Pineapple goes with dark chocolate and with coconut, so this pairing is a no-brainer!

Red Hots®: Henney’s Vintage Still Cider

Wine pairings for candy sometimes suggest Red Hots with riesling, so I wanted to see how that could translate into cider. I think something off-dry and fruity, yet structured and still, would be perfect. I never like spicy with bubbles, so that means I’m looking for a still cider. Henney’s Vintage Still Cider provides all of that. It drinks smoothly and with rich sophistication, making it an enticing counter-balance to the spark and sharpness of cinnamon candy.

Sour Patch® Kids: Eden Specialty Cider Deep Cut Cider

Sour Patch Kids are a stand-in for a whole category of candies operating on sourness, sometimes to a fairly extreme degree. Being able to tolerate, or even enjoy, these candies was the measure of cool back in fourth and fifth grade. Now that I’m past those years, I appreciate sour candies in a new way, and to pair them, I want something similarly acid-driven in profile, and also wine-like. I think a high-acidity dry cider with a hint of wildness is the only way to go for sour candies. From the line of canned offering from Eden Specialty Ciders, Deep Cut is wonderful as a sour-candy pairing. It’s a great cider for any occasion, but it’s easy to appreciate its full-bodied, hazy texture when it’s contrasting with zingy Sour Patch Kids!

Bonus: Popcorn and popcorn balls are amazing with a spiced cider like Threadbare Cider’s Spiced Cider. Popcorn operates very much on texture, leaving room for more complex flavors in a pairing cider. I like a spiced cider with Halloween popcorn, so we can double-up on seasonal treats. Threadbare’s Spiced Cider is made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove, so it delivers many notes of a mulled cider or apple pie, but via cider.

Kids may get trick-or-treating, but pairing cider with Halloween candy is a series of unearthly delights for the 21+ crowd!

• Photos: Dish Works

The post How to Pair Cider with Halloween Candy appeared first on Cider Culture.

Just about this time every year, like clockwork, we wake up one day in September and realize: Oh snap, pumpkin cider season is here again! How can that be possible when we’re still wearing tank tops and low-key debating whether to turn the AC back on or not?! Whether you love them or hate them, pumpkin ciders — along with pumpkin-everything else — start popping up left and right, as if to say, “Yes, it IS autumn and yes, you WILL celebrate with something orange and vaguely spicy in hand.”

We know there’s a lot of negativity around pumpkin spice, ranging from bewilderment to its seemingly iron-clad position in food-trends-that-won’t-die, to downright scorn. On the one hand, we get it. Does the world really need pumpkin-spiced cereal, protein bars, almonds, yogurt and peanut butter (all things we have for real seen at the grocery store)? But, on the other hand … pumpkin cider can be really and truly delicious.

Regardless of where you fall on the issue, you’re sure to encounter some pumpkin ciders in your local cidery/bar/bottle shop soon, if you haven’t already. If you want to wait ’til the first frost to start channeling fall vibes, we totally get it, but if you’re ready to give into pumpkin spice everything, here are a bunch of awesome pumpkin ciders to try:

ACE Pumpkin Cider

Sebastopol, CA’s ACE Cider was ahead of the curve on the whole pumpkin spice thing, first releasing this seasonal special in 2010! The ACE Pumpkin Cider is full of rich flavor that will leave you craving more. As suggested on its website, this pumpkin cider mixed with a full-bodied lager would make a fantastic snakebite (your new signature Halloween drink, perhaps?). Use ACE’s Cider Finder to locate its products near you!

Ash & Elm Cider Co. Autumntide

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A good pumpkin cider must start with good cider, yes? That’s why we’ve got big hopes for Ash & Elm Cider Co.’s Autumntide, its fall seasonal pumpkin cider, made with real pumpkin and a smooth blend of hand-ground baking spices, coming in at 6.5% ABV. Like all of Ash & Elm’s wares, the base cider is made from 100% pure apple juice, sourced from family farms in Indiana and Michigan. Try it in cans, or by the glass in its Indianapolis tasting room or look for it in bars and liquor stores across the state.

Awestruck Ciders Hometown Homicider

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Though this very-limited release came out in mid-August, it appears as if Awestruck Ciders Hometown Homicider is still available for purchase through its online shop in 750ml bottles. This creepily-named, barrel-aged cider blends pumpkin flesh and toasted spices and weighs in at 6.8% ABV. Fun fact: All Awestruck Ciders are made with 100% New York apples, are gluten-free (obvi) and, as of 2015, are also completely vegan!

Blake’s Apple Lantern

Blake’s Hard Cider’s popular limited season release, Apple Lantern celebrates the season of campfires, sweaters and pumpkin carving with the cozy combo of oven-roasted pumpkin and a blend of five handpicked Michigan apples. Crisp and spicy, this 6.5% ABV cider is off-dry and great for cold weather sipping. While not technically a pumpkin cider, Blake’s Caramel Apple also deserves a mention for its autumnal spirit. Dessert-like semi-sweet hard cider meets smooth caramel sweetness with tart green apples, with no artificial flavorings or sweeteners. Shop online or use Blake’s cider locator to get your fall cider fix!

Portland Cider Company Pumpkin Spice

Take the savory flavors of fall, blend them together, add a pinch of delicious and you get Portland Cider Company‘s Pumpkin Spice Cider. Boasting all the spices found in your favorite pumpkin pie (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger), plus a blend of 100% Northwest apples fermented to medium-sweet, this cider is a nod to all of the cozy flavors that make autumn feel like autumn. This year, Portland Cider’s seasonal fall favorite is back in style, available in 19.2-ounce “proper pint” cans, as well as on draft.

Find Portland Cider Co.’s Pumpkin Spice through October in cans and draft kegs at Portland Cider Co.’s two taprooms and at select retailers in Oregon, Washington, Northern Idaho, and Northern California.

Swilled Dog Hard Cider Pumpkin Patch

West Virginia’s Swilled Dog Hard Cider is getting in on the gourd action with its newly-released Pumpkin Patch cider. This fall seasonal is a blend of tart and sweet apples kicked up with fresh pumpkin and chai tea spices. Suggested pairings include: football, bonfires and hayrides. Shop on Swilled Dog’s webshop, or find six-packs at your favorite cider retailer in West Virginia and Virginia.

Woodchuck Cider Pumpkin

Yes, Woodchuck’s Pumpkin Cider is back, just in time for fall, and this time, it’s in cans! With fresh red apple flavor mingling with rich pumpkin and a kick of pumpkin spice, this cider ups the cozy factor with oak aging. The result is a light copper cider with aroma notes of oaky squash and butterscotch, and subtle earthy flavors of vanilla and caramel.

“When we look at our limited release plans each year, we listen to what our customer partners and fans are asking for,” said Bridget Blacklock, Vice President of Marketing. “Pumpkin has been a style that everyone requests so we wanted bring back the original pure pumpkin taste with new complexity to give our fans something special.”

Woodchuck Pumpkin is being released first on the East Coast and Central regions, with distribution growing throughout the Fall.

Wyndridge Cider Co. Pumpkin Spice Hard Cider

This producer in Central PA, which also makes beer, wine and craft sodas, dabbles in plenty of fruited ciders, like cranberry, black cherry and blackberry mojito. They go big with wintry flavors, too, including pumpkin spice hard cider, a blend of late harvest apples matured in stainless steel, then conditioned on pumpkin purée and fall spices, and sweetened up with dates and maple syrup. Order online or look for it in markets and shops via regional distribution.

Honorable Mention

(Not exactly pumpkin ciders, but autumnal enough to consider part of the club)

Blue Toad Hard Cider Harvest Fest

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At 6% ABV and semi-dry, this seasonal release from Blue Toad Hard Cider (based in both Rochester, New York and Nelson County, Virginia) offers notes of clove, cinnamon and spices. High praise from fans include that it’s like “autumn in my mouth”and “the holidays in a glass.”

Nine Pine Cider Apple-Pie Secco

Nine Pin Cider celebrates the bounty of autumn with its seasonal release, Apple-Pie Secco, usually out in the early fall. This cozy cider is made with 100% New York apples that are fermented then aged with vanilla and cinnamon for a comforting and refreshing result.

Okay, let’s hear it: Are you a pumpkin cider lover or hater? If you’re on the pro-team, which cidery makes your favorite pumpkin cider?

• Feature photo: Woodchuck Cider
• Apple Lantern and Caramel Apple photo: Blake's Hard Cider

The post 8 Pumpkin Ciders to Try If You’re All About Those Autumn Feels appeared first on Cider Culture.

Hot days, chill nights: Summer is cider season, through and through. After a day of adventuring (or doing nothing at all), there’s nothing quite like cracking open a cold cider to help restore your energy. For times like these, we turn to craft cider’s spritzy, fun side — we love serious ciders, too, but when it’s sticky and humid out, we just want light, crushable options with plenty of refreshing acidity and crisp fruit character.

Here are eight ciders that we’ll be making space for in our coolers this summer:

Stormalong Cider Light of the Sun

We’d happily sip anything from Stormalong Cider‘s lineup of modern ciders by the pool. But we’re most stoked on tallboys of Light of the Sun, a cider with lemon, lime and yuzu juices and jasmine green tea. Formerly, this cider was dry-hopped with guava; we like this makeover a lot though: The brightness of the citrus and the herbal, floral tea blend like a dream! Shop for these babies online or at your local bottle shop!

ANXO Happy Trees

Happy Trees is a profoundly cool cider from ANXO, made with a blend of mid-Atlantic heirloom apples (the blend changes on what’s available). This cider undergoes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, for that funky, earthy undertone that we’ve learned to love so much — serve this to your friends who are natural wines fans! On the nose of Happy Trees, you’ll find spearmint, fresh apple and hints of spice, and on the palate, a juicy bouquet of peaches, green strawberry, melon, pear and starfruit, with just a hint of pleasant bitterness. It’s a curious, almost-weird cider that’s not too challenging to chug during a game of kickball, or at a chill happy hour.

Dry, Rosé and Elderberry Cider from Lost Giants Cider Co.

Lost Giants Cider Co. doesn’t shy away from adjunct flavors; in fact, it has an entire Cider Infusion Program to research and experiment with the blending of natural fruits, vegetables, flavors and spices with its ciders. We’re not always craving flavors besides apples in our cider, but sometimes, when the blend is just right, the effect is magical. And so it is with Lost Giants’ Elderberry Cider, made with regional Elderberries and a blend of traditional dessert and cider apples. It’s a sweet tart delight with a delicate mouthfeel and a semi-dry finish. For something a bit more straightforward, we’re digging the rosé cider made with local pink apples and the dry cider, with expertly balanced sharpness and a clean, dry finish. Find these ciders, and so many more, at Lost Giants’ tasting room in Bellingham, Washington.

Hail Mary and Jackpot from Windfall Cider

In 2019, Windfall, an urban cidery in Vancouver, Canada, launched its first rosé cider, Hail Mary, made with British Columbian apples and ripe berries. The result is a deeply enjoyable cider that offers notes of apple, rose petals and green melon. We love how dry this rosé cider is, making it a great companion at pizza parties and potlucks. If you enjoy a touch of sweetness, Jackpot is for you, made from a premium blend of BC dessert apples with a hint of tropical fruit, but still crisp and balanced. This is the one to pair with hot dogs fresh off the grill or Thai food (when it’s too hot to cook and you just go for takeout)! Find Windfall Cider with the search function on its website.

What are you drinking these days? Let us know in the comments or on the Cider Culture Facebook page!

• Feature photo: Stormalong Cider
• All other photos: Dish Works

The post 8 Ciders Perfect for Summer Nights appeared first on Cider Culture.

Guess what? Dry Cider July (formerly Dry Cider January) is here! Even though the month has changed, the concept remains the same: this celebration, headed up by the American Cider Association, is all about zero-added-sugar hard ciders.

This month-long effort spotlights ciders that are truly dry, meaning they contain no residual sugar. Whether you always reach for dry ciders, or want to explore this category of cider in addition to your preference for off-dry or semi-sweet styles, it’s a fun campaign to participate in. July is also the perfect month to stock up on dry ciders for maximum refreshment on the hottest and most humid days!

Lots of ciders have the word “Dry” on the cans, and not all include nutritional info to know if there are residual sugars. So, how can you be sure?

The ACA has put together a helpful Dry Cider Directory, available on its website, to promote the Association members’ dry ciders. The cideries are listed alphabetically, but there is a search tool that lets you put in your favorite cideries and see what comes up. Each listing includes the cider name, the cidery’s location, a list of states where the cider is usually available, and (when applicable) a link to buy that cidery’s products online!

The directory, which is quite extensive, exemplifies that there are so many styles to be found in the category of zero-sugar ciders. From super bright, citrusy ciders, like Potter’s Craft Grapefruit Hibiscus Session Cider, to elegant, restrained still ciders, like Dock Waters Cidery’s Orchard Blend Still, to experimental ciders, like Botanist & Barrel’s Sour Cider, there is a veritable rainbow of flavors to dig into.

Once you’ve stocked up on dry ciders, be sure to tag your Instagram or other social media posts with the hashtags #dryciderjuly and #pickdrycider (you still ‘gram your ciders, right?). Be sure to follow the Association’s Instagram account to keep up with the campaign.

Cider makers: Want to get in on the Dry Cider July action? There is still time to add your products to the ACA’s directory! Fill out this form with a description of your cider and a photo to accompany it.

• Feature photo: Dish Works

The post ‘Dry Cider July’ is Upon Us! appeared first on Cider Culture.

In our monthly column, “Cider Loves Food,” contributor Meredith Collins (blogger extraordinaire at Along Came a Cider) is looking at different cuisines and finding the perfect ciders to help take your meals to the next level.

It’s summer: the season of grilling, picnics and lakeside barbeques! Where I live, it’s also the season when a new cycle of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) begins.

For those unfamiliar with the idea, a CSA is like a farm food subscription, but it’s way cooler than the other subscriptions you might have (even Netflix!). Participants pay up front for a whole season of food, so farmers can have the capital necessary to farm on a small scale. I like it, because my CSA keeps me from turning to restaurants out of laziness. I still go out when I want to, but I’ve already got food to cook at home, so I more often turn to my own kitchen at mealtime, instead. Even better, this means I can choose great cider from what I have in my cellar to create some awesome pairings.

As any CSA veteran will tell you, there are good weeks in a CSA, and there are weird weeks. The start of a season is almost guaranteed to be a few weird weeks in a row, because not that many crops are ripe yet. Our CSA uses some stored winter/spring crops to round out the early summer weeks, but we also encountered some less familiar vegetables, in addition to the asparagus, strawberries and leafy greens we anticipate in the early summer. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still some stellar cider pairings and some amazing dishes to be had. It’s just time to get creative!

Garlic Scapes

These spring vegetables may look alien, but they are loved anywhere with a cold climate because they are edible and super-flavorful so early in the spring. If you’ve not had them, simply imagine the flavor of garlic and then turn up the intensity and green freshness. Some folks pickle them, but I prefer garlic scape pesto.

It’s not hard to find recipes for garlic scape pesto, and I recommend serving it on bow-tie pasta. It’s not a mild dish; garlic scapes are zesty! Knowing that, I think pairing this pasta dish with something complementary means using a semi-sweet easy-drinking cider. I like Black Diamond Cider‘s Jay Walker in this particular instance. The cider is plenty bubbly and has some sweetness, but the heritage apple varieties and plentiful acidity mean that you don’t have to sacrifice complexity. Delightful!

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi might look like a tentacled beast of a vegetable, but its rough exterior hides mild and crunchy flesh. People are shocked with how likeable kohlrabi is once they actually taste it. My preferred cooking method is cider and brown butter kohlrabi slices. I love to cook with, and pair with, same cider! In this case, it’s Virtue Cider‘s The Mitten Limited Reserve. The barrel-aging gives the cider richness, and the turnips benefit from it, as well. I like a still cider with nice crunchy vegetables like kohlrabi.

Spring Turnips

These bright and mild radishes are not the intense winter ones. These are great just sliced over a salad, or you can cook Hakurei turnips with their own greens. The roots turn even sweeter when cooked, and that makes a fascinating contrast with the earthy greens. To keep up the theme of contrast, I recommend pairing this with something on the rich and aromatic side. The perfect choice has to be Tieton Cider Works’ Sparkling Perry. The tannic heritage fruit and natural sweetness of this perry create just the right interplay of flavors with both the greens and the roots in this dish.

Radishes

This is one for the early hot days when you do not want to turn the oven on or even light one burner. These little sandwiches are the perfect combination of crunchy, buttery, rich and salty! All you need to do is slice up a few radishes, butter and salt some slices of hearty bread using high quality butter and place the radish rounds to create mini open-face European-style butter sandwiches. Don’t forget good sea salt — it’s important!

There couldn’t be a simpler dish, so pair it with a cider with both body and complexity. Colorado Cider Co.‘s Block One. The cider is off-dry and acid-driven, which makes the salt and butter feel even more decadent. Radishes bring maximum freshness, and there’s a green tea quality in the cider that works beautifully with them.

If you aren’t signed up for a CSA, look for any of these vegetables at your local farmers market! And if those particular cider brands aren’t available where you are, look for things with a similar profile in terms of sweetness, mouthfeel and acidity. There are so many great possibilities out there.  

Excited to try more cider and food pairings? Check out our suggestions for cider and Mexican food and cider and brunch!

• Photos: Jenny Pakradooni for Dish Works

The post Cider Loves Food: CSA Veggies Pairings appeared first on Cider Culture.