Not Your Father’s Hard Cider
Today it gets barrel-aged, Brett-o-mized and sake'd out
Slightly northwest of Finnriver is Sea Cider, near Victoria, British Columbia, which at only two years old is already scintillating cider enthusiasts in a way beer lovers would understand. Their Rumrunner is aged in rum barrels, which would’ve been enough, but then they one-upped the game by procuring Screech Rhum barrels from Newfoundland. That’s where, as the story begins, cod fisherman historically traded salt fish for Jamaican rum. Due to legal issues, once it is distributed south of the border, it will be called Prohibition Cider in the US market, and they are eyeing 17 states (primarily in the northwest). “Five years ago, you didn’t see cider sections,” says owner Kristen Jordan, who puts their annual production at under 5,000 barrels. “Now you have ‘em in Whole Foods on display.”
Sea Cider also makes Wild English that is spontaneously fermented inside neutral bourbon barrels in the Herefordshire style. “I’m sure there’s Brettanomyces doing its job,” says Jordan. “It’s earthy, tannic, and phenolic… and goes with strong cheeses. We let Mother Nature do her thing.”
And back in Bushwhacker—the cider bar that offers everything from 3 percent alcohol French ciders to 19 percent Quebecois pommeaux (pommeau is cider that’s been distilled into brandy, then “cut” with fresh juice)—cidermaker Smith makes mostly English-style ciders, but tailors his cider based on the “market research” he gets everyday direct from the customers across the bar. Or sometimes inspiration comes from across the street.
Famously, Alasskan Brewing founder Geoff Larson looked to his friends across the street from the brewery at Taku Smokeries that smoked Juneau’s tasty snack—smoked salmon—over alder, the local hardwood. It’s the same smoker they use to this day. It’s why the porter that has won more Great American Beer Fest medals (20) than any other craft brew is often said to possess a strong lox flavor.
As fate would have it, Bushwhacker Cider is directly across the street from Edelweiss Sausages and Delicatessen, which does its entire meat smoking in-house over alder. Smith asked if they could smoke some apples for him. The result—as should come to no surprise—is a big, smokey bratwurst-flavored beverage with just a hint of apple. It is perhaps the world’s first rauchcider.
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Brian Yaeger
Brian Yaeger lives in Portland, OR.
I have a little bit of a problem. My boyfriend likes to drink beer but unfortunately I think he’s allergic to it. Every time he drinks it the next day he wakes up with red eyes, stuffed up nose and “worn out” and that happens even only after having 2 beers. And he drinks Coors light so that should tell you something. I think he’s allergic to the hops in beer so I’m telling him to try Cider. But trying to find Ciders that are NOT made with hops seems to be difficult. I know Angry Orchard says it doesn’t use hops, do you know of any more? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Most commercially-available hard ciders actually don’t use hops (if they do use hops, they’ll make a point of saying so on the label). You’re good to go with brands like Strongbow, Doc’s, Samuel Smith’s, Farnum Hill, Crispin Brown’s Lane (or Crispin Honeycrisp), if you can find them (it really depends where you are located). Angry Orchard doesn’t use hops, but I don’t think it’s that good – look harder for the good stuff (and don’t get that Stella Artois cidre).