Great idea!

Branch Out Cider Releases First Cider

Branch Out Cider welcomed the release of their first cider, Perennial 2012, with an Orchard Party to celebrate the new product and the apple tree owners that contributed their apples to the making of the product.

Five years ago, Matt Fater and Aaron Fodge started making cider by hand-pressing apples. As they began sourcing apples though, they could help notice the amount of apple trees in and nearby the Fort Collins (CO) area – where they are located. As a result, they came up with the idea of a “community orchard.” The concept is easy – people with apple trees that have a surplus of apples or find their apples are beginning to turn can register their trees with Branch Out Cider and someone from the cider company (perhaps Fater or Fodge themselves since it’s a small operation) will come and harvest the apples. After, the apples are pressed and the juice is fermented. Excess pulp is fed to chickens.

Fater told InnovatioNews, “From August through October [2012], we collected fruit from 40 different properties.” Fater and Fodge estimate that there may be more than 600 trees in the Fort Collins vicinity though so the company is hoping even more owners will register their trees with Branch Out Cider.

“The beauty of this business is that we don’t have to invest in an orchard,” said Fodge to InnovatioNews. “Instead, we’re investing in relationships with our neighbors and utilizing a resource that would otherwise go to waste.”

The “community orchard” apples used for Perennial 2012 produced a dry, sparkling cider blended from Empire, Portland, Winesaps, McIntosh, Red Delicious and a number of heirloom apple varieties. With an 8.5% alcohol content, the cider can be found in 750ml bottles in select locations in the Fort Collins (CO) area. There were a little over 170 cases produced (2,000 bottles) though so get it as soon as you can!

For more information or to register your tree to participate in the 2013 apple harvest, please visit BranchOutCider.com or contact Aaron Fodge at Aaron@BranchOutCider.com.

Ouch, Remind me to never let this happen!

Square Mile Cider Co. Announces Voluntary Recall of Hard Cider Products

Earlier this month, Square Mile Cider Company (SMCC) announced the voluntary recall of 2,500 cases of Square Mile Original Hard Apple Cider and Square Mile Spur & Vine Hopped Apple Cider.

The recalled product was sold in retail locations in California, Oregon and Washington. It is limited to the following to products packaged on or before May 15, 2013:

• 22-ounce bottles of Square Mile Original Hard Apple Cider with the markings “hand-picked” and “hand-pressed” on either side of the logo
  
• 22-ounce bottles of Square Mile Spur & Vine Hopped Apple Cider with the markings “hand-picked” and “hand-pressed” on either side of the logo
  

SMCC has recalled these products due to concerns that cider from the company’s first production run may be refermenting in the bottle, which may cause the bottles to burst under certain circumstances and can lead to potential flavor inconsistencies. Consumers who may have purchased the affected product should dispose of it immediately in an outdoor trash receptacle.

“As a handcrafted, small batch cider maker, we take all packaging and product quality concerns very seriously. We are working with our wholesalers and retail partners to remove all affected product from store shelves as quickly as possible. We are also confident that we have identified the problem and want to reassure our consumers that we stand by the quality of our products,” said Lorin Gelfand, Brand Manager for SMCC.

To date, no consumer illnesses or injuries have been reported.

Consumers with questions about the quality of their SMCC products may call the company toll-free at 1-855-371-0895 (8am-4pm PST), visit SquareMileCider.com/contact, or write to 929 N. Russell Street, Portland, OR 97215.

Spanish Cider Culture

How long will it take for inland northwest US to develop a similar cider culture?

http://www.hardciderinternational.com/?p=2504&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hardciderinternational%2F1+%28HardCider+International%29

Colorado Cider

Good coverage of cider in Colorado

http://kunc.org/post/banking-local-orchards-colorado-ciders-hope-history-repeats

Cider Association News

http://agbizcenter.org/blog/2013/03/nabc-helps-northwest-cider-association-look-to-the-growing-edge/?utm_source=NABC+Master+List&utm_campaign=ef6ba44fd0-Quarterly_Newsletter_25_Spring_20133_28_2013&utm_medium=email

The end of the "bubble tax"?

CIDER Act- Modernizes Definition of Hard Cider to Ensure All Products Can Be Labeled & Taxed Like Hard Cider, Not Wine http://www.schumer.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=341010&

Video from Virtue Cider

Love the building and their vision for cider...
Ep. 4 | Virtue Cider from Sergio Salgado on Vimeo.
Virtue Cider is a Michigan–based craft cider company. Partnering with local family farms to find the highest quality heirloom apples, we produce ciders that combine old world farmhouse styles with modern craft fermentation and aging techniques.

Practice and Space was excited to work with Virtue Cider. Greg Hall's and Stephen Schmakel's commitment to craft, ethical practices, high quality product and their beautiful cider house were a perfect fit for the series.

Learn more about Virtue at (http://www.virtuecider.com)
Learn more about Practice & Space at (http://www.practiceandspace.com)

Special thanks to Brian Wong (http://www.brianjwong.com/) for helping me shoot this piece.

Music:
"Skyline Horizon" by Rho (http://www.myspace.com/rhotunes)
"Week Seven" by Ben von Wildenhaus (http://www.benvonwildenhaus.com/)
"Outtakes" by Shave and a Haircut (http://haircut.bandcamp.com/album/outtakes-instrumentals)

"Try the cider; it's like beer for girls."

http://www.columbiatribune.com/arts_life/food/a-taste-across-the-pond-inspires-student-to-search-for/article_acedb900-90be-11e2-b67b-10604b9ffe60.html

Cider Bitters

Sounds interesting! 

http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/nyc/12859/With_Orleans_Bitter_the_Negroni_can_go_local.htm

Steve Jobs was wrong.

 Well, I don't usually post this sort of business article, but this one really resonated with me.  A lot of people have told me to create a cider that I like and then market it correctly. I'm still convinced that I want my cider to be the product of a lot of my customers' input over the next couple of years.  People don't yet know what an American Cider should taste like and certainly not one from North Idaho.  What do you think?


http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682513/steve-jobs-had-it-wrong-why-you-should-look-to-consumers-for-product-innovation

Cider's a pairing workhorse

 The simplest way to go about pairing food with cider is to think of dishes and ingredients that you'd cook with apples.

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/03/basics-of-pairing-cider-and-food-suzanne-wolcott-goose-island.html

New brands and flavors driving hard cider popularity

http://www.monkeydish.com/trend-tracker/articles/new-brands-and-flavors-driving-hard-cider-popularity

Diamond Wine Rack

Just finished building this diamond wine rack.  Large enough to hold my first bottling run. I'll be blending and maturing about 30 cases.  Still far from commercial quantities, but a good start!

Interview with a cidermaker

http://winefolly.com/update/bull-run-cider/

Apple article from one of my favorite mags

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/05/beyond-the-mcintosh/306768/?single_page=true

Apple Pancake Tart

Apple Pancake Tart

Ingredients:
6     Tablespoons Butter
2     Large, tart apples, (peeled, cored and sliced)
3     Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4  teaspoon cinnamon
1/4  teaspoon vanilla
1/8  teaspoon nutmeg
5     Tablespoons confectioners sugar (plus or minus, to taste)
3     Eggs at room temperature
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/2  cup all-purpose flour
1/2  cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, mix apples with lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla and toss to mix well.
In a 10 inch skillet, melt butter until just liquified. Remove from heat and reserve 2 Tbs of butter in a separate bowl. Return skillet to stove and bring the heat to medium. Add the apple mixture and cook, (stirring), about 5 minutes. Apples should  retain shape but be cooked through and tender. Test with a fork. Remove from heat and spread them into a uniform layer at the bottom of the pan. Set pan aside.
Place milk, eggs, four salt and 2 tablespoons of reserved butter in a food processor or blender. Combine until smooth. Pour the mixture atop the layer of apples in the skillet.
Carefully place the skillet in the stove and bake for 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.
Wait a few minutes for pan to cool, then flip upside down on a large platter to expose the apple top. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve warm…

Apple Cake

 Apple Cake

Ingredients:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
4 large heirloom apples (different kinds)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons rum (dark)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

Directions:
Set oven rack to center brackets. Preheat oven to 350° F and butter an 8 or 9 inch round, spring-form pan.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until blended.
Peel and core four apples of different kinds, and cut them into chunks roughly 1-2″ in size.
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until they foam. Slowly add sugar and whisk a bit longer until well blended. Add the vanilla and the rum and whisk some more. While continuing to whisk, slowly add half of the dry ingredients. When absorbed into the batter, add half the melted butter. Repeat until all butter and flour mixture are smooth and well blended. Slowly fold in the apples using a spatula. Be sure all apples are completely coated with bater.
Push the apple batter (it will be very thick) into the buttered pan,
Place the pan on the center rack and bake approximately one hour, checking the cake toward the end of the baking time. Remove when the top is golden brown, and when an inserted knife pulls clean from the cake.
Cool for five minutes, then loosen the cake from the sides of a pan with a butter knife. Slowly open the form and let the cake cool to room temperature before serving. You can use a spatula to release the bottom of the cake from the form, or use a wax string. Place a serving dish on top of the cake and carefully invert.
Serve with homemade whipped cream or ice cream.

 

A Delightfully Unusual, Autumn Birthday Cake

Beautiful pictures and nice writing

http://www.thegardenerseden.com/?s=scott+farm

Selkirk Cider Company

Wow, someone was making hard cider in Sandpoint, ID (just north of Cd'A) in 1996. I'm impressed! I wonder what happened to them?
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/26636-1

"Prince William has publicly proclaimed his preference for cider over beer. "

Useless fact for the day. Unless you're an anglophile, in which case this may be a great reason to Drink More Cider!

 http://www.redeyechicago.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/ct-red-hard-cider-trend-column-20130215,0,2089979.story

10 Best Ciders at Chicago Summit

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/02/highlights-from-chicago-cider-summit-2013.html

The Formation of the US Association of Cider Makers

Exciting development at the annual national meeting of cider producers in Chicago. http://www.hardcidernews.com/2013/cider-con13.html#1

2 Towns Video

Short video from a cider house in Corvallis, Oregon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuBOEeED7CQ

Cider Bin Display Rack

Here's my first shot at a handmade cherry display rack for my cider at farmers markets and other outdoor venues.  What do you think?  Should I go with it or is it too old-fashioned?

What a beautiful cidery they built at Virtue

There's a unique quality to cider makers that sets them apart from brewers, and you can see it in their eyes — it's the connection to the land. The many cider makers I've met over the years have a relationship with their ingredients akin to farmers and wine makers.

http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2013/1/7/iewufhiweuhfoiweuhrf

 "Cider, for us is about locality & terroir. Part of the fun, like with grapes or wild yeast, is exploring the regional component parts. Cider from MI made with MI apples is going to taste totally different that NY cider made from NY apples."

NY Times article on cider from 1997

Not many people were writing about cider in the 1990s. Good article! http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/29/garden/apple-juice-with-grown-up-fizz.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

See if you can spot me (or my hands) in this video...

Cider for a cold winters night.....

Wild Dollar's Mulled Cider

(makes approx 8 pints/20 wine glasses)

Spices:

• 2 Star Anise
• 3 All -Spice berries 
• 3 Cardamon pods
• 4 teaspoons Ginger powder
• a half teaspoon Mace
• a ‘pinch’ Nutmeg
• 5 teaspoons Cinnamon powder
• 2 Cloves (whole)
• 6 black Peppercorns (whole)
• 2 Bay leaves (ripped in half)
• 8 dessertspoons Muscovado sugar     *(could use honey))
• 2 Oranges (1 zested & both juiced)     *(could use 7 Clementines)
• 1 Lemon (juiced)

• approx 1 imperial gallon/4.5 litres medium traditional farmhouse Cider

• 80ml Cider Brandy*  (Brandy if you have to, or Rum if you’re really desperate)                 *which works out at 10ml per pint or 4ml per wine glass)

Equipment:

• Pestle & Mortar
• Large saucepan with a lid
• small Jug/ladle
• tea strainer
• glasses to serve

To make:

Firstly, coarsely crush the Star Anise, Cardomon and All-Spice berries then along with the powdered spices (Ginger, Cinnamon, Mace & Nutmeg) place into a warm saucepan (on a medium heat) and mix in with the whole spices (Bay leaves, Peppercorns & Cloves) and sugar. After a two minutes of heating together, add a pint of cider to dissolve the sugar and infuse, increase temperature until simmering.

When simmering, add the orange zest & juice, lemon and the rest of the cider, allow it all to heat up then turn down the heat to low. Heating the cider will remove some of the alcohol (if you boil it most of it will go) so I get it all up to about 70C/150f then turn it down really low to sit and mull for at least 30 minutes (that should retain most of the booze if you keep the lid on!)

Serving it is generally a sticky, messy business so be sure to have a small, clean jug (or a ladle) to hand that you can scoop out from the saucepan to minimise the mess. Just before serving is a good time to add the Cider Brandy to the saucepan or, as I tend to prefer, proportionally into each glass ahead of the brew.

Pour into the serving vessels via a tea strainer and place any collected spices back into the saucepan as you go. I favour thick glass or ceramic mugs with a handles as they tend to preserve the temperature and protect my sensitive, arty hands.

Drink Real Cider

Article showing how involved the macros have already gotten in the cider market.  Looks like they don't plan to let this one slip right past them, like craft brews did in the 90's.  Buy local, real cider!

Angry Orchard = Boston Beer Co (Sam Adams)
Woodchuck = C and C Group (Irish)
Hornsbys = E &J Gallo (Wine Behemoth)
Ultra Light = InBev (Budweiser)
Crispin = MolsonCoors (Oohh, Coors)

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11814118/1/5-seemingly-small-hard-ciders-and-their-big-corporate-owners.html

Infographic!

http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2013/01/14/infographic-cider-is-the-new-beer.html

Old Advice I Recently Heard

Qui a bon cave, qui fait bon cidre. 

Who has a good cellar will make good cider.

That's why I am holding my shop at 10C or 50F all winter!

Curious about sulfites?

There is a lot of misinformation out there about the use of sulfites in cider and wine production.  This article has the best explanation of the use of S02 as not only a preservative, but as tool to ensure the quality of your product and even influence the style of your cider or wine.

http://www.practicalwinery.com/janfeb09/page1.htm

All of 'em

Here are the 68 cider producer in these United States

Who will be 69?

http://www.americanhardcider.com/

Cider in Idaho

"Clearly it's time for patriotic Idahoans to take a cue from America's elder statesmen and bring hard cider back to the table. We've got the climate, the culture and the expertise. A perfect cider storm?"

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/cider-the-hard-truth/Content?oid=2008264

Make sure and try that second glass!

3^rd SIP AND YOU ARE INSPIRED

"I had supposed, like most first-time cider sippers, that cider would be simply another sort of wine, which it is not.... cider requires its own neural pathway into gastronomic memory.  It must be taken altogether on its own terms, its own emotions, its own colors, its own strengths and liabilities....

I began to find my cider mouth after the third swallow, a progression I've noticed wherever I've served ciders to the uninitiated.  A few take to it on the first taste.  Most, however, expecting a variation on wine or beer, express polite confusion or disappointment.  But I always make sure to pour a second glass.  By the third or fourth swallow, if the cider has any merit at all, they set aside their initial expectations and begin to explore the taste, feel, and aroma more freely.

-Frank Browning, Apples

The hard cider buzz!

Nice article in Food and Wine.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-hard-cider-buzz