Happy Spring, cider friends! I’m filled with hope today, not only because the sun shines outside on all the early spring shoots emerging from the ground, but because I was able to get my first dose of the Moderna vaccine last week! I hope your weeks are similarly filled with happiness and anticipation.
This week I’m reviewing a cider I found at my local grocery store. It's not often that they have something new, but I was happy to see City Roots Evergreen Farmhouse Cider a couple of weeks ago. When I read that the cider is infused with Juniper, I had to try it. I hope you enjoy!
We’ll start with the origins of City Roots Cider. This line of cider is made by the folks who make Harpoon Beer and who used to make Harpoon cider. That means the company is based in Boston. When reading about City Roots, I learned, “1% of revenue from all City Roots sales- whether draft or package- will be donated to nonprofit organizations that focus directly on creating greener, healthier, and more sustainable cities.” Which is a pretty cool ongoing commitment.
I do want to link back to the one review I have of a Harpoon cider just because I remember it so fondly.
Harpoon’s Pumpkin Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/cider-review-harpoon-brewerys-pumpkin.htm
You can visit City Roots Cider online to learn more: https://www.cityrootscider.com/
As I mentioned, what made me pick up the Evergreen Farmhouse Cider, is that the label read “conditioned on juniper.” Here’s the full description.
Fermented completely dry using a Nordic farmhouse yeast strain and conditioned on juniper needles, Evergreen is crisp and peppery with notes of citrus zest, winter herbs, and cold forest air. Filtered bright, it has a pleasant warmth and bubbly effervescence while remaining remarkably light and drinkable. 6.0% ABV.
DRY
Ingredients Fermented apple juice (Late Season Blend), Juniper Needles
Appearance: cool straw, brilliant, few bubbles
This is a lovely cider to see. I appreciate the brilliance and cool straw hue. I see a few bubbles, but not many. We’ll have to see how sparkly it is or isn’t.
Aromas: Lychee, pear, basil, juniper and other herbs
The cider effuses with notable and pleasing lychee notes. I also smell pear, basil, white grape, apple, and minerals. Alongside this range juniper, peach, and pineapple appear. The whole impression is both fruity and herbal.
Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry
As with most ciders available in smaller bottles and cans, I need to adjust my expectation of the sweetness from what I see on the packaging. It’s called dry, but to me it's semi-dry.
Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, pineapple, juniper, tropical
The Evergreen Farmhouse Cider brings medium intensity sparkle and ear curling acidity! Wow! I love how this semi-dry cider tastes piney, green and underripe fruit. Notes of pineapple, spruce, apple, and mango all play nicely together. The cider reminds of herb and pine in a sappy, sticky way, but the stickiness isn’t from sugar. This cider tastes very good! The juniper notes bring subtle complexity, but speak a bit more with a larger sip.
I paired this with probably one of the last winter harvesty meals we’re going to have this season. We made a Quorn roast, air-fryer brussels sprouts and baked potatoes with cheddar. It was all quite simple, but the Evergreen Farmhouse Cider was a great complement to the experience!
Next time, I want to see how this cider will play alongside salmon burgers and grilled asparagus!
