Cider Revew: Nine Pin Ciderworks' Pink Lemonade

My life is happily rather upside down at the moment! There are four little black kittens just bouncing and stalking and napping around my office. We’re short-term fostering them, and it’s the first time I’ve ever helped foster little kittens. I’ve certainly visited litters to help socialize them and raised cats of my own, but this is an entirely new situation. They’ve been here less than a day, but my heart is wrapped up in them so completely. So it seems that my current cider companions will not raise a glass with me, as they are all underage!

That’s just as well, as I’m not sure I want to share my Nine Pin Ciderworks’ Pink Lemonade. Woody bought this a few weeks ago, but I’ve found myself reaching for it on warm Summer evenings. It’s been too long since any Nine Pin has been featured on the blog! Here are all of my earlier Nine Pin Ciderworks reviews. More background info on this Albany, New York based cider can be found in these. 

House of Dabinett: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Cucumber Lime Light Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Gathering of the Farm Cideries (including the Cascara cider): https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

Peach Tea: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-nine-pin-ciderworks.html

Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-blueberry.html

Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/10/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-ginger.html

Signature cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-nine.html

Here’s how to find Nine Pin Ciderworks online: http://www.ninepincider.com.

I’ll share how the folks at Nine Pin describe the Pink Lemonade. 

When life gives you New York apples, make Pink Lemonade! Nine Pin’s Pink Lemonade cider is made from 100% New York apples then infused with lemons and Citra hops. This refreshing cider is blended with juice from Samascott Orchard’s Red Ace beet crop to create that signature pink color. 6.2% ABV. 

Appearance: hazy, warm peach, some visible bubbles

Based on the name of the cider and the mention of using beets for color, I did expect bolder pink. Instead we have something lovely, soft, and natural. It looks more like peach nectar to me than pink lemonade with that warm hue and fuzzy haze. Even with the haze, I can see plenty of still bubbles that collected on the side of the glass. So inviting!

Aromas: lemons and lemonade, hops, 

The Pink Lemonade cider smells vividly of citric acid. Its a gorgeous bright neon sign blinking “Lemonade!” by way of lemon. Secondarily I get notes of hops, particularly the grapefruit face of hops. It smells zingy almost prickly. The aromas are appealing and balanced, but I would love to get more apple aroma.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-dry

The Pink Lemonade is neither austere nor notably sweet. It’s tart in a distinctly enjoyable way which leads me to believe there is some sweetness to balance that out. 

Flavors and drinking experience: lemony, hops, warming, clean ferment

Nine Pin has made a friendly and easy-drinking summer beverage with the Pink Lemonade. It’s tasty with a medium intensity of sparkle and a full body. It’s extremely lemony, and the hops persist but they meld with the lemon seamlessly.

It’s refreshing but warming all at once. I appreciate the clean fermentation to be expected of Nine Pin. My only hope if there are future iterations would be for more apple-forward aroma and flavor profile. Indeed this feels like a summer drink that’s simply a hopped lemonade rather than a cider made with hops and lemon. Nonetheless, it’s tremendously enjoyable! I’ll happy relish these on hot nights or thunderstorm afternoons, with kittens underfoot.