Hi!

Thanks again to Eric for letting me spend a bit of time in his curatorial seat while he’s working on GLINTCAP results. Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:

Credit: TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower

1) According to Good Fruit Grower, Cider makers embrace regional variation even though a few different locales have called themselves “the Napa Valley” of cider.

2) Results are in for the Best in Class selections from GLINTCAP. And the Champion Cider at the International Cider Awards was announced earlier this week. Learn more about the competition from New Food Magazine.

3) There’s lots happening in Vermont’s corner of the cider world, Good Beer Hunting GBH in Residence — Shacksbury Cider’s Graft Camp in Vergennes, and Its the Beer Talking has a cider fueled chat instead with Citizen Cider.

4) There’s a rare Chance to join cider cooperative on offer in Golden Valley in the Ledbury Reporter.

5) In release news: according to Citizen Cider Spring Means B-Cider. B. C. Tree Fruit Cider has unveiled its latest Broken Ladder series cider: Pears and Peaches. Embark Ciderworks has reformulated and released their Tart Cherry Barrel Aged Cider.

6) New cider ventures are afoot, including in British Columbia as described in, It’s About Time: SunRype Launches New Premium Craft Cider, and The Lake George Cider Project by Adirondack Pub and Brewery, as well as the birth of Western Cider Company in Montanta.

7) Like spring flowers, cider events are popping up everywhere this time of year, including some international excitement: Blossomtime on 30th April and 1st May 2017 – The Big Apple Association, Cider and Perry Trials – The Big Apple Association, the Reading Beer and Cider Festival, and Tag des Mostes.

8) And we don’t just have individual events this time of year, it also BC Cider Week from April 28 – May 7. You can read about BC Cider Week — from the Northwest Cider Association. For a list of BC Cider Week Events — the Northwest Cider Association has it covered.

9) Looking back east, just this weekend, we’ve got Pour the Core: Boston and Virginia Hopped Cider Festival hosted by Blue Bee Cider, while coming soon in May will be Cider Creek Brewfest.

10) In podcasts, reviews, and blog posts this week, Along Came A Cider tells my story of visiting Original Stump Blower Ciderworks. CiderChat takes on US Cider Trends 2017 with Nielsen stats. Cider Says reviews Sandford Orchards Chesnut Cask, Dan Armor Cuvée Spéciale Cidré Poire, and Wildcide Wild Mule. The Cider Journal reviews South Hill Cider Pomme Sur Lie. CiderScene reviews Gnarly Grove Hard Cider Legendberry.  The Milled Apple reviews Aval: Cidre Artisanal.

Have a great weekend!

Meredith

Good morning!

Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:

Credit: Yeovil Press

1) I couldn’t resist sharing this English story of cider lovers worshipping apple trees naked at dawn in Somerset as reported by Yeovil Press.

2) Oregon is getting a new cidery and taproom as 12 Bridge Ciderworks opening in Oregon City. And in San Louis Obispo County there are now 5 cideries operating and innovating.

3) Cider Culture wants us to know What’s Keeving? 10 Northwest Cidermakers Heading to Europe on Educational Mission to Learn More about the amazing trip select members of the Northwest Cider Association (NWCA) are making.

4) Ria Windcaller of Cider Chat interviews Lou and Sue Chadwick who are Grafting at Second Chance Farm.

5) New releases include Desolation Prickly Pear Hard Cider from Mountain West Hard Cider of Utah, Pato Feo by Colorado Cider Company and Buskey Cider is releasing three new ciders to celebrate their first birthday. And Momenti is releasing a hard-cider-infused sorbet for the first time: Sonoma Cider Sorbet.

6) Bantam Cider out of Massachusetts was recently profiled by Phear Creative in By The Bootstraps, in Conversatin with Michella Da Silva & Dana Masterpolo, Bantam Cider. While Sip Northwest Magazine is still thinking about cider, this time Cider Innovation with Rev Nat’s, Schilling, Anthem & Wandering Aengus.

7). Cider Journal thoughtfully considers Ciders Still & Dry–Rare and Majestic a topic to many of our hearts.

8) This week the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) is taking place in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a record number of entries, keeping this competition the world’s largest. It will be coinciding with Cider Week GR.

9) Cider event are evidently in bloom with the NorCal Cider Classic which you can read about in CIDERCRAFT NorCal Cider Classic. There’s also Cider Summit SF – featured in Cider making a Splash in Bay Area and Cider Summit SF Returns! Plus 5 Facts to Up Your Cider Knowledge in SF Station – San Francisco’s City Guide.

Moving up to Oregon, we can find Hood River Hard-Pressed Cider Fest.

Back east in North Carolina, there’s the 2017 Apple Country Cider Jam – written up in Southern Mountain Fresh.

10) A quick tour of the week’s reviews Along Came A Cider(that’s me) sharing my thoughts on Du Minot Cidrerie’s La Bolee Petillante. Cider Says reviews Eve’s Cidery Rustica, Sea Cider Ruby Rose. Cidercraft reviews Sietsema Orchards Traditional Hard Cider. The Milled Apple reviews Gurutzeta Sidra Natural and Strongbow Cherry Blossom. And Cider Society reviews Fable Farm Fermentory Rosary.

I hope your weekend is delicious. Cheers!

Meredith

Hello,

Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: The Beer Trekker

1) Aaron Burr Cider’s Andy Brennan talks to On the Road with Beer Sessions Radio and that aired on the Heritage Radio Network

2) The Western Cider Company is making a home in Missoula, Montana with the construction of a tasting room and production facility. Even more exciting to me is that this is supported by a local orchard planted for this purpose six years ago! And in Kelowna, British Columbia, the Scenic Road Cider Company is starting. and Reveille Cider is coming to Astoria, Oregon.

3) In England, volunteers replaced the roof on a historical Manchester cider barn as  part of efforts to save this orchard and cider farm.

4) At the Portland International Cider Cup there were 52 judged entries and 23 registered volunteers. Recently at the July 28th Awards Party winners were finally announced! Hopefully the results will be made public soon!

5) The Walden, New York Angry Orchard facility is enticing fans and new visitors alike with their opening of a tree house bar on site. Evidently, this isn’t news to folks with a television because this tree house was already on on Animal Planet show “Treehouse Masters.”

6) Taste the Orchard in Your Glass is an upstate New York cider event at the Finger Lakes Cider House discussing terroir, varietals, and orchard cider coming August 16th. Cider Summit Seattle Sept 9-10. If you buy your ticket this week, there is a good discount.

7) I am super jealous of folks in the Pacific North West who have a better chance of trying the new Release from Whitewood Cider company: Summer Switchel Cider blended with ginger! Another exciting cider coming soon, this time for the east coast crowd: Far From the Tree cider Ember Toasted Chai Cider. Uncle John’s Cider just released their variety pack as well.

8) There’s now an at home hard cider maker from Alchema that brings a whole new kind of simple to making cider.

9)2 Towns Ciderhouse & Portland Thorns Partner For 2016 National Women’s Soccer League Season. I’m thrilled to see a great cider company supporting women’s sports!

10) My own blog Along Came a Cider reviews Woodchuck’s Local Nectar. Cider Says tried Bertolino’s Hard Cider from Italy as well as Washington Gold Cider’s Golden Delicious, Finnriver’s Oak and Apple and Long Drop’s Vanilla Honey Cider . And Cider Scene reviewed Citizen Cider’s Lake Hopper.

Have a great weekend!

Meredith

Hello,

Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:

1) Sad news in England, the original Bramley apple tree is dying. Most cider fans will know that all Bramleys can be traced directly to this special tree, and fruit is good for eating, cooking, and cidermaking. This more than 200 year old tree was originally planted by a young woman in Southwell.

2) Cider tasting rooms and tap houses are opening all over, including the Bee Well Meadery and Cider Tasting Room. The New Paltz Times discusses the craft beer influence on Bad Seed Cider’s Tap room while the Connecticut Magazine takes a similar approach when describing the New England Cider Company which opened their cider house to the public this month.

3) The San Francisco Chronicle profile’s California’s Sonoma Cider company. These guys also just released a new cider: the Wimble.

4) Black Twig Cider House hosts its inaugural cider festival: TxotxFest September 10, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina. Mark your calendar’s now as this looks to be shaping up into a pretty fantastic event with some lovely food and ciders.

5) Cider features prominently in this The Guardian guide on what beverages to serve at a summer wedding and I couldn’t agree more. Their choice of a cider made from red fleshed apples would make a particularly striking toast.

6) Virtue Cider’s founder (and recent seller) Greg Hall speaks on WGN Radio’s Podcast The Big Table to talk about his varied history in the beverage world.

7) Beloved Pittsburgh cidery Arsenal is expanding, branching out with an apiary and plans for mead!

8) In the land of new and upcoming cider releases, Woodchuck is launching their 25th anniversary special cider. Ninepin Cider out of Albany just released Julip as their most recent special edition cider aged in bourbon barrels with mint. And earlier this month 2 Towns Ciderhouse shared their Cot in the Act, an unfiltered apricot cider.

9) Summer is simply full of cider events. On July 23rd, the Vermont Cider Classic will be taking place. A few weeks later, we have Cider Dayze festival in late August in Armada, Michigan. I’d like to give a shoutout to the upcoming Summer Cider Days which takes place August 6th. And, for UK cider lovers, in London you can find the Craft Cider Fest now until August 30th, showcasing ciders from near and far.

10) Cider Says reviews XC Exceptional Cider by Roquette Tieton Ciderworks Frost Ice Cider Eve’s Cidery’s Beckhorn Hollow Old Swede Blueberry Hard Cider and tasting notes from an 18th Visit to Schilling Cider House. Real Cider Reviews tastes Ramborn Farmhouse Dry Cider from Luxembourg. Cider Steve attempts to compare two single varietal ciders with Redstreak SV (maybe). The Milled Apple tries Angry Orchard Stone Dry. And we’ll finish up with my own Cider Review Roundup at Along Came A Cider featuring 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Henney’s, Common Cider Company, and Finnriver Farm and Cidery.

Have a delicious weekend!

Meredith

Hello,

Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing, this week brought to cider lovers by the tremendously well-informed Dayna Bateman of CidrBox by Ciderhou.se.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Marketwatch reports on the acceleration of small craft cider labels as large cider brand growth slows. Back in June, Marketwatch noted that ciders dominated the Impact “Hot Brands” list

2) Brewbound shares the news that Stone Brewing founder Greg Koch has revealed plans to launch a new $100 million fund for investing in “real” food and beverage companies. H/T Cider Cellars Imports)

3) Rabobank analysts weigh in on the possible impact of Brexit on the global drinks industry.

In response to the Rabobank analysis, Just-Drinks posts the panacea: How to Brexit-proof your beverage company and (continuing a theme) Boston Beer Co. applies to trademark the term “Brexit” for hard cider.

4) Craft brewers lament in the WSJ that they’re running dry on puns using the word “hops” (hopped cider producers take note).

5) Wine Spectator features American heritage cider makers Tilted Shed, Farnum Hill, Eden Specialty Cider and Eve’s Cidery in their Cider at the Table feature, as shouted out by Tilted Shed on Twitter (article not yet available online but should be soon).

6) The New York Public Library has made George Brookshaw’s rare book, Pomona Britannica, available by for digital reproduction and reuse: Cidrbox by Cidrhou.se shares a peek of Brookshaw’s stunning cider apple and perry pear images, first published in 1812.

7) Podcaster Ria Windcaller has a Cider Chat with Michigan native Eric Foster who has opened the Stem Craft Cidery and Tap Room in Denver, Colorado, with his partner Phil Kao; and the Washingtonian reports that the recently opened ANXO, DC’s first cider bar, is also the city’s first licensed winery

8) In upcoming releases, Blake’s VVitch-themed Black Philip will enter the market in August, and Germany’s Possmann Pure Cider and Apfelwein is now available in Chicago thanks to Louis Glunz Beer Inc. Locally produced cider comes to Hawaii as the Hawaii Cider Co. announces its intention to transform the tropical fruit of Hawaii into cider; and ANXO announces a collaborative release, produced from 19 heirloom apple varieties in partnership with Eden Specialty Cider, on their Facebook page

9) On the road this week: Ciders from Brittany will be judged at the CIDREF Palmarès Des Concours De Cidres Du Finistère on July 16 and cidermakerClaude Jolicoeur launches his book tour for Du Pommiers au Cidre: Manuel de cidrerie pour l’amateur et l’artisan The New Cider Maker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Craft Producers

The Hudson Valley Cider Festival kicks off this Saturday, July 16, followed by the Vermont Cider Classic and the Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival in the Pacific NW next Saturday, July 23. Proceeds from the Orcas Island Cider and Mead will benefit school kids on the island through the local Farm to Cafeteria Program.

10) For the thirsty, Cider Says reviews: Angry Orchard Walden Hollow(an American heritage release pressed from Golden Russet, Newtown Pippin and Northern Spy) along with the Portland Cider Company Strawperry, Blackfin Splash Semi Sweet Cider, and the Aspall Grand Cru. Along Came a Cider shares her thoughtful tasting notes for Cider Creek’s All the King’s Men. And Real Cider Reviews uncaps a Hazy Hog Cloudy Cider.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Dayna and Meredith