The SOMM Journal

October / November 2015

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50 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 While single-varietal ciders are interest- ing and tasty, blends are often more suc- cessful at striking a harmonious balance between flavor and structure. "You can't get tannin from anything but cider variet- ies," says Ryan. An excellent example of a single varietal cider is Northern Spy from Farnum Hill, a benchmark producer in New Hampshire and one of the first American cideries to experiment with heirloom cider apples and traditional styles. Jérôme Dupont of Domaine Dupont Calvados & Ciders in Normandy, France, cultivates 13 varieties, blending them into a range of ciders produced in the méthode champenoise. He says one of the most interesting things about cider is the diver - sity of styles and flavors. "It is exciting to explore; along the way the consumer will find many chances to discover a suitable style." Bottled still or sparkling, cider styles vary, ranging from super tart, dry sidra natural from Spain's Basque region (look for the Isastegi brand) to off-dry, funkier French cidre such as Dupont; rustic, austere and unfil - tered farmhouse "scrumpy," such as the one from Foggy Ridge Serious Cider in Virginia; demi-sec ciders like new French import Celt Thirsty Warrior from Brittany; and the sweeter, wildly popular mainstream brands like sales leader Strongbow from HEINEKEN USA, Vermont's Woodchuck from C&C Group and Angry Orchard from the Boston Beer Company. To highlight cider's food-pairing appeal and provide enthusiasts opportunities to meet producers, Pucci hosts a cidermaker dinner series at Wassail and regularly fea - tures limited production and experimental ciders. "Producers come in and drop off crazy stuff. Our guests love that!" Doreen Winkler, Wine Director for George Mendes's restaurants, agrees that cider's versatility and array of styles make it an exciting alternative to wine for tasting menus. "Some ciders deliver precision and razor sharp acidity like great sparkling wine. This style is perfect with oysters, bacalhau croquettes and crudo. Bolder, off-dry ciders work well with rich cheeses." The cider revival is still in its infancy, cautions Pucci, but the future looks promising. "It's a work in progress. Quality is improving, and more people are asking for it. An informed consumer base will grow the market and help small producers find outlets for their craft ciders. The danger lies in too much generic cider flooding the market, which could burst the bubble." Heirloom Applejack Samantha Collins's great-grandfather, Arthur "Skipper" Ford, a manager for fruit company Dole, once made cider and artisanal applejack from heirloom apples grown on his farm on Howell Mountain in Napa County, CA. His favorite variety was the Arkansas Black. Samantha and her husband, John, recreated Skipper's applejack recipe last year in San Francisco and it sold out quickly. They are now on their second bottling of Arkansas Black Apple Straight Applejack, which is currently rolling out across California. Arkansas Black Straight Applejack uses around 25 pounds of apples per bottle. The apple mash bill varies from year to year, depending on what types of apples are available at harvest; typically it includes a mix of several varieties of sweet, crisp and cider apples. The apples are inspected, washed and crushed, then fermented and distilled with the must to preserve the fresh apple flavors. It is never blended with grain spirits. The spirit is rested at just over 100 proof in a blend of French Limousin and American bourbon barrels. Arkansas Black can be served on the rocks or used in any cocktail that calls for brandy, rye or bourbon. —David Gadd www.arkansasblackapplejack.com { alternative beverges } Strongbow is currently the market leader in hard cider. PHOTO: CLIFF RAMES PHOTO: CLIFF RAMES Twisted Limb Hard Cider from New Jersey's first cidery. Farmhouse-style cider from Farnum Hill, a benchmark producer in New Hampshire.

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