Hello,
Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:
1) The eighth annual Apfelwein Weltweit will be held in Frankfurt on Sunday. This year’s festival features 200+ products from cider producers across Europe. Check out the excellent summaries of the 2015 Apfelwein Weltweit by Darlene Hayes and the 2014 Apfelwein Weltweit by wine writer Christian Schiller.
2) Indigenous chef Clayton Donovan uses native Australian ingredients like quandong and finger lime for his Byron Bay Wild Cider project. Learn more in Donovan uses native flavours in new cider range from the Coffs Coast Advocate.
3) Southern California will welcome its first cider bar when Independent Cider House opens later this month. Read SoCal’s First Cider-Centric Joint to Open in Downtown Long Beach for details and follow Independent Cider House on Facebook for updates.
4) Unusually cold April weather is expected to cause damage to fruit trees in the Northeast. Poverty Lane Orchards shares pictures of bud kill as part of their ongoing Orchard Cider Year project.
5) “Nearly 100% of the apple farms in America are growing [a] Sultana equivalent apple and trying to pass this fruit off as equivalent to Merlot.” Pop Quiz is the latest rant from Andy Brennan at Aaron Burr Cider. To learn more about Brennan, listen to Episode 5 of my podcast.
6) cidrhouse asks a panel of experts for advice on how to store cider at home, discovers a curious cider cellaring method in the Vinetum Britannicum, and laments the disappearance of ciderist.
7) Cider Chat interviews Jim Wallace of New England Cheesemaking Supply on pairing cider with cheese. (If podcasts aren’t your thing, read Cheese, meet cider by Sara Harvey of Capitol Cider in Seattle.)
8) Cider Snob has opened an online shop selling cool gifts for cider geeks, including the popular Drink Cider Dish Towels made by Kei and Molly Textiles.
9) Redbyrd Orchard Cider will release three of its 2015 ciders on Saturday at the Finger Lakes Cider House. The Cider House—located on a working farm and orchard—serves as a tasting room for local producers Black Diamond Cider, Eve’s Cidery, Redbyrd Orchard Cider, South Hill Cider, and its own Good Life Cider.
10) Along Came a Cider reviews Jack’s Hard Cider Original. Drinking Cider reviews Cidergeist Semi-Dry and Dry-Hopped. Cider Says shares tasting notes from a flight at Schilling Cider House and reviews Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Cider, Atlas Session Cider, 2 Towns Ciderhouse Sun’s Out Saison, Traditions Ciderworks Bourbon Barrel (2012), and the book Cider Made Simple by Jeff Alworth. The Milled Apple reviews Crispin Browns Lane, Citizen Cider Wit’s Up, J.K.’s Farmhouse Ciders Northern Neighbour, High Limb Hard Cider Honeypot, Cider Creek Hard Cider A Brett Cherry Cyser, and Woodchuck Hard Cider Campfire Pancakes. Traveling Cider Lovers wander the West Coast and visit Embark Craft Ciderworks in upstate New York. CiderSail reviews Sassy Le Cidre Rosé and The General, Devon Scrumpy, and Devon Red from Sandford Orchards. And Cider Steve reviews Maeloc Dulce, Bridge Farm Somerset Medium Cider, Ty Gwyn Festival Ferret, and three Kingston Black SV Ciders from Hecks, Ciderniks, and Gwatkin.
Have a great weekend!
Eric