Toasting to Cider Week
By: Zoe Denckla
This past weekend kicked off Cider Week New York, featuring 37 cider producers across the state. From October 2nd to 17th, there are tap room tastings, regional cider guides, and special cider-centered events. New York is the second largest apple producer in the country. So, cider has been, and always will be a big deal here. But recently, cider is starting to gain popularity on a national level.
Cider makes up just 1% of the alcoholic beverage market. Yet, in the past 10 years, cider sales have grown by 1000%. This rise is definitely reflected here at HRN. Just type ‘cider’ into our website’s search bar and hundreds of cider related episodes pop up. So what’s up with this huge uptick in cider consumption? Is it the room for experimentation? The commitment to local production? The ‘all-natural’ appeal? In this playlist, we explore this question. From American history to agriculture to alcohol, cider touches every corner of the food world.
Snacky Tunes Episode 496: Artifact Cider Project (Soham Bhatt) & Tropa Magica: Sit down for a can of cider with Soham Bhatt, the co-founder of Artifact Cider Project. We talk all things New England, including heritage apple varieties, their new tasting room and how his background in bio-tech allows them to make experimental cider! Hosts Greg and Darin also chat about how Artifact is working to make the cider scene more diverse and open. Then they dig into the Snacky Tunes archives to pull out a classic performance from Dangerbird Records Studio, featuring the psychedelic Tropa Magica.
Hard Core Episode 1: A Very American History of Cider: Cider has been a part of American history since the first colonists hit our shores. But while apples took root on this newly claimed continent, so did the slave trade. We’ll break down common narratives about the founding fathers’ disposition for cider and talk about some of the ways cider makers today are engaging with the past. Plus, we’ll talk prohibition and explore the emergence of a new generation of cider drinkers.
Eat Your Heartland Out Episode 15: A Primer on Midwestern Cider: In this episode, we drink our way through the Midwest starting with hard cider. Guests introduce us to the multifaceted world of cider making. We will visit with John Behrens, President of the Michigan Cider Association who will provide us with a primer on the Midwestern cider scene, Deirdre Birmingham, the woman behind The Cider Farm in Wisconsin. She will tell us about her orchard-to-glass approach to cider making. And, we will meet Walker Fanning, a young cider maker also from Wisconsin whose experimentation with infused flavors has made the cider at Hidden Cave Cidery - a standout in the region.
The Speakeasy Episode 408: How D'ya Like Them Apples?: It’s Cider Season! Ryan Burk, Head Cider Maker at Angry Orchard joins Sother and Greg to talk history, fermentation and the not-so-humble apple.
Beer Sessions Radio: Episode 580: American Cider, Harvest Based Cider: This week on Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy is focusing on all things cider. To kick the show off, Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo tell the story of how they came together to create their book,“American Cider.” Dan and Craig discuss the historic regional variation within cider production in the US. Cider producers Eleanor Leger and David Thornton dig into this further. They discuss the wide range in regional production of cider today. Finally, we cut back to Dan and Craig, who conclude our show busting a couple cider myths.
Hard Core Episode 6: What’s Next for American Craft Cider?: We focus our attention on what the future holds for cider. We’ll dive into co-ferments, collaborations, and cider culture abroad. We’ll also look to adjacent industries as a model for craft cider and explore how the cider industry can empower its community as it grows. Considering input from leaders across this industry, we’ll return to the agricultural roots of this craft beverage and conclude with what makes cider unique.
