5 of My Favorite 10 Ciders of 2021

Somehow we’re racing toward the end of 2021. It doesn’t feel possible, but I’m ready to start choosing my favorite ciders of the year. Why start early? This list was hard to make. I could not fathom taking one more fantastic cider out of my cellar and forcing it to compete in this field. Cider makers made my job really difficult this time around!

Usually I create a favorite 10 ciders of the year countdown for my last blog post of the year. I want to modify my tradition ever so slightly this year and divide the list into two posts. This year I’m sharing five from my top ten list today, and continuing the countdown next week.

My rules are simple. All ciders reviewed in the past year are eligible. No cidery gets to show up more than once. These are my favorites. I acknowledge my subjective, individual, and perhaps even whimsical tastes.

Here are all of my previous years’ top 10s! Please go back and find your favorites!

2020: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2020.html

2019: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/12/my-10-favourite-ciders-of-2019.html

2018: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-favourite-10-ciders-of-2018.html

2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2017.html

2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2016.html

2015: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2015.html

2014: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2014.html

First ever cider countdown from 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html

10. Union Hill Cider’s Pink Heart

https://www.unionhillciderco.com/welcome

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/06/cider-review-union-hill-cider-companys.html

This is a beautiful example of a well-balanced, easy-drinking, delicious rose cider. I love its fruitiness, acidity, and sparkle. This cidery based out of East Wenatchee, Washington made something solidly delightful. One of the really interesting characteristics about the Pink Heart is that this cider uses majority red fleshed apples but doesn’t limit itself to them; it incorporates Dabinett apples as well. I think that is a wise choice because this is a stunner.

9. Tilted Shed Ciderwork’s Wickson

https://www.tiltedshed.com/

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/02/cider-review-tilted-shed-ciderworks.html

This is not a surprising choice for me. I love Wickson crabapples, and Tilted Shed did a brilliant job crafting an intense little burst of flavor into a thoroughly delectable cider. It has everything: tannins, acid, sparkle, and zest. Tilted Shed, out of California, has to be one of my favorite west coast cideries; they know how to appreciate a wild and funky cider without letting that party rage too hard.

8. Slyboro’s Rose and Sky

https://www.slyborociderhouse.com/

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/01/cider-review-slyboros-rose-and-sky.html

The Rose and Sky calls itself imperial because it’s ABV reaches 10%, something I don’t see regularly in the cider world. The cider wears it’s higher alcohol content well; the cider is creamy and full bodied. I enjoy the Rose and Sky’s intense tiny bubbles. This off-dry cider is tremendously fruity but also delivers some lovely brioche crumb notes as well. I highly recommend trying anything by New York producer Slyboro Ciderhouse, but the Rose and Sky is fantastic choice.

7. Eve’s Cidery Orchards and Pastures

https://www.evescidery.com/

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/08/cider-review-eves-ciderys-orchards-and.html

Eve’s Cidery appears on my favorites list regularly; I cannot argue with that. The reason is that this Finger Lakes Cidery knows how to make delectable dry bubbly ciders! Orchards and Pastures is a special aged cuvee blend with a wild yeast fermentation. I love how gently funky yet perfumed it smells. Orchards and Pastures manages to show off barrel fermentation, wild foraged apples, perry pears and lees aging. All of this complexity adds up to a truly splendid cider.  

6. Liberty Ciderworks Major Hewes

https://www.libertycider.com

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/03/cider-review-liberty-ciderworks-major.html

This cider combines two crabapples (Hewe’s and Manchurian) with the Major: a classic UK cider apple. This feels almost like stacking the deck, but then Spokane Washington’s Liberty Ciderworks uses neutral oak for aging and wild fermentation to boot.  It smells leathery with notes of orange and overripe apple. I love how it really brought a serious amount of both tannins and acidity. This is a tasty cider and one that you cannot drink without being transfixed by its herbal notes and UK cider-inspired profile. It is a delight that I’m so grateful Liberty Ciderworks created. 

That’s all for now, cider friends. Catch up with the rest of the top ten next week, and until then, stay safe and bust out the good stuff! 

Cider Review: Slyboro's Rose and Sky

January isn’t always an easy month, and this one is off to a disturbing start. We’re staying close to home and working for better days ahead. I hope you’re doing the same. Today, I’m sharing my take on Slyboro’s Rose and Sky. This cider was shared with me for review, but I’ll say again that my opinions remain my own however a cider comes to me.

My previous Slyboro reviews include:

La Sainte Terre: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-bantam-ciders-americain.html

Hidden Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-slyboro-cider-houses.html

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-slyboro-hard-ciders.html

Ice Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Visiting Slyboro: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

Black Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-slyboros-black-currant.html

Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

Learning about this cider on the Slyboro page shows more than I can tell with just a quote, but the cider description lists, “notes of pear, stone fruit, tamarind, brioche, and soft tannins.” The page goes on to describe it as an “Imperial sparkling cider. An ideal event starter and a perfect choice for celebrations large and small.” There’s a different description on the back of the bottle, so I’ll include a picture. It has a hefty 10% ABV, hence it being called an imperial cider.

Visit the Slyboro website to learn more about the orchard, ciders, and tasting room: https://www.slyborociderhouse.com/

Appearance: warm custard, hazy, plenty of bubbles

I must say that pouring this cider surprised me! I expected a cider with rose in the name and roses on the label to be a Rosé, and this poured with a sunny custard golden orange instead! I’m sure had I looked more closely at the bottle I wouldn’t have made that assumption, but I had to share! The Rose and Sky looks vibrant and hazy. The bubbles are visible but so small! My excitement was raised by seeing the cider in my glass!

Aromas: Pears, minerals, toasted breadcrumbs.

The Rose and Sky smells of minerals, pears, and toasted breadcrumbs. My mouth is officially watering.

Sweetness/dryness: Off Dry

I love an off-dry cider when all of the elements are in balance, and the Rose and Sky delivers deliciously! 

Flavors and drinking experience: biscuity, bubbly, quince, high tannins, high acid

This is a complex and lovely cider! I’m definitely a fan of the Rose and Sky. Here’s how it tastes. The Rose and Sky brings a biscuity kick of austere wood to start. This cider feels very bubbly and rich. I adore it’s concentrated apple character but the cider brings quince, honey, and lemon notes as well.

I enjoy the Rose and Sky’s lingering bitterness, high tannins, and high acid. This cider is tasty and enjoyable from tip to tail; each sip is satisfying and full.

Cider Review: Bantam Cider's Americain and Slyboro Ciderhouse's La Sainte Terre

Alrighty! All of the students are moved into both of the local colleges. I’ve been to the New York State Fair(where I definitely saw people enjoying plenty of New York cider). Apples are starting come into season. Halloween stuff has started appearing in store around. All of these signs tell me that fall is coming. The temperature however has other plans. The weather often does. This time, we’re headed into a brief heat wave just as I’ve been thinking about how to say goodbye to summer. But on my way this week, I’ve enjoyed two forward thinking ciders. 

The first of these comes from Bantam Cider. I found this can when I was travelling and picked it up a few months ago. Bantam Cider hails from Massachusetts. I found this introductory paragraph on the website’s Mission Statement to be an excellent introduction, “We are committed to making creative and distinctive crafted cider using fresh pressed apples and high-quality, all-natural ingredients.”

A long while ago, I had the chance to review Bantam’s Wonderkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/01/cider-review-bantam-ciders-wonderkind.html

You can read more about this company and all Bantam ciders on the website: http://www.bantamcider.com/

Today, I’m reviewing the Americain. Here’s it’s official description.

Contrary to popular belief, The Americain was born in the spring, not the fall. It was first made to remind us of the rich and amazing flavors we experienced in our friend’s homemade batch of apple butter. Green Cardamom, Coriander, Clove, Cinnamon and Rose Petals create a rich and aromatic character that is luscious and deliciously edible. And why the French name? Well, anything said in French sound sexier, don’t you agree? And while this cider takes its name from the French, it’s cloudy like English Scrumpy and features traditional Persian spices, its taste is truly American; as American as apple pie.

The Americain is the perfect easy-drinking cider that's just as enjoyable during the dog days of summer as the chilly nights of Autumn. Cheers! 5.2% ABV.

Appearance: cloudy, citrine, no bubbles

This cider looks totally cloudy and very cheerful citrine color. I couldn’t see any bubbles in the glass

Aromas: spicy, ripe red apples, brown sugar, chai

The Americain smells spicy but not quite like apple pie. Instead the spices remind me of Middle Eastern cuisine. Though the palette includes cinnamon the overall effect is still almost savory. But spices aren’t the only part of the story; the cider smells of ripe red apple too. I definitely got a salivary reaction.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

The lusciousness of the aroma is met with a semi- dry level of sweetness; it’s not too sweet but not to tart either.

Flavors and drinking experience: spicy, caramel, medium high acid

What a fun cider and what a change of pace. I haven’t had anything with this realm of spices for months, and I feel ready for them. I can taste cinnamon, allspice, clove, and cardamom. But in addition to those spicy notes this semi-dry cider is caramelly even as it’s semi dry.

The cider has medium high acidity and lovely tiny bubbles. The whole experince is very balanced. The Americain tastes full of flavor; it’s juicy but mature. And it finishs with a quick lick of brown sugar. I paired it very simply with a movie (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and popcorn. It made for a nice night.

Slyboro Sainte terre

In a lovely hamlet of New York near the Vermont border, Slyboro Ciderhouse makes its home in Hick’s Orchard. I’ve visited the cidery and tasted most of the ciders. Here’s how the website introduces Slyboro.

 Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders. 

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider - "true cider" - as America's favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, "consider cider."

Previous review include: 

Most recently, I reviewed the Hidden Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-slyboro-cider-houses.html

Before that I tried the Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-slyboro-hard-ciders.html

I also used their Ice Cider in my Thanksgiving lineup two years ago: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

In 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting Hick’s orchard and the Slyboro tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

I tried the Black Currant as soon as I found it: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-slyboros-black-currant.html

My first Slyboro review was the Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

A late season saunter to a lost corner of the orchard leads to the chance discovery of pomological perfection. La Sainte Terre blends the crisp and floral notes of Golden Russet and MacIntosh with a hint of earthy bittersweet apples and a voluptuous dose of ice harvest ice cider.

La Sainte Terre celebrates our connection to the living world, the unhurried moment, the long 'path which we love to travel in the interior and ideal world,' as Thoreau once said. You must lose yourself before you find your way to La Saint Terre, the Sacred Earth." 8% ABV.

Appearance: dried apricot color, brilliant, no visible bubbles

I'm loving the rich color in this cider, even in a non-traditional glass. The cider is brilliant. I don't see many bubbles. 

Aromas: black pepper, fresh grapes, overripe apple

How very interesting. La Sainte Terre smalls astonishingly of black pepper and grapes. These aren’t notes I’m used to noticing, but I’m intrigued. These aromas are layered with wet cool overripe apple.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi sweet

This cider is unambiguously a semi-sweet cider. The concentration of sweetness of the ice cider used to give it sweetness comes across beautifully. 

Flavors and drinking experience: High acidity, raisins, watermelon

La Sainte Terre has a lot going on. I first noticed that the black pepper aromas were matched with black pepper flavors too. That savory is balanced by golden caramel brown sugar and high acidity and medium-low tannins. There’s some fruit notes as well, notably raisins, watermelon, and more ripe ripe apple. La Sainte Terr simultaneously offers up some fermentation almost barrel-like notes that run the gamut from wood to turpentine. This cider has a thick mouthfeel; its acid mellows out in the finish.

I enjoyed this cider with a feast! My dear friend had a garden party to celebrate the season and the fact that deer can no longer destroy her vegetables and flowers. The caprese salad was an especially nice pairing with this complex delicious cider. 

Cider Review Slyboro Cider House's Hidden Star and Starcut's Pulsar

I am a broken record these days. When will it be spring? I want to see the sun. I apologize for my repetitions of this theme, but it’s as true as I can be to this year and the context of my cider tastings of late. I don’t think it’s entirely unreasonable to desire hints of green and warm in mid-April. Besides, complaining about the weather unites people. Feel free to add your own grousing in the comments.

As satisfying as it might be to fuss about the lack of spring, that’s not why I write. I write to share my thoughts about new ciders each week. I had a lot of fun choosing my ciders for today’s reviews. I picked two companies, Starcut Ciders and Slyboro Cider House that focus on local apples from two different prominent apple regions of the United States: northern Michigan and New York just on the other side of the Vermont border. Then I realized that both ciders have the word star in their names, so I’ll drink these two ciders and look to the heavens. Or something.

Slyboro Cider House’s Hidden Star

Of the two companies, I am more familiar with Slyboro Cider House. It operates out of a many generation orchard with many varieties of heritage and cider apples. You can visit their orchard and tasting room seasonally, as well as join in on pizza or paint and sip nights.

You can find some additional information and see some gorgeous photographs on the website: http://www.slyboro.com

Here’s a little list of my previous reviews of Slyboro Ciders.

Last year, I loved the Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-slyboro-hard-ciders.html

I also used their Ice Cider in my Thanksgiving lineup last year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

In 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting the orchard and tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

Of course, I had to taste their Black Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-slyboros-black-currant.html

And when this blog was new, I first reviewed Slyboro’s Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

Here’s the official description for Hidden Star.

Hidden Star Semi - Dry Cider 

Discover the secret in the apple! Cider from historic, hearty Northern Spy apples blended with ecologically grown Liberty apples, brings a deeply rooted American tradition to the modern table for your enjoyment.

Made from apples grown at Hicks Orchard, a family farm in the Adirondack foothills and New York?s oldest U-Pick orchard. Clean, crisp, aromatic and refreshingly smooth, like a ripe apple just picked from a tree. Hidden Star pairs well with Summer barbeques,Autumn picnics,Winter festivities, and Spring frolics. Serve chilled. 8% alc/vol 2.5% residual sugar. 750ml

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, straw

This cider has tantalizingly visible bubbles in a warm straw color. As the picture shows, it's brilliant with nary a hint of haze.

Aromas: tropical fruit, applesauce, peaches

Nice and fruity, Hidden star smells like tropical fruits including pineapple, homemade applesauce, and ripe peaches.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This semi-dry cider has a little sweetness that reminds me most specifically of powdered sugar.

Flavors and drinking experience: citrus, spice, balanced

Though the smell was all fruit, the taste of Hidden Star shows even more complexity. I do get lots of citrus; if pressed, I’d describe it as crystallized citrus peel. There are some baking spice notes, like a gentle hint of cinnamon. The tropic fruit from the aroma isn’t entirely gone though as I still get suggestions of pineapple in the cider.

In terms of specific qualities, I’d call this medium acidity cider that exhibits great balance. The body of the cider is moderately full but very zesty. The Hidden Star offers up some subtle wildness, but it’s not funky. One of the things I notice most about the cider is how great the finish tastes.

I tend to love those Northern Spy heavy ciders, and this is no exception. Brilliant. I had it with homemade veggie and pineapple pizza and it was simply delicious.

Starcut Pulsar

This is my second review of a cider by Starcut. They are a relatively young company out of Northern Michigan, founded in 2014. The company is the cider arm of Short’s Brewing Company. They focus on using local Michigan apples and combining them with fruits and using inventive fermentation techniques.

My first Starcut Cider review was of the Immortal Jelly: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/01/cider-review-starcut-immortal-jelly.html

Read all about the ciders at http://starcutciders.com/

The Pulsar’s official description reads,

Pulsar is a semi-dry Modern Cider fermented with Michigan apples and Pinot Noir yeast. Golden in color, Pulsar has soft fruit and white wine-like aromas. Mildly acidic, this cider has a bright and tangy sweetness that dries the palate before a clean and crisp finish. 6.4% ABV

This is one of Starcut’s Flagship ciders. I need to take a second for this phrase, “has a bright and tangy sweetness that dries the palate.” I’m not sure I understand what Starcut is claiming, but dry is more often used as an opposite idea to sweet such that I’m not sure how sweetness can be drying. That said, I’m curious about this cider.

Appearance: brilliant, some visible bubbles, tea

The color reminds me of tea; it's brilliant. I see some visible bubbles in a ring at the top of the liquid and at the bottom of the glass.

Aromas: Pixy Stix, berries, dust, and apples

This is such an interesting set of aromas! The cider smells distinctly sweet and fruity, and when I break down those smells, the Pulsar’s aromas remind me most of apples, berries, and Pixy Stix!

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

I thought it would be sweeter based on the aroma, but the cider is an approachable semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: bright, tart, beery

I know that the Pulsar’s official description calls out wine yeast and vinous flavors, but I found a lot of beer characteristics in this cider. This semi-dry cider is medium acid, which translates to pleasantly tart and bright. It’s very bright in flavor. The fruitiest note when drinking the cider comes across as fresh green grapes.

Something about the cider tastes a little bit darker and yeastier than many ciders I know. It almost reminds me of a  briney English cider in a way, but its easy drinking and friendly. It has a light body with plenty of zip and moderate rather than intense carbonation.

I had this cider with a homemade black bean and corn burrito. Anchoring this light cider with a hearty meal smothered in chipotle sauce was a grand choice. The cider brightened the food and the burrito balanced this cider as well.

Cider Review: Slyboro Hard Cider's Kingston Black

I'm sitting in my attic listening to the wind howl tonight. I love the swoops and marches of noise against my windows. I usually think of the comforts of fall, but this is its un-tamed side, weather racing across the region under cover of night. 

Slyboro Cider comes from the Hicks family orchard in Granville, NY.  Hicks Farm has been a public U-pick farm since 1905. Dan has been adding bittersweet and bittersharp varietals from England and France steadily. You can visit to try cider and on some nights also enjoy pizza, music, painting nights and other events.

Find out more about this company at the website: http://www.slyboro.com/

Previously, I've reviewed a few of their ciders. 

My first Slyboro was their Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

When travelling last year, I got to visit the orchard and tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

More recently I tried the Black Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-slyboros-black-currant.html

I also used their Ice Cider in my Thanksgiving lineup last year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on their single varietal Kingston Black Cider. I remember trying it at the cidery, and I was impressed. Full disclosure, this bottle was shared with me for review.  I know this is what I said about it before, "The Kingston Black is one of the best single-varietals and one of the best still ciders I've had, period. Its notes are almost steak-like." Its been a while, so I'm curious how this will taste when I get to focus on it alone.

Appearance: Warm straw, brilliant, no bubbles

The Kingston Black is a still cider, so I'm not surprised not to see any bubbles. I'd describe the color as warm straw. The cider is perfectly brilliant in clarity.

Aromas: overripe apples, tropical fruit, green twigs

I noticed notes of under-ripe bananas, clean brine, pineapple, overripe apples, and something herbal and twiggy and green. There are a lot of aromas wafting from my glass here. 

Sweetness/dryness: dry

Yes, this is a dry cider, but its so much more than just a dry cider. 

Flavors and drinking experience: green, tropical, zesty, funky

The Kingston Black tastes oaky and green but still fruity. I was surprised that its a bit on the funky side, but I like that in a cider. Its lingeringly tannic with a long finish. Its acidity is light and zingy. The tartness is necessary with this big structural tannins. 

This cider is completely still. The Kingston Black feels like a serious cider for those already well versed in the cider world. I found drinking this one slowly and thoughtfully best allowed it to shine. Drink this with a mushroom dish or some music you want to enjoy in a focused way. I had it with Takoyaki (altered to include sweet corn, cream cheese, scallions, shrimp, and sushi ginger rather than octopus. It was a a wonderful contrast to this light, crisp food.

More tasting just lead to more admiration of this complex and gripping cider.

Cider Con Part 2: Panels, Workshops, and Tastings of CiderCon 2017

I love seeing cider friends, making new ones, and tasting unfamiliar ciders at Cider Con, but I'm a cider geek. What makes me look forward to the event months ahead of time is the schedule of workshop, panels, and guided tastings. I love learning about cider more than most anything in the world. 

I started my schedule with "U.S. Cider in 2017 "by Angry Orchard's Ryan Burk. This description does not tell the whole story of the talk, but it says, "Insights and outlook for U.S. cider in 2017, covering the importance of drinker education, highlights and successes from across the country, and the future of apples in the U.S." What we learned was so much more. 

Ryan showed current market data about cider, but then he took us on a journey through the chain of cider production. Almost everyone in the room was reminded to think of a step further away from their relationship to cider than usual. We heard from nursery growers, orchardists, cider makers, distributors, and drinkers about how we can get good cider into glasses.

It all comes down to apples. Ryan talked about why we need more cider varietals grown in the United States and we talked about how to make that economically feasible for every link in the chain of production. And for some encouragement, he called out some love for cider companies providing great long-term commitment by planting their own orchards.

I next attended "Tools for Success: Marketing, Branding & Storytelling" by Caitlin Braam and Kate Bernot. Caitlin is the president of Seattle Cider Company and Kate does all the cider coverage she can get her hands on through Draft Magazine.

This is what I knew about their talk going in, "This session will focus on tools and techniques to take your cider brand to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out or are looking to enhance an existing brand, hear about tried and true tips for increased exposure, assisting with sales and gaining recognition for your brand through media outreach. Learn how to pitch, contact press, and craft the perfect story while understanding the challenges beverage writers face when writing about cider. Caitlin and Kate will also discuss some of the hurdles currently facing the industry, including style definition, Brix scale, macro vs craft and more." These were great presenters, and I appreciated the choice to pair a cider company president with a journalist so multiple angles could be covered. 

Everyone who attended "Cider Trends in the US & Abroad" by Danny Brager and Matthew Crompton from Nielsen and CGA got a great window into some Nielson data presented compellingly.  Here's how they described the talk. “Nielsen and Nielsen CGA will take a look at the Cider category in the U.S., and France, its performance at retail (both on and off premise), as well as the consumer dynamics driving its sales – the ‘why’ behind the ‘buy’. They’ll provide some comparisons to other Cider markets elsewhere, and to the performance of other U.S. adult beverage categories, and offer suggestions for growing the U.S. Cider market." I really appreciated the way these gentlemen broke down some numbers and let us know where and how cider really is selling in America.

Next came, "Online Branding" my talk with Eric West of Cider Guide (find his fine work at https://ciderguide.com/)

We pitched our talk, “Online branding can help or hurt a cider brand tremendously. Frequently, cider fans encounter a new brand for the first time online. That means that cider makers cannot simply let the beverage speak for itself. Instead they need to craft an online identity for their cider company. This talk will introduce people to the why and how of online branding and content marketing strategies. We’ll talk about the types of online communication necessary for a cider brand including: blogging, newsletters, and social media. Plus, we’ll address both basic and intermediate strategies for managing them.”

I feel quite pleased with our crowd and their questions. Eric gave some great granular thoughts about using specific applications and some excellent book recommendations. I stayed a bit more big picture and talked about information, communication, and guiding priciples for the most part. I did give a few tiny tidbits about various social media platforms. Rather than summarize though, I'll just give a link to the slides of our presentation: https://ciderguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Online-Branding.pdf

Next came a panel I looked forward to more than most was the “Women in Cider” a discussion organized by the Pomme Boots Society (founded by Gemma Fanelli Schmit, Jennie Dorsey and Jana Daisy-Ensign)

Here's how they introduced the panel, "Meet and learn from women working in different segments of the cider industry. Panelists share their experience, insight, challenges and inspiration from orchard to bottle and tasting room to market. Pomme Boots Society is honored to present a forum for discussion that shares the stories of women in our dynamic field." Also, for those not yet familiar with the group, here's how they introduct themselves, "The Pomme Boots Society is an organization for women working in the cider industry. The group supports positive network connections, education and professional development for women in the dynamic field of cider."

Of course there were many talks I really really wanted to attend but couldn't. First among these was, “Apple Orchard Mythology vs. Reality” by the legendary Pete Brown.

This description made me gnash my teeth for being unable to attend: “The apple is the most symbolic, mythologized fruit in human history. In this talk based on his new book, The Apple Orchard, Pete Brown traces the apple along a faultline between the real world and the mythological, through ancient Greek myth, Arthurian legend and the Garden of Eden, and attempts to answer key questions such as why the apple has such great significance, what was really going on with Snow White? And was the Biblical Forbidden Fruit really an apple or not? The answers shed new light on cider’s core ingredient.”

For those who might not yet be familiar, Pete Brown is an English beverage and culture writer who penned World’s Best Cider (with Bill Bradshaw) among several other beloved books. Luckily, I was able to purchase Brown's latest book The Apple Orchard at CiderCon and get it signed! Wow! For those who want to take a peek at the new book: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Orchard-Pete-Brown/dp/1846148839/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487645778&sr=1-2&keywords=the+apple+orchard

My favorite tasting had to be the “Northeast Cider Tasting with Jenn Smith and Ian Merwin”

The description for this one read, "A lively conversation with a focused selection of cider makers from NH, NY and VT, including, Autumn Stoscheck (Eve’s Cidery). Eleanor Leger (Eden Specialty Cider), Stephen Wood(Farnum Hill), Jonathan Oakes (Steampunk Cider), and Dan Wilson (Slyboro Cidery). This dynamic panel will share a tasting of representative ciders and will discuss apples, methods and styles from the Northeastern United States; spirited debate will ensue."

The reality was a bit different as Autumn had the flu and could not make it and there were a few other substitutions. In the end we tasted the five ciders listed in my photo and heard from Ian Merwin in place of Autumn Shosteck.

The talk that made me what to change my life the most, was probably “Selling Against the Trends: Tradition and Authenticity in an Innovation Driven Marketplace” by Lauren Shepard. 

It was described as, "The question of where cider fits into the current alcoholic beverage marketplace has been debated ad nauseam. Within the beer industry, Shelton Brothers is attempting to redefine how artisanal beverages are sold today, by focusing on tradition rather than innovation, knowledge rather than marketing dollars, and competitive pricing rather than uniform margins. This session is for any small or midsized cidermaker who doesn’t want to put their cider in a 6-pack, but knows that they will likely be working through beer buyers in their home market and beyond."  Lauren's talk came from her experiences as a distributor of very fine ciders and beers. I think her points make a lot of sense for a market like Ithaca and several others I'm sure.

The biggest surprise of all came from “History of Apple Culture in the US” by Original Sin's Gidon Coll. Gidon is a friend of mine (I'm proud to say), and I really wanted to see what he could teach us about apple history. A lot as it turns out. 

The description of the talk was relatively simple, “A brief look at the history of apple culture in the United States with a look at historical text documenting the early days of cider production in our country.” Coll planted an orchard in 2012, made up of heritage, rare, and cider specific varietals, in Upstate New York. His talk and his credentials are both so much more than was promised. Gidon brought historical books on apples, vintage nursery catalogues, and shared with us information that wooed everyone into the world of orchard history. If any talks gave me the sense that I have homework I really *want* to do, this was it.

Cider Con ended with a panel discussion and Grand Cider Tasting with our guest french cidermakers. Folks got the chance to ask questions about keeving, the cider market in France, and hear these cidermakers' stories. Plus we got to try a few of their delicious ciders and perries. This was a perfect way to wind up a conference. We'd worked hard and learned a lot, so everyone felt pretty ready to listen and mellow out with some cider.

I know presentations will go online in the coming weeks, so folks who weren't able to attend Cider Con will get to have access to some of this great material. Though this is far from the full experience of Cider Con, I hope you guys enjoyed getting to share some of the ways in which I enjoyed geeking out!

Cider Con 2017 Part 1: An Industry Growing Up

The United States Association of Cider Makers and the Big Picture 

Every year that I've attended, CiderCon feels like an event hosted by a developing organization. The United States Association of Cider Makers improves and challenges itself to learn more and do more each year. I remember some of the goals from last year, and we've achieved them. And when I think about CiderCon's maturation, it isn't just the parent organization, its how the whole industry approaches having a national meeting. We are learning to make the most of this time: not just to see friends and attend workshops, but to boost cider through timed releases, special events, collaborations and more.

Our hotel even had swank elevator wraps and quizzes

Most notably of the achievements of 2016 for the USACM is Michelle McGrath's hire as Executive Director. It took a long and arduous search but everyone is so happy that they found her. Bruce Nissen, our new USACM president and founder of Jester and Judge Cider (http://jesterandjudge.com/)described the search as a thorough narrowing from an initial applicant pool of 1300 people down to just one. And after seeing Michelle throughout the weekend, I am completely impressed with her energy and organization. 

I want to show a bit more of the evidence I observed that CiderCon is maturing.

I appreciated excellent coordination as shown by the programs with maps, external work with organizations outside of USACM not only with Cider Summit Chicago but Cider Week Chicago, multiple cider releases timed to coincide with the conference, an organized press briefing, on and off site portfolio tastings, and best of all a strategic plan for USACM that covers their goals for the next three years. I've always felt like folks are trying to make the best of our time together at CiderCon, but some of these developments just blew me away.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a press briefing on the gearing up day of the conference. At this meeting each of the United States Association Board Member introduced themselves and their cidery. Each region and scale is represented on this board. The current board members are: Bruce Nissen, Dan Wilson, Eleanor Leger, Trevor Baker, Ryan Burk, Paul Vander Heide, Ben Calvi, Marcus Tieton, Brian Shanks, Dan Young and Eric Foster. As they each introduced themselves, they said a little bit about their cideries.

Board members also poured samples of their ciders; this is the tip of that iceberg

Michelle led the meeting and introduced us to what USACM is doing. The organization actively represents cider to the government to improve legislation of the industry. This is the year that the CIDER act goes into effect which reduces the tax burden on many cideries, particularly those making a sparkling cider.

The next legislative push is for the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act which you can read about here: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-on-introduction-of-craft-beverage-modernization-and-tax-reform-act.

Another major project of the USACM includes developing labelling for cider that will allow consumers to have a better idea of what they are purchasing. Though this is not yet developed early comparisons use the Riesling Taste Profile from the International Riesling Foundation as a potentially useful model.

Still on the subject of cider education, we got an update on the Cider Certification Program from Paul Vander Heide of Vandermill Cider. The first level of the CCP is now available to study and take online, with reduced pricing for USACM members. I was part of the inaugural class of CCP takers last February and vouch for the quality of information used for the test and training. The program is designed for everyone who wants to learn about cider in a serious way but is especially well suited to folks working in the hospitality industry or interacting with the public about cider. Learn more at the website: http://www.ciderassociation.org/Certification.

Another significant goal for the USACM is the comissioning of third party economic data that's more granular than what's available through Nielsen and more inclusive of local and regional producers. The industry needs better coverage of cider's “long tail” when such a large proportion of our businesses are very small and often very young.

Opening Session

This year we also played host to some very special visitors from two cider making regions of France: Brittany and Normandy. Ghisilaine Davy from Cidrerie Daufresne to share his Poire(Perry), Dominique Le Brun from Cidres Le Brun to discuss keeving as a fermentation technique, and Guilliaume Drouin from Christian Drouin, bringing his Calvados and cidre.
At the opening session, we heard (via video) from Oregon lawmaker Representative Earl Blumenauer about continuing bipartisan efforts to improve the regulations and taxation that govern cider as a beverage. He's a charming speaker who championed the CIDER Act that already promises to give some producers a number of beneficial legal changes.

Another highlight of the opening session for me was our welcome video. This includes cideries from all over the country and a few sly jokes if you know the personalities and companies involved. Even without these little hidden gems, the video is a fun window into the quirkiness of cider makers.

https://vimeo.com/203243082

The most exciting part of the opening session though was finding out about next year's location for CiderCon. In 2018, we'll convene in Baltimore. I anticipate lots of seafood pairings and events that show me a city I've never seen.

Our opening panel discussion

Up next, I'll share my experiences at the panels, workshops, and tastings of CiderCon 2017.

Wednesday evening Cider Share

Happy to #PickCider for Thanksgiving

I enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving and birthday dinner and putting 4 lovely ciders on the table. The day was remarkably stress free and the food came out deliciously. I thought I'd share some pictures of the feast! I shared my plans for the day in this recent post: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/pick-cider-for-thanksgiving-and-my.html

As promised, we started with Eden's Sparkling Dry Cider. It remains crisp, austere, extremely bubbly and delicious. I simply love this cider. If you have any chance to try it, you should.

After a glass of this, we were ready to fill our plates. Here's the breakdown: sweet potatoes with pecans, dressing, Brussels sprouts with faux bacon, biscuits, mushroom gravy, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, cranberry relish, and two vegetarian centerpieces. The picture cannot come close to the wondrous reality.

I offered two cider choices for the main meal. The first was a black currant cider from Number 12 Cider House. This ended up being amazingly tart and quite dry. If we worried that all of the carbs could put our palates to sleep, this cider was the cure.

I also wanted to share a still cider, but not just any still cider, something I knew would still have substance enough to stand out. I chose a Finger Lakes option from Good Life Cider, their Hickok. As I hoped this had plenty of fruit and richness while still remaining refreshingly dry. It had a subtly herbal aroma that really did complement my dressing well. This is a very savory cider with notes of black pepper along with well balanced minerality. I really like this one a lot. 

Here's a view of my plate before the destruction began.

Last I'd like to share pictures of our dessert course: two pies and Slyboro's Ice Harvest Cider. A nice long meal like Thanksgiving strikes me as the ideal time for an ice cider because one can really take the time to savor it. And this is an ice cider worth savoring.

The first dessert was for my birthday: dark chocolate tart with a gingersnap crust. 

And for our Thanksgiving pie we had apple pie with walnuts and blue cheese. The little twist on a classic was perfect and this pairs exceptionally well with Slyboro's Ice Harvest Cider.

All in all, I could not have been happier with my cider picks. Folks had choices and variety. Several of the pairings brought out an extra element in the food successfully. And I got to share some really special ciders with special people in my life. This is what I'm thankful for.