What I Ate on Summer Vacation (Vancouver, Bellingham, and Seattle)

I returned recently from a whirlwind trip out west with stops of varying length in Seattle, Vancouver, and Bellingham. We were traveling to see family and a few friends,but I’m happy to say that we prioritized eating well also. What we found what so different than the food I know and love in upstate NY that I want to share a few highlights here. Vacation ciders are coming next, I promise. 

So, here are some of the best things I ate on my summer vacation.

Sun Bo Kong Vegetarian Restaurant: https://www.sunbokong.com/

This was my first ever experience with vegetarian Dim Sum (any Dim Sum really). I didn’t manage to get any good pictures, because once the food started flowing chaos descended. We reveled in a parade of dumplings, spring rolls, savory vegetables, stuffed buns, and delicious tiny faux chicken legs. Everything was different and moutwateringly good. Our friends know where to take visitors! Now I know that vegetarian Dim Sum is an experience to be sought out!

Mila Plant Based: https://www.milaplantbased.com/

I had the Cold Pho Salad, because conditions outside were sunny, dry, and hot. I needed something cool and refreshing. When I saw that this dish used cucumber, radish and asian pear along with udon noodles and just a hint of Birds’ Eye Chili Peppers. I don’t know if anything else I ate on the trip could rival this dish for complexity, flavor, and serving as the perfect counterpoint to an intense summer day. Both of my companions enjoyed their Dan Dan Noodles as well for the fun interplay of textures and zesty heat.

Cafe Rumba: https://caferumbabham.com/

Peruvian Yam Sandwich called a Peruano with Yam, avocado, mozzarella cheese, roasted tomato, spinach, aji huacatay, aji amarillo sauce. And we shared a small bowl of big Andean Corn Kernels, with Feta, and fresh vegetable salsa. Alex teased me for wanting potatoes as a side and as a topping, yet I remain undaunted. Ever since falling in love with La Feria in Pittsburgh, we seek out Peruvian food wherever we go, and this place is a casual gem!

Rock and Rye Oyster House:  https://www.rockrye.com/

My salmon craving was really directing us on our evening in Bellingham. The Tall one suggested a lovely narrow strip of a place in a lovely old brick building downtown. The restaurant was celebrating it’s tenth year of operation with several specials, some of which we chose for our dinner. I enjoyed the special smoked salmon with tomatoes and berries. Alex had the beet gnocchi. We shared an appetizer of Japanese street corn.

MeeT on Main: https://eatmeet.ca/main-street/

We tried loads of delightful things here including vegan poutine, Oyster Mushroom Calamari, a BBQ burger, and gnocchi with Romesco sauce. Everything was deliriously good. I tried a local cider that will be written abouNt in a future post, but having all the salty snacky comfort food as an accompaniment to good companionship and a fun cider really is hard to beat. I loved the menu, atmosphere, and palette of flavors that MeeT brought to the table!

Ignite Pizzeria in Mt. Pleasant: https://ignitepizzeria.com/

On our way into town we stopped at a cute little pizza spot for the Potato Gorgonzola Pizza. The place does stone fired pizzas, and ours had plenty of thinly sliced potato, mozzarella, loads of super flavorful gorgonzola, and just a sprinkle of rosemary. The other fun thing was trying our first ever Italian hot sauce. I’m a wimp about spice, but I love smokiness and peppers, so I was brave and tasted the Firelli Hot Sauce. It was delightfully flavorful, but I managed to handle it on a pizza simply created for such a pairing. 

Portage Bay Cafe: https://www.portagebaycafe.com/roosevelt

When I have the opportunity to order Shakshuka, I take it. That’s just a given for me. I love tomato-y, eggy, breakfasts with good bread and feta cheese. The Tall one ordered Lemon Ricotta Pancakes that included one trip to the berry bar. Yes, I said berry bar. It looked sublime. The pacific northwest is known for berries almost as much as for rainfall, so do not skip any opportunity to explore that reputation first hand. Both of our dishes came out exactly as we hoped. For me that meant rich, spicy, and hearty and for my companion it was light and fluffy sweetness. Add in eating outdoors on a lovely morning, and I’m all set. 

Believe it or not, these are just the highlights and not an exhaustive list of all of the great food finds on our trip. And I promise we did loads more than just eat. Next up, cider!

Cider Review: Rootwood Cider Co.'s Harrison

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I found out about Rootwood Cider Company through the Northwest Cider Club. This is a wonderful way to get access to a mouthwatering array of ciders from that region. I would not find out about a fraction of the Northwest ciders I’ve enjoyed without them. 

Here’s a link to the club for the curious: https://nwciderclub.com/

This introduction to Rootwood Cider Co. came through a delivery in 2021, so it has waited a while in my cellar. Here’s what I can say about the cider producer. This Washington State cidery was founded in 2014 in the Koenig family’s 5th generation of orcharding. The cidery is now owned by Emily, Kate, and Anna Koenig. A short quote from the about page on the cidery website gives a sense of the cidery’s breadth of style.

“Rootwood will continue to produce a combination of traditional and modern ciders - both heirloom apple blends and single-varietal products, and small-batch experimental ciders such as the syrah-infused Rosé, honey infused Pollinator, and ghost chili pepper infused Golden Ghost.”

This will be my first ever review of anything by Rootwood. I was excited to try the Harrison on a recent spring evening, because of the mystique surrounding the varietal. Here’s how Rootwood Cider Co. introduces it.

Tasting notes

HARRISON - SINGLE VARIETAL - juicy apple brightness with a warm sherrylike finish

Once thought to be extinct, a single Harrison apple tree was rediscovered in 1976 in New Jersey, allowing for the reintroduction of this variety through grafting and budding. This cider was produced with apples from our estate cider orchard, where more than 500 Harrison trees grow today. 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: Orange,  bubbly

I was shocked initially by the Harrison’s intense shade of orange. I admit, it left me curious about what to expect from this cider. The cider is brilliant, bubbly, and bewitching with its unusual hue. I’ve seen a few UK or French ciders with shades of orange for color, but it’s not usual for an american cider or a cider with this level of clarity. 

Aromas: Ripe apples, pear, and peach

As surprising as I found this cider’s appearance, the Harrison smells familiar and wonderful. The enticing notes center on ripe apple, pear, and peach.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

What a treat! Often single varietal ciders are fermented to total dryness. I like that. It’s a good way to make a considered cider, but it’s not the only way. Rootwood has crafted something lovely approachable and delicious in the sweet but not simple Harrison.

Flavors and drinking experience: Tannic, juicy, golden raisins, apricot finish and bubbly

The sweet and tannic cider does not strike me as typical of any sort of American cider. It’s not always easy to get apples that will make a tannic cider, but Harrison is one. The cider sings with high acidity and notes of golden raisins.

The Harrison’s mid-palate is peachy, juicy, and bubbly. It finishes with a pleasant apricot and seasoned wood drift of flavor.

Cider Review: Ragged and Right Cider Project's First Pick Gravenstein

This moment at the dizzy height of Summer grants a full view of the season to come: Autumn. We’re in the midst of so many harvests; school is gearing up to begin another year. Mornings are webbed with dew and spider silk. In my life, the temporary kittens have gone on to their next foster home, so I’m back to enjoying quiet porch mornings with coffee and my own pets. I’m ready for the calm that I can steal during a busy time. One evening this past week, we had a quiet dinner at home with a new cider and that was just right. Here’s how Ragged and Right Cider Project's First Pick Gravenstein worked out for us.

This is my first ever review of anything by Ragged and Right Cider Project. I believe this was another cider scored in a NW Cider Club box. Ragged and Right Cider Project comes out of Washington state. The cidery focuses on using local fruit to ferment small-batch craft cider. Here’s a quote from the website that gives a bit more insight into Ragged and Right’s priorities!

The sister company of Farmstrong Brewing, Ragged & Right Cider exists to provide high end, locally sourced, hard cider. We get our juice straight from the press at our local juice makers and don’t add sugars or substitutes. Blending unique, delicious, and complex cider that will get you somewhere between ragged and right.

Here’s the official description for the First Pick Gravenstein cider.

The inaugural bottling of our First Pick series shines a light on the delicious Gravenstein Apple, grown and pressed at Bellewood Acres in Whatcom County. The initial notes in the aroma are light and pillow like which is mimicked in the delicate first sip. Starting crisp and effervescent, the flavor unfolds in waves as the full flavors of the apple come to life with every sip. 5.3% ABV.

Find this side project of Farmstrong Brewing online here: https://www.farmstrongbrewing.com/raggedandrightcider

Appearance: pale straw, brilliant, no visible bubbles

This looks totally welcoming and familiar with its pale straw color shining in the glass. It’s not an intense shade, but rather its mellowness is gentle and appealing. I don’t see any bubbles in the glass

Aromas: mineral dust, white grapes, woody

The First Pick smells pleasant with an immediate intensity of aroma that I love. What hits first is lots of mineral dust, white grape, and some bitter notes. My co-taster smelled stone, wood, and cotton: an intriguing and clean bouquet.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet—surprising and unusual for a single varietal. Often those are fermented to dryness and this instead has plenty of residual sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, leather, strong sparkle, ripe green apple, vanilla

The First Pick tastes lightly leathery with high acidity. The cider offers nice richly abiding sparkle, and a full mouthfeel. The First Pick is sessionable and easily drinkable. I found the cider has a creamy finish, with notes of vanilla. The fruitiness of the midpalate is boisterous and concentrated ripe green apple.

We had this with Zucchini Pie (made by me), and the combination was ideal!

Perry Review: Independent Perry Company's Original Dry

As I write tonight, I’m in my new favorite place. After almost three years, we have a screened in porch again. Not a lot could make me happier on long summer evenings like these. I can sit with a cat, book, cider or meal and enjoy the scents and sounds of my neighborhood without bugs! My very large and independent cat Braeburn can enjoy the outdoors without having to wear a cat harness! What could be more blissful?

I’m sharing my notes on Independent Perry Company’s Original Dry. This is my first ever cider by this perry-maker. The company is based out of Washington and entirely focused on fermenting pears into perry. Here’s some background information quote from the perry company’s website that contextualizes the perry sourcing and processing.

Sourced from orchards in the foothills of the Wenatchee Mountains, Independent crafts modern perries from fresh pressed D’Anjou Pears fermented cold and minimally processed. Using ingredients from local farms and retailers, our aim is to create unique and expressive libations to complement any special occasion.

I purchased and consumed this cider a while ago. I got it as part of my Northwest Cider Club. It's a wonderfully varied cider subscription. More information is available here: https://nwciderclub.com/

 Because this is no longer a current release by the Independent Perry Co. I wasn’t able to find a lot of information about this perry, but it is described as, “Crisp, clean & citrusy” with a 5.8% ABV. I think the closest of the current lineup would be the Sno Gem Dry, but I haven’t had the pleasure of trying the newer perries.

Here’s how to find out more about the Independent Perry Company; visit the website: https://www.independentperry.com/

Appearance: hazy, pearly, light pink, loads of bubbles

I was so surprised and delighted by this cider’s color; it’s gently hazy with a pearly pink hue. It’s also very bubbly!

Aromas: pears, minerals, powdered sugar, green apples and bananas

This perry smells like pears, minerals, powdered sugar, green apples and bananas. It’s all a primarily fruity and summery blend of vibrant fresh aromas.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

The perry tastes semi-sweet, but that can always be deceiving. This is dryer than many modern perries, but I do still perceive some sweetness.  

Flavors and drinking experience: astringent, floral, pear, tart, mildly sharp

Fun! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect based on the super saturated fruity aromas, but this has some tasty and surprising facets. I was most surprised to experience some astringence in this perry. They didn’t come without lots of accompaniment though. The perry tastes  floral, like fresh ripe pear, and still plenty tart. The perry finishes mildly sharp, and the whole experience is just lofted high with many many bubbles. 

And now back to porch relaxing. I do look forward to trying more things by the Independent Perry Company!

Cider Review: Schilling Cider House's Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple

Right now, my brain is awake and thinking about colors, scents, and textures. I feel like some parts of me have been asleep all winter, and only just now want to rouse and seek out excitement. It’s not always a comfortable thing, certainly not when compared with the gentle hibernation of winter. At the same time, I’m ready for all parts of Spring, even if that means skunk smells, muddy walks, and the delicate hope that late frosts will not kill vulnerable plants and buds. I’m happy to have a super optimistic cider for it too; today I’m reviewing Schilling Cider House's Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple.

Here’s just a short excerpt from Schilling’s website introducing the cidery, “All our beverages are handcrafted in the Pacific Northwest. We use 100% fresh-pressed apples, locally sourced ingredients, and hand-selected yeast strains to create a cider experience that’s truly unique.”

This is only my 2nd-ever Schilling cider review! I reviewed the Schilling Spiced Cider back in 2015, so it’s been a while. You can find more background on this Seattle cidery and tap room in my first review.  

Spice Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/reviewing-ciders-for-winter-schilling.html

Visit Schilling Hard Cider online to learn about the full lineup of ciders: https://schillingcider.com/cider-houses/seattle/

Here’s how Schilling describes the  Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple

Pining for the perfect pairing, Excelsior Pineapple combines our passion-for-fruit with a tantalizing cosmic creation that makes its landing at 8.4% ABV.

Start your journey with its vibrant pineapple aroma and let it lead you to your first sip of this celestial cider! The combination of fresh-pressed Pacific Northwest apples, tart passion fruit, and juicy pineapple bursts with the tropical flavor of the getaway you’ve been daydreaming about.

And yes, you did read that right: 8.4% ABV in a can! I'm splitting mine, and there's no shame in that.

Appearance: deep saffron gold, high intensity, visible bubbles, slight haze

Deep saffron gold and visible bubbles decorate this ever-so-slightly hazy cider. 

Aromas: Pineapple, tropical fruit, passionfruit

This smells very much like I expected from the combination of passionfruit and pineapple. The Spaceport’s aromas leap out of the glass with wonderful intensity!

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet!

The Spaceport is an emphatically sweet cider. There’s no denying it! This is a tasty fruity sweetness that surely comes from pineapple and passionfruit as well as apple. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, bubbly, fruity, pineapple

The pineapple dominates the drinking experience for Schilling’s Spaceport, which suits me fine as I love pineapple. It’s a powerfully fruity cider with loads of sweetness and plenty of acid as well. 

The cider has lots of body, but the bubbles help keep it zesty and refreshing. This was a fun one to have with springy salads and dreams of sunny days to come. 

Cider Review Greenwood Cider Co.'s Barrel-Aged Dry

Our gray and brown were temporarily replaced with a beautiful layer of snow, and as it's starting to melt snow is predicted to blanket the region again between Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ve not gotten many snows of substance this year, so I have to admit that part of me is rooting for a big enough snow to feel fully transformative to the landscape. It's always at least a little bit tense in the gray waiting hours for snowfall. More than that though, I want folks to be safe and warm. Snow may be fun for me, but it’s serious for plenty of other folks. In the meantime, I’m excited to share some notes on Greenwood Cider Co.’s Barrel-Aged Dry.

In my earlier reviews of Washington state’s Greenwood Cider Co., I’ve included a bit of additional background on the cidery. Here, I’ll quote Greenwood’s website to use their words of introduction. 

Unfiltered cider made the hard way. Founded in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle in 2015, we turn waste into resource[s] by making cider from forgotten and foraged fruits picked from around the city and deep within the Pacific Northwest forest. That approach continues today. In addition to the more standard Washington apples, we use apples from local farms, small homesteads, and abandoned orchards. We press and produce everything in the city, keeping our hands on the process from start to finish and the cider as local as possible. It's an uncompromising blend of modern tastes and traditional cidermaking.

I’ve reviewed a few Greenwood Cider Co. ciders before. Here’s the short list. 

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/01/cider-review-greenwood-cider-kingston.html

Lingonberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-greenwood-ciders.html

Black Currant Asian Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

I recommend visiting Greenwood Cider on the web to learn about all that this company has going on: https://www.greenwoodcider.com/

Here’s how Greenwood Cider Co. describes the Barrel-Aged Dry.

Our signature Dry Cider blend aged for six months in bourbon barrels. Enticing aromas of green plums and vanilla are followed by bright apple acidity with a dry oak finish. 8.5% ABV. 

Appearance: brilliant, medium intensity warm straw, no visible bubbles

This mellow cider just looks tremendously inviting. I don’t see any bubbles, but I do see tremendous brilliance and a lovely warm straw color.

Aromas: barrel, hay, apple core, spicy peppers

This cider’s six months in bourbon barrels shows up emphatically in the cider’s aroma. The Barrel-Aged dry smells like butterscotch, cooked apples, apple core, and breadcrumbs. Secondarily, I notice notes of hay, hot peppers, rubber, and other elements that are either aquatic, or sharp and boozy. It’s a complex array of inviting and wild smells.

Dryness/sweetness: off dry/dry

Greenwood Cider Company has almost certainly released an actually dry cider, but barrel aging can introduce scents and flavors that can complicate the perception of sweetness. There’s enough atmosphere of butterscotch, maple and cooked fruit that it’s hard for me to fully appreciate the dryness of the cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: butterscotch, plum pudding, barrel, spicy, maple

The tall one said immediately that drinking this cider reminds him of plum pudding with raisins and hard sauce. That’s not an experience I’ve had, so I cannot speak to the association. To me, the Barrel-Aged Dry tastes like butterscotch. It’s so very barrel aged that it doesn’t taste fully dry. There are enough dessert notes that come from the apple and the barrel that don’t even rely on actual sweetness to connote butterscotch, applesauce, and maple syrup. 

That’s not all that I’m noticing though. The cider also tastes spicy with notes hot peppers like I detected in the aromas. The cider has high tannins and medium high acidity and a strong alcohol presence. The cider is warming with prickly bubbles. I love how this complex cider ends with a perfumed finish and a phenolic edge. It’s never just one thing!

Greenwood Cider Co. has created something both interesting and tasty with the Barrel-Aged Dry! I enjoyed mine with vegetarian borscht: a seasonal classic in my house.

Cider Review: Dragon's Head Cider's Rosé

I write from a cozy desk spot on a rainy Labor Day. I’m grateful to have today for rest and even more grateful to those who labor to keep things functioning today and everyday. This time of year, that especially means orchard and farm workers. Thank you! 

Today, my review features Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé. This cider was part of a Northwest Cider Club Shipment. I love being able to purchase curated selections of ciders not usually available to me in remote upstate New York. You can learn more about the Northwest Cider club here: https://nwciderclub.com/

Dragon’s Head Cider comes to us from Vashon, Washington. Vashion is an island with an orchard off the coast of Washington state. 

Here’s how Dragon’s Head Cider introduces their process and philosophy of cider making. 

From apple to bottle, all right here on our farm.

At Dragon’s Head Cider, we take a traditional approach to cider making. Our focus is on the apple varieties that we use and the quality of the fruit. We love the story that apples alone can tell through cider, altering the flavor by changing the blend of apple varieties that we carefully select. The process is simple and the ingredients list is short. Perhaps we’re a little old fashioned.

You can read the rest of the process and learn about all of Dragon’s Head cider on the website: http://www.dragonsheadcider.com/

I don’t have many previous review of Dragon’s Head ciders, because I haven’t gotten to taste them nearly as often as I’d like. Here are all of the cidery’s earlier appearances on the blog. 

Heritage: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-liberty-ciderworks-wickson.html

Wild Fermented (#1 cider of 2019!): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-dragons-head-wild.html

In 2018, Dragon’s Head appears in my coverage of CiderCon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cidercon-part-2-including-heritage.html

Here’s the official description of Dragons Head Rosé:

Our Rosé Cider is created from a unique blend of red fleshed apple varieties, including Redfield apples from our own orchard. Unlike typical apple trees, in the Spring, the blossoms on the Redfield trees are bright pink, the leaves are a reddish bronze, and amazingly the flesh of these beautiful apples is red. When the apples are pressed the juice is a crimson color that lightens and clears into the blush rosé that you see in the bottle. Bright and fruity, this cider is certainly unique for its color but also delicious in flavor.

Alcohol 6.90%

Appearance: Brilliant, Bubbly, Copper Red

What a beautiful cider. I totally understand why the Rosé cider is bottled in clear glass. The coppery red color is too inviting not to share! The cider is brilliant and bubbly as well. What a visual invitation.  

Aroma: Mineral notes, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Black Pepper

The first scents that  unfold are mineral notes followed by cranberry, grapefruit and pepper. I know some folks question minerality, but I don’t know exactly how to put it when sniffing a cider makes me think about rocks. The cider’s aromas make my mouth water.

Dryness/Sweetness: Dry

Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé cider is dry. I’ll not call it bone dry, but it’s close.

Flavors and drinking experience: High acidity, high tannins, peach, floral finish

The Dragon’s Head Rosé cider has high but not extreme acidity. It makes a wonderful first impression of fruity and zinginess. That’s immediately followed by medium high tannins that ground and anchor the cider. I loved the floral finish with bits of peach. It’s a deeply enjoyable cider. The texture is defined by very fine bubbles. 

Upon second and third sips, I started to notice a gentle caramel note beneath the brightness. The fruitiness gets more definitively peach, cranberry with a bit of a spicy green pepper note at the end.  The cider has a thin light body that is kept angular by the acidity. It's a stimulating cider that’s tremendously inviting for food. Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé is just so good!

I paired this with a roasted chickpea, tomato, feta salad. Highly recommended!

Cider Review: Snowdrift Cider Co.'s Red

Casual dinners on the patio feel like a balm to my soul right now. Has it always been so magical to cook and eat just outside my door? While I certainly cannot answer that question, I’m happy to share my take on a cider that accompanied one such dinner recently.  I poured Snowdrift Cider Co.'s Red for a meal of grilled shrimp, new potatoes, and sweet peppers cooked at served at my house but outside. Perfection. 

Snowdrift Cider Company produces orchard-based ciders in Washington state. I really like this description of the cidery and ciders that Snowdrift leads with, so I’ll quote it.

Our ciders are made from great cider apples that we grow on our orchard in sunny East Wenatchee, WA. Our incredible region gives our trees the ideal conditions to grow apples packed with the flavors necessary to produce fine ciders. Hot sunny summers and cold snowy winters result in apples that mature with incredible aromatics and delicious flavors. When ripened to perfection, we pick these apples and craft them with the utmost care into fine cider blends, resulting in rich ciders full of delicious complexity.

Here are my previous reviews:

Snowdrift Cider Cidermaker's Reserve 2014: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html

Cornice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/01/cider-review-snowdrift-cider-cos-cornice.html

And The Cornice made my top 10 of 2018: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-favourite-10-ciders-of-2018.html

Visit Snowdrift Cider Co. online to learn about the cidery, the cider club, new releases and more: https://www.snowdriftcider.com/

Here’s Snowdrift Cider Co.’s official description for the Red. 

This stunning cider is a rare treat! We have been fortunate to get to work with some apple varieties only a couple generations removed from their native ancestors in the hills of Kazakhstan. Their brilliant red flesh yields a crimson red cider with bright acidity, packed with flavors of cranberries, watermelon, rhubarb & strawberries, finishing with soft toffee tones. 7.5% ABV.

Appearance: coral pink, brilliant, tiny bubbles

This delicate coral pink shade reminds me of everything spring: I see iris, tulips, daffodils, and sunrises with this color. It’s dreamy. The clarity of the cider is brilliant which is perfect for showing off the few tiny tiny bubbles I see.

Aromas: underripe strawberries, sweet orange, boozy

The Red smells like tiny Underripe strawberries, booze, and sweet orange. Something in the melange of aromas leads me to expect powerful acid from this cider, but we’ll see what happens.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider is calibrated to be semi-sweet. The sweetness I note is balanced with plenty of acid and comes across as playful, fruity, and forward.

Flavors and drinking experience: bubbly, rhubarb, strawberry, candied, high acid, low tannins

I love how the Red is so strongly sparkling! The cider leads with high bold acids and low but present tannins. These are wonderful qualities to add complexity to the sweetness and keep the whole experience in balance. 

The flavors include notes like strawberries, rhubarb, and cotton candy. The combination of sweet and bubble become pleasingly prickly to the palate. There’s a peachy clinging sweetness in the finish. The cider is fun and food friendly. I enjoyed it with our marinated grilled peppers and shrimp so much!

Cider Review: Chatter Creek Ashmead's Kernel

I often long to know what’s happening in other parts of the cider world. I could drink just finger lakes cider and still find enough good cider to keep me busy, but I love trying cider from other apples, styles, and regions. That’s why I joined the NW Cider Club and that’s how I got today’s cider: Chatter Creek’s Ashmead’s Kernel.

Here’s where you can learn more about the Northwest Cider Club: https://nwciderclub.com/.

This is my first ever review of anything by Chatter Creek. This cidery is based out of Washington state. When reading on the website, I really like how the cidery presents founder Gordon Rawson’s point of view on cider making and the goals of Chatter Creek. 

Gordon knows cider is essentially a wine made from apples. In 2015 he decided to return to his roots and apply his considerable winemaking experience to making fine ciders using Washington state apples and the finest whole ingredients.

At Chatter Creek, we apply a wine maker’s sensibility to the crafting of contemporary ciders.

Whether the cider is an all apple Heritage cider or a spice infused modern cider, we strive for the complete experience of aroma, structure, length and finish.

Visit Cider Creek’s website to learn more: http://www.chattercreek.com I recommend reading the whole “About” page.

Here’s how Chatter Creek describes this cider. 

Ashmead's Kernel, Bitter Sharp Cider

An old world apple discovered in the 18th Century, Ashmead’s Kernel originated in Gloucestershire, England and has been delighting cider makers ever since. Our varietal ciders are custom pressed from Washington grown apples and slowly fermented to retain their beautiful aromas, bright mouth feel and lasting finish. We have kept this cider off-dry to maintain the fruit’s natural brightness and food friendly character. Chatter Creek’s Ashmead’s Kernel is the perfect pairing with shellfish, grilled halibut or any hot and spicy delicacy. ABV 9.5%, rs 5g/l, CO2 2.0 volumes

9.5% ABV! Noted! And a single-varietal. My curiosity is piqued!

Appearance: pale straw, brilliant, bubbly 

The Ashmead’s Kernel is a pale straw color that’s a cool enough shade of taupe to almost veer green. This cider looks absolutely true to the type of a North American cider, but since this is a single varietal English cider, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It’s  also brilliant and bubbly!

Aromas: rich mellow overripe apple, floral

What a rich and lovely set of aromas. Chatter Creek’s Ashmead’s Kernel smells like overripe apples, white flowers, and peach. I also get wafts of Elderflower and lots of apple just again and again. There’s a bounty of rich pleasure to be had in these scents. 

Dryness/sweetness: Off dry

Ashmead’s Kernel has so much going on that it’s a little difficult to tease out the level of sweetness in the cider. There’s definitely some there, but the fruitiness of the cider isn’t necessarily coming from the sweetness; there’s more to it than that.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, high acid, peach, rice, white pepper

I enjoy this cider; it’s welcoming, dynamic, and wonderful. The Ashmead’s Kernel starts off peachy, with high acidity and high tannins. At the same time, this cider is also full of body and lightened by intense sparkle. I found the mid-palate is nutty and grainy almost like oatmeal, rice, or barley. The finish was practically vibrating with crabapple flavor; it’s all fruit acid and white pepper.

This is a tremendously lovely single varietal. Each sip is a journey. I had mine after a dinner of grilled grouper tacos, but I think they would have gone beautifully together.

Cider Review: Woodinville Ciderworks' Red Flesh Hard Apple Cider

This past weekend was a shining example of how gorgeous Fall can be. I hiked and gardened and didn’t forget to include cider and apples in my enjoyment either. Making apple macaroni and cheese from scratch with cider, and pairing it with cider has to be one of my favorite Autumnal treats.

To celebrate, I reached into my store of ciders from the NW Cide Club. I get the Discover shipment four times a year, and I love it. Getting to try ciders that would otherwise never become available to me is crucial to understanding the breadth of flavors happening in cider right now! 

Check it out here: https://nwciderclub.com/

My curiosity was drawn to Woodinville Ciderworks’s  Red Flesh Hard Apple Cider this week.

I couldn’t find out a lot about this company aside from the location: Woodinville, Washington. The ciderworks is just gearing up, so there’s not yet a full website, and this is an early release. 

I found the most up-to-date information on Woodinville Ciderworks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodinvilleciderworks

I don’t have a full description of Woodinville Ciderworks’ Red Flesh Hard Apple Cider, so I’ll be informed only by what I see, smell and taste.

Appearance: coral, brilliant, bubbly

The Red Flesh Cider pours with wonderful effervescence. Even after a few moments, a hint of mousse remains, as the picture shows. I’ll call the color pastel coral; it’s almost more a shade of peach rather than pink. The cider is totally brilliant as well.

Aromas: malic acid, woody, ripe apple, apple skin

This cider smells astonishingly like malic acid! I can definitely expect something tart here. The scent reminds me apple skins and seeds; it’s both fresh and woody. All of the apple notes do smell mouthwateringly ripe.

Dryness/sweetness: semi-dry, but difficult to determine

Puckeringly tart acid and strong bubbles

I found it hard to tell how sweet it is! You'll see why as you keep reading. My best guess would be a semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, tannic, fruity, crabapples

This cider tastes tannic like crabapples with that special juicy concentrated astringence that stay completely melded with it’s fruitiness. I find this to be a very different tannic profile than what I get from ciders made with European traditional cider varietals. This is tannic and sharp and fruity rather than austere and structured. I’m interpreting here, but that has been my experience.

One out of our three tasters found it too much in terms of acidity but two of us loved it. I loved the tart Blueberry notes. The cider has a quick clean finish. I found that the tannins build as you sip. The Red Flesh Hard Apple Cider goes beautifully with cheese like aged Manchego. I paired it with my apple mac and cheese and I even used a splash or two when creating my cheese sauce. It was wonderful as an ingredient and as a pairing. What a treat!

Cider Review: Union Hill Cider Company's Pink Heart, Plus an upcoming Book Talk with Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo!

Union Hill Cider Company is a Washington state cider company that began with two roommates making a closet cider back in 2012. I love that the cidery website is very clear that this first batch was inspiring of improvement rather than an instant classic. The first discovery was that in order to make special cider, the makers must start with special apples. There’s no arguing with that wisdom!

Andrew Handley, Matthew, and David Dobbins created this company after starting to plant cider-specific apple varieties! My favorite quote on the website comes from Gene Handley about the orchard.

We decided in 2016 to find old English and French bittersweet and bittersharp varieties to propagate and plant with the same high-density growing systems used in today’s modern orchards.  High-density, high-dwarfing rootstocks meet old heritage varieties with only one purpose, to grow apples only to press for hard cider. We planted Dabinett, Porters Perfection, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Muscat de Lense, Snowdrift Crab, and Red Fleshed apples.  We want to use apples with intention that complement each apple’s unique characteristics.  We want you to be able to identify each variety we use in each of our blends.

You can read all about Union Hill online here: https://www.unionhillciderco.com/

Today I’m writing about the Pink Heart. Here’s how Union Hill describes it. This cider came to me as part of the Northwest Cider Club, which continues to curate some truly tantalizing selections. Read about the club here: https://nwciderclub.com/.

Here's how Union Hill describes the Pink Heart.

A union of our Red Fleshed and Cripps Pink apples finished with Dabinett to round out the blend. This pink hued cider is our most versatile cider, fit for any occasion. Medium bodied with bright notes of red raspberry, rhubarb and grapefruit with a tart finish.

Appearance: peachy pink, brilliant, few visible bubbles

Union Hill knows that they made a beautiful cider, and I’m so glad that they chose a clear bottle for it. The color for the Pink Heart is a refreshingly peachy pink. A few bubbles show up as soon as this cider is poured. 

Aromas: marshmallows, hibiscus, vanilla, tangerine and red currants

The Pink Heart smells like marshmallows and hibiscus. There are other softener notes as well like vanilla, tangerine, and red currants. I get some ripe apple in the mix as well. 

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider. It's very flexible at this point in the dryness scale in terms of food pairings.

Flavors and drinking experience: very high acid, citrus, tannins, zinger tea

The Pink Heart shows off-the-charts acidity from the very first sip. I love how Union Hill has leaned into the acidity of pink-fleshed apples while taking advantage of tannic possibilities. It comes as no surprise that the acid puts me in mind of zesty citrus like Meyer lemons.  The red fruit and zinger tea notes are like currants and hibiscus with the grip of tannins.

I love how very bubbly this cider feels. It still manages to have a taut body and enough presence to not simply disappear the moment it has been consumed. The Pink Heart is tremendously pleasing. I served it with salmon burgers and sweet potato tots, but one could certainly pair this as casually as I did or dress it up with a pasta primavera or an asparagus and gouda frittata. 

Plus, I am so happy to share that I'll be participating in a talk and tasting with Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo later this month! Those two wrote the exciting new book: American Cider! This book has been a long time coming, and it has gotten the whole cider world excited with its recent release!

Buffalo St. Books and South Hill Cider have put together this conversation so that folks can hear all about the new book and taste some ciders with its authors and myself.

Here's a link to the event here: https://www.buffalostreetbooks.com/event/american-cider-daniel-pucci-and-craig-cavallo-conversation-meredith-collins-and-steve-selin

I do hope you can join us, and if you do, please join us for the tasting portion as well. Here's the lineup of amazing South Hill Ciders that we'll feature throughout the conversation: https://www.southhillcider.com/american-cider-tasting.

Cider Review: Peak Light Cider's Field Run Semi-Dry Cider

As much as I want to say that I’ve arrived at the wonderful and carefree afterparty that I hope comes next in our collective social melodrama, I can’t. It’s been a rough couple of weeks(on top of the rough 13 months), and I know that’s been true for many many friends near and far. Take good care of yourself and those you love. Good luck. And until we can party in the streets with joy and safety, we can still try wonderful new ciders at home.

This week I want to share my notes on Peak Light Cider's Field Run Semi-Dry Cider. This is another cider that I received through joining the Northwest Cider Club. I highly recommend this for folks like me who don’t have easy access to lots of Northwest ciders or folks who just appreciate all of the curating work that goes into these selections. 

Learn more about club options here: https://www.nwcider.com/member-benefits/nw-cider-club/.

You can visit Peak Light Cider online to learn more about the company and its ciders: https://peaklightcider.com/

Here’s a bit of how Peak Light describes the cider process.

We adhere to principles of organic and biodynamic farming. Our practices support natural ecosystems that maximize biodiversity in the orchard—drawing beneficial insects, snakes, tree frogs, and nesting songbirds. Our flock of chickens “cleans” the orchard floor eating harmful pests during dormant winter months and provides valuable natural fertilizer to the trees.

The Peak Light cider included in my club selection is the Field Run Semi Dry, and here’s its official description.

ABV 6.5%     RS 1.4%     TA 0.5%     PH 3.8

Our field run semi-dry cider blends mid-season maturing apples. Residual sugars are left behind, lending a subtle sweetness that draws out this cider’s aromatic qualities. Lightly floral with notes of baked apple, sweet grass, and Meyer lemon. Enjoy on its own or with soft cheeses, crudités, and summer salads.

Appearance: intense popcorn gold, few visible bubbles, brilliant

The Field Run has gorgeous brilliant clarity! What a pretty cider. The color is intense. It reminds me of the gold in unpopped popcorn kernels. 

Aromas: tomatoes, cinnamon, white wine, and acetic acid

This is where things start to get really different. I was surprised to find the most recognizable aroma to be tomatoes, followed by cinnamon, and white wine. In the background I could smell a mineraly sort of aroma and some acetic acid. This makes me expect something wild, tangy, and savory.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

As promised, Peak Light’s Field Fun is semi-dry. I get enough sweetness to open up the layers of flavor but not a lot more. It's a nice approachable level.

Flavors and drinking experience: minerals, pear, cucumber, tannins

I love finding ciders that surprise me. The Field Run does exactly that with a very different flavor profile. As soon as I sip the cider, I can taste medium acidity, but it dissipates quickly on the mid-palate. What remains longer is an austere minerality and some pleasing subtle notes.

Once the acidity fades, I can sense some tannins on the mid palate. Flavors include cucumber, pear, paw paw, and apple. The cider’s sparkle is a medium petillance rather than something more effusively bubbly. The finish is quick and delicate, almost elusive. 

We had this cider with a simple seasonal meal: a frittata with spring potatoes, onion, and flaked salmon with a green salad. I think many light dishes would work well here. The Field Run could be served with many different cheeses or even a dessert course cider with pastries and fruit. 

Cider Review: Liberty Ciderworks Major Hewes

I learned something wonderful this past week. Underneath all of the snow, we have delightful soft muddy earth! I’m hoping this change of month is bringing happy realizations or good news to all of you as well. I wanted to choose a special cider this week to go with the spring thoughts in my brain and many hopes for the future. I wanted a cider to sip while I daydream about gardening.

This week, my cider comes from the west coast: Washington state's Liberty Ciderworks. I got this cider after a mix up around Washington state’s Ciderweek. I reviewed the Wickson Crab as part of a special lineup that was originally intended to include the Major Hewes instead. I certainly wasn’t disappointed, as I love Wickson ciders. Nonetheless, folks were extremely kind and sent over this replacement bottle shortly after. 

This quote from the Liberty Ciderworks website expresses the goals of this cidery clearly, so I’ll let them speak for themselves. 

To us, cider is a form of art, expressing climate, topography and the wonders of exceptional, cider-worthy apples. We employ “natural wine” methods in all of our ferments, never filtering and allowing each orchard’s native yeast to work its magic. Our approach is inspired by global styles and traditions, but reflects our own apples, landscape and culture. It’s a philosophy expressed in everything we produce, and it’s one we think you’ll really enjoy.

I only have a couple of Liberty Ciderworks reviews. I encourage you to check them both out.

Wickson Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-liberty-ciderworks-wickson.html 

Manchurian Crabapple SV Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-liberty-ciderworks.html

Liberty Ciderworks can be seen on the web here: http://libertycider.com

This week I’m reviewing the Major Hewes. Here’s the official description.

Major Hewes 

ENGLISH STYLE | 07.20

A blend of British cider apples (Major) and one of the most storied American cider apples (Hewe’s Crab). Aged to perfection with a small amount of keeved cider added at bottling. Starchy apple and quince flavors with peaty earth, mild bittersweet funk and medium tannins. Bottled still. 

Suggested pairings: Charcuterie, Manchego cheese and baguettes; savory galletes; maple-glazed roast vegetables; cheesecake.  

Finished Gravity = 1.009 (Off-Dry)

Appearance: saturated color, transparent, butternut squash color, no visible bubbles

I love it when a cider bottle uses clear glass. Getting to see a cider’s color gives me some fun preliminary clues about what’s coming. There’s no one-to-one correlation between color and flavor, but when I see an intense butternut squash color like in the Major Hewes, I do hope for a matching saturation of flavor. When I see no visible bubbles, I don’t expect a strong sparkle. The cider appears transparent, which doesn’t tell me as much about flavor, but does add to the wine-like presentation started with the bottle and label. Let’s see what these clues lead to.

Aromas: orange, winter berry, mint, herbs 

The Major Hewes smells enticing! I love notes of leather and orange, which just jump out at me here. It’s a very UK cider profile. I also get winter berry, herbal notes like mint and lemon balm.

Sweetness/dryness:  off-dry

What a lovely resting place for sweetness. This tastes on the sweeter end of off-dry or the drier end of semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: petillant, high acid, very tanic, citrus, hay, creamy mouthfeel

Though the cider was bottled still, it felt petillant when I tasted it. I love how a semi-dry cider can show off high levels of tannins. The cider is structured but fruity with high acidity. I get citrus fruits like Meyer lemon and tart orange. I also get hints of honey, minerals, and hay.

Everything about this cider just tastes balanced and mature. The Major Hewes has a very creamy mouthfeel. I think that correlates to its higher than usual alcohol by volume. 

What a wonderful cider. I can see the UK inspiration, but this doesn’t take identical to a UK cider. There are some qualities that feel very much in line with the best American artisanal ciders. It was a lovely cider to pair with a leek and butternut squash farro risotto and black garlic puffed bread. If you have the chance to try it, you must!

Cider Review: Greenwood Cider Kingston Black and CiderCon is Coming!

It’s a new year, at last! For some, this might mean Dry Cider January, New Year’s resolutions, or just the feeling that hope is closer and more meaningful than it was for much of last year. I started 2021 with cider, reading, writing, cooking and exercise. I even put up my new heritage apple calendar, and I look forward to putting some cider events on there soon!

Cider Con is coming! From February 3-5, the American Cider Association will be presenting a wonderful variety of online content for cider makers, apple growers, hospitality professionals, and everyone who has a passion for cider. I’m ridiculously excited to get to taste and discuss UK ciders with Gabe Cook (the Ciderologist - https://www.theciderologist.com/).

Don’t worry, there are definitely ways to include the tasting portions of CiderCon at home!

You can find out more and register here: https://ciderassociation.org/cidercon2021/

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Greenwood Cider’s Kingston Black Single Varietal. I’ve only reviewed two Greenwood ciders before, and this will be the first all apple cider I’ve tried from the cidery. I’m very curious to see what will be similar and what will be different. For a touch of context, Greenwood Cider comes from Seattle. The company focuses not only on using local ingredients, but also small orchard fruits, wild apples and other small and often overlooked sources for their fermentation fodder. The company was founded (as best I could discover) in 2014 with Andy and Ryan Short and Marshall Petryni. There’s more background to be had in my earlier Greenwood Cider reviews.

Lingonberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-greenwood-ciders.html

Black Currant Asian Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

You can check out all of Greenwood Cider’s available selection on the website: https://www.greenwoodcider.com/

Now for Kingston Black’s official description, “This single-varietal is a kick in the teeth in the best way. Bitter and dry from start to finish, it is our expression of this famed bittersharp and the terroir of the two Western Washington orchards where these apples were grown.” 6.8% ABV.

Appearance: deep harvest yellow, hazy, few bubbles

This looks like a very serious cider indeed with its intense warm color. The shade reminds me of a harvest moon, all golden and rich. There’s a fair amount of haze and very few bubbles. 

Aromas: clean farmyard, dry firewood, orange peel, spices

 The Kingston Black smells a bit like farmyard but clean. The funkiness is much like many English ciders I’ve tried. The cider also brings some notes that remind me of dry firewood, orange peel, and spice. I get overripe apples, leather, carrots, and pepper. There’s a lot of aroma activity!

Sweetness/dryness: Off Dry

This cider has many things going on, but the vast majority of them aren’t sweet. The cider gives many other flavors first before preparing an elegant and subtle clue of sweetness that tastes natural and not sugary. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, high acidity, black tea, appley finish

I’m always curious when I try a single varietal. Will this cider hang together? Does it have all of the elements I want? They often remain interesting but don’t achieve balance. The Kingston Black tastes a little sour at the start, but not too much. 

This cider is definitely tannic and quite acidic. It brings it all, answering one of my questions. The cider taste very good. I frequently like off-dry ciders with tannins. These particular tannins hit hard and fade fast, but give me notes of black tea. The mouthfeel is light and green. The Kingston Black’s aftertaste is like having bitten an apple. My favorite element has to be that the woodsmoke and firewood I perceived in this cider’s aromas comes through even in the taste. That’s completely lovely. 

This cider is complex and a bit spiky, but not off-kilter. It’s definitely a fun one.