Blog | The Cider Seeker

Cider Spotlight: Merchant’s Daughter Hard Cider

Jun 28, 2019

Recap: PA Cider Fest 2019

Last weekend we drove out to Gettysburg, PA for the 4th annual PA Cider Festival, and what an amazing weekend it was. Gettysburg’s association with the Civil War is well known, but it’s also in the heart of Adams County, Pennsylvania – the state’s largest (by volume) apple-producing region. An appropriate place for a festival celebrating the best use of apples, then. Friday: We were honored to be invited to a Cider Maker’s dinner held at Jack’s Hard Cider and supported by Cid

theciderseeker

May 29, 2019

Cider Review: Woodchuck Sangria

I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but cider is essentially wine made from apples instead of grapes. Much of the equipment and methodology are shared between cider and wine making. With this close relationship, it’s not much of a stretch to see why wine-like ciders are popping up. Just look at the rosé cider boom (not complaining, there are some fantastic rosé ciders out there!). Woodchuck’s Sangria style cider is positioned along with their Bubbly Rose and Bubbly Pe

Cider Review: North Country Honey Badger

theciderseeker

Apr 25, 2019

Cider Review: North Country Honey Badger

Did you know that most ciders are made from a blend of juice from multiple apple varieties? Some heirloom and cider apples like the famous Kingston Black, among others, do make a fantastic single variety cider, but most lack the balance of sugar, acid, and tannin needed for a great cider. However, single variety ciders made from “eating” apples like Honeycrisp are available and gaining momentum. North Country Cider’s Honey Badger is made from 100% Maine-grown Honeycrisp apple

theciderseeker

Mar 28, 2019

Cider Review: ANXO District Dry

When I first started seeking cider, I used its packaging as a sort of litmus test for the quality of the product. There were exceptions, but for the most part, common cider came in 12oz and pint bottles or cans and premium cider came in larger formats, usually a 750ml bottle with various closures. Over the last few years, that method has become less and less reliable as more premium producers move toward canning their cider. Case in point: ANXO offers their entire lineup of c

theciderseeker

Mar 20, 2019

Cider Review: Vander Mill Casnovia

CiderCon 2019 was brought many things with it: new friends, new opportunities, new connections, and of course, new cider. Throughout the week I was able to sample dozens of new-to-me and new-to-market ciders. There were just as many, if not more, that I missed simply because the options were nearly endless. All the more reason to continue seeking cider, right? Vander Mill’s Casnovia was one of the ciders I missed. Fortunately though, I was able to bring a bottle home. Casnovi

#IWD2019 and Cider Review: Foggy Ridge First Fruit

theciderseeker

Mar 8, 2019

#IWD2019 and Cider Review: Foggy Ridge First Fruit

As we celebrate International Women's Day 2019, I encourage you to enjoy and share cider made by women-owned or operated businesses. Founders, cidermakers, owners, leaders, influencers, administrators, marketers, advocates, and more – the ciderverse is full of remarkable women. Pick that cider not only because of these amazing, talented, knowledgeable and skilled women, but because they are making some of the world’s best cider. For example, Diane Flynt, Cidermaker and Orchar

theciderseeker

Feb 21, 2019

Cider Review: Woodchuck Belgian White

Cider isn’t beer – that can’t be stressed enough. I am dedicated to helping consumers understand the differences, and can’t stand when apple ales who must not be named are marketed as if they were cider. Beer-inspired cider is a whole other category though. For some, it’s a stepping stone. Something familiar enough to bring them out of their comfort zone and give cider a chance. For others, it helps break the stereotype that all cider is sweet I was never much of a beer drink

theciderseeker

Feb 20, 2019

Cider Review: Eden Extra Sec

Cider is an incredibly diverse drink. I’ve lost track of how many unique ciders I’ve tried, but the count keeps rising. Still, there are entire styles of cider that I have yet to explore, and others – such as American heritage cider – I’m only starting to discover. I have tasted a few American heritage ciders over the years. There are a lot of great heritage cider options, but most are not widely distributed in the Midwest. Wanting to change that, I ordered seven different ci

Cider Review: Dan Armor Cuvee Speciale Cidre Brut

theciderseeker

Feb 2, 2019

Cider Review: Dan Armor Cuvee Speciale Cidre Brut

While perusing the alcohol section at Trader Joes last year we saw a corked and caged 750ml bottle of seemingly French cidre for $4.99. I thought to myself, “How good - or how bad - could a $5 large format bottle of cider be?” Curiosity won, and we went home with a bottle of Dan Armor Cuvee Speciale Cidre Brut. After looking the bottle over more closely I realized we had a legitimate bottle of French Cidre: Dan Armor Cidre Brut is made in Brittany from fresh-pressed Breton ap

Cider Review: Clear Fork Cider Dolgo Sour

theciderseeker

Jan 31, 2019

Cider Review: Clear Fork Cider Dolgo Sour

For as long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed sour foods and drinks. As a small child, I would bite into lemon wedges and “smile” as if the peel of the lemon were my teeth, mostly to get a rise out of the adults. I was all about the sour candies, too: Sour Patch Kids, SweetTarts, Nerds…but Warheads were king. I don’t eat much candy these days (put a bowl of sour candy in front of me and all bets are off) but I have ways to get my sour fix. Cider is one of them. See, the acid use

theciderseeker

Jan 23, 2019

Cider Review: Beanblossom Original

Seeking cider is kind of my thing - hence the name. I enjoy visiting bottle shops I've never been to before to see what new-to-me cider they carry. I always have a few ciders in mind that I'm hoping to find, but also enjoy the surprises that come with uncharted territory. Sometimes I'll find a cider I had heard of but wasn't looking for, and other times I find something I've never heard of at all. Beanblossom Cider by Oliver Winery in Bloomington, Indiana falls into the "had

theciderseeker

Jan 10, 2019

Cider Review: Diskin Six One Five

I’ve mentioned in the past that whenever I travel, I seek out cideries and ciders that I don’t have access to at home. It came as no great surprise to Ashley when, as we were planning our trip to Nashville to visit her sister, that I mentioned I found a cidery I wanted to visit. We extended an open invitation to all of the family that would be present, and once we were in town and settled, made our way downtown. If, and rightfully when, you want to escape the madness which is

Cider Review: Rev Nat's Viva La Pineapple

theciderseeker

Jan 3, 2019

Cider Review: Rev Nat's Viva La Pineapple

Pineapples have been popping up all over in the last few years - shirts, decorations, and in cider. This is fine by me - I really enjoy pineapples - enough that I'm attempting to grow one indoors (more for fun, it's not a great investment). Cider is another thing I enjoy. So whenever I come across a new pineapple cider I'm happy to try it, even though most of them are pretty sweet. Reverend Nat's Viva La Pineapple hails from Portland, Oregon and is made with apples, fresh pin

Cider Review: Wölffer 139 Dry White Cider

theciderseeker

Dec 28, 2018

Cider Review: Wölffer 139 Dry White Cider

At its core (a pun already?) cider is just wine made from apples instead of grapes. It's a fermented drink made from the juice of pressed fruit, and the cider making process shares a great deal with the wine making process, from the tools to the methods to the yeast itself. Because of this, I'm never surprised to find a cider made from an established winery. Wölffer Estate is a modern winery located in the Hamptons of Long island, New York, USA. We found their No. 139 Dry Whi

theciderseeker

Dec 18, 2018

Cider Review: Fairweather Common

One of the most exciting things about being The Cider Seeker is seeking out cider. But what does one who seeks cider do when they've exhausted their local options? My recommendation (and practice) is to meet other self-proclaimed cider nerds. In doing so, one will make contacts from all over that can pass along and/or exchange their local cider that would otherwise be out of reach. Fairweather Cider, for example, is a small cider company out of the Austin, Texas area who rece

theciderseeker

Dec 14, 2018

Cider Review: Bantam Buzzwig

A while back I was able to procure some ciders from New England that are not normally found here in Ohio. I haven't had a chance to try any of them due to having so many other ciders to sample (not a bad problem to have, I'm not complaining). I decided to change that. Buzzwig is the third cider I've had from Bantam Cider of Somerville, Massachusetts. I had Rojo on draft in Chicago and found cans of The Americain during the same trip. From those, it seems their ciders lean swe

theciderseeker

Dec 11, 2018

Cider Review: Woodchuck 802 Lil’ Dry

As a craft cider enthusiast, I have some preconceived notions about cider from the big, national brands. Primarily that they are sweet (more alco-pop than cider), have no body, and may be made from concentrate with added colors or flavors. This often leads to me ignoring their products entirely, or wearing the “big-brand-blinders” as I like to call it. However, when the big brands listen to consumer demand for higher quality, real cider and release a product to answer to that

Cider Maker's Monday: 12/03/2018 – Community

theciderseeker

Dec 3, 2018

Cider Maker's Monday: 12/03/2018 – Community

In the short time since we started this cider journey, we’ve met more than a few people who have received us like old friends. Cider enthusiasts, cider makers and others who are more than happy to share their time, stories, tips, and cider itself. It did not talk long to realize that there’s much more to cider than the drink itself – this is a community. Over the weekend I attended a back-yard cider share where a group of people from all different backgrounds came together ov

theciderseeker

Dec 1, 2018

Cider Review: Evenfall Denizen

The Pacific Northwest is bustling with fantastic ciders, at least from what I see and hear. This comes as no surprise since so many of our apples come from that region. Unfortunately, we don't get our hands on too many PNW ciders here in Ohio. When I do get one, my subconscious response is to hang onto it. But why? Cider is meant to be enjoyed, so that's exactly what I'm doing tonight. Denizen is the first cider I've had from Evenfall. It's a spiced cherry cider, but made wit

All Posts