At this year’s Dan Berger International Cider Competition (DBICC), The Sea Cider Bittersweet, a traditional English-style, was presented with the Sweepstakes Award for the best cider of the Competition. Produced with traditional and heirloom cider apples, the Bittersweet was entered in the “Traditional-Sweet” category. But this cider is much more than that as Sea Cider’s… Read more »
At the briefing yesterday directly before the judging began in the Dan Berger International Cider Competition, a judge asked the following question: “How do you determine if a cider is a gold, silver or bronze cider.” _______________________________________________ A person is seated and in front of you are 8 glasses filled with cider that all appear similar…. Read more »
It’s expressed in a variety of different ways: Printing a “Batch #” or a”Lot #” on the label or printing it on the cork where it can’t be seen are just a few of the ways cideries get away communicating the harvest date of the apples that went into making a cider. They must be… Read more »
Still and dry cider, even in today’s much-expanded world of craft cider, remains nearly as rare as hen’s teeth. Yet, this rarity makes them all the more special. When produced with care and an artisan’s touch they probably expose the majesty of the apple better than any other form of cider. I chalk up the… Read more »
If you have a friend who has only ever sampled cider out of a bottle that pours sickly sweet light brown liquid called cider and if you want to introduce this friend to true artisan cider they are likely to enjoy, your best bet it so put a French cidre from Normandy or Brittany in… Read more »
The reason sparkling wine is so commonly associated with New Years celebrations has a great deal to do with the way it’s built. It looks flashy and it drinks flashy. The rising bubbles make for a show. The impact of the effervescence is showy on the palate. And of course the alcohol causes its own… Read more »
With the Cider Chat podcast (now into episode 31), Ria Windcaller has established herself and her podcast as the one of the most informative sources of cider info on the Net. Cider Chat puts the spotlight on cidermakers, cider innovators and cider writers who have made a difference to the industry and who are compelling… Read more »
In one of the most interesting cider-related articles to hit in a while, Jeff Alworth of Good Beer Hunting interviewed Nat West. West is the owner and visionary behind of Reverend Nat’s in Oregon. In an article entitled, “The Quest to Define American Cider — The Art and Rhetoric of Reverend Nat’s in Portland, OR”,… Read more »
In November of last year, Sonoma County’s Tilted Shed Ciderworks embarked on a bit of an experiment. They shipped their first batch of ciders in their “Luminous Cider Series” to members of their “Luminary Cider Club”. Clubs run by cideries aren’t experimental. A number of cideries across the country ship cider to members of their… Read more »
Alejandro Del Peral is founder and cidermaker at New York’s Nine Pin Ciderworks in Albany. At Nine Pin, apples are sourced from orchards in the Albany region and the Hudson Valley. Though having grown up on a farm and surrounded by apple trees, Del Paral and his Nine Pin ciderworks is a relative newcomer to… Read more »
