Hello,
Here’s a recap of the best cider news worth sharing:
1) The 22nd Annual Franklin County CiderDays takes place this weekend in Western Massachusetts. The country’s longest-running cider festival is a joyous celebration of apples, sweet cider, and hard cider. Hope to see you there! (Pro tip: Some venues are very rural, so Download areas and navigate offline if you rely on Google Maps. See my CiderDays 2016 Map for a lay of the land.)
2) Cider makers press for lower taxes in Massachusetts. Despite changes at the federal level that go into effect on January 1st (see Translating the CIDER Act Language), ciders over 6% ABV are still taxed as champagne at the state level.
3) Ciderlicious, a new cart on Friendly Street, offers ciders on tap in Eugene, Oregon. Follow Ciderlicious on Facebook for their tap list and pictures from their grand opening.
4) Sofia Payson publishes two articles at Cider Culture: Impressions of Foraging with Portersfield Cider (Maine) and An Interview with Courthouse Creek Cider (Virginia).
5) The US Department of Agriculture recently awarded $45 Million in Grants to Help Agricultural Producers and Small Rural Businesses Develop New Products. Among the grant recipients are Ricker Hill (Maine), Big Mountain Cider (Montana), Fishkill Farms (New York), Rootstock Ciderworks (New York), Apple Outlaw (Oregon), Albemarle CiderWorks (Virginia), and Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Washington).
6) Beer Sessions Radio visits Blackduck Cidery and Finger Lakes Cider House in a special Back to the Roots episode. And Cider Chat interviews Michelle McGrath, Executive Director of the US Association of Cider Makers.
7) The recent Cidermakers Search For Apple Terroir In The Finger Lakes article at Food Republic generated an interesting Reddit discussion about the term terroir.
8) Do flaws “enhance the experience and make the cider more human?” The latest rant from Andy Brennan of Aaron Burr Cider is Wine Flaws.
9) CiderScene shares its Morton Arboretum Cider & Ale Fest Recap. The well-attended outdoor festival was held on October 22nd in Lisle, Illinois.
10) Along Came a Cider reviews Shacksbury Original (and Paste Magazine reviews Shacksbury Dry). Cider Says reviews Crispin The Saint and Tieton Spice Route and shares tasting notes from visits to Locust Cider and Elemental Hard Cider. The Milled Apple reviews Hazlitt’s Cider Tree Premium and Manoir de Grandouet Cidre Fermier Brut. Cider Society reviews Eve’s Cidery Autumn’s Gold, 1911 Established Founders’ Reserve, and Downeast Pumpkin Blend. The Cider Drinker reviews Worley’s Red Hen. And Cider Steve reviews Ramborn CM Blend and St Paul’s Cidery Sacrifice.
Have a great weekend!
Eric