Bold Rock Blooms with New Perry, Variety Pack and Second Production Facility
Last month, Bold Rock announced plans to finally begin producing their cider next month, May 2015, at the newly built facility in Mills River, North Carolina, near Asheville. Like Bold Rock’s flagship production facility in Virginia, the operation in Mills River will make craft cider from locally grown apples picked at nearby orchards. In North Carolina, apples will be sourced from Hendersonville-based Apple Wedge Packers, a fifth-generation family-owned business that has been operating for over 150 years. Upon deciding where the second production facility would be, Shanks made the deciding factor the fruit. When he took a bite of a Henderson County apple, he quickly realized he had found some of the best-tasting fruit in the world. “My experience over the years with the production of hard cider around the world has taught me about the importance of access to the very best fruit,” says Shanks. “Finding such a rich resource in Henderson County made this area the perfect fit for Bold Rock’s southern expansion. We really are truly looking forward to crafting, bottling and distributing Bold Rock Hard Cider from this [new] site and becoming a contributing partner of the local economy.” Additional information on Bold Rock Hard Cider can be found on their website at BoldRock.com. Photos were provided by Bold Rock Hard Cider. Angry Orchard Establishes New Home in New York’s Hudson Valley
This orchard is a particularly good fit for Angry Orchard due to its rich apple growing history and the region’s exciting craft cider culture. Also, the town, state and a number of local organizations have all been very enthusiastic and cooperative in helping the cider maker establish roots in the region. “For some time now, we have been looking to establish a home for our cider research, and this orchard is perfect for us. Not only does the orchard itself have a great history, but the Hudson Valley has such a vibrant group of apple growers and craft cider makers,” said David Sipes, Angry Orchard Cider Maker. “Right now we’re focused on this year’s apple crop and also mapping out our research plan.”
Angry Orchard also intends to build a small cidery on-site with cider making equipment specifically designed for small batch experimentation. Using different ingredients, apple varieties, recipes and processes, the cider makers will develop innovative ciders to share with drinkers at the orchard that could eventually become part of Angry Orchard’s family of ciders available nationwide. The cidery plans to be open for visitors beginning in late fall, so drinkers can visit to learn how cider is made and try samples of exclusive, handcrafted Angry Orchard ciders made on-site. While craft cider has seen explosive growth in recent years, it is still small and relatively unknown here in the US. To help continue that growth for all craft cider makers, Angry Orchard encourages drinkers to learn as much as they can about cider, and sees the orchard as a place people can come to explore.
Ryan and the other Angry Orchard cider makers will focus on a list of research topics like wild fermentation processes, barrel aging and unique apple varieties, particularly those known to grow well in New York. They are also exploring opportunities to work with local universities and community organizations, as well as other cideries, on additional research projects to maximize apple harvests and test new varieties. “There are a couple of apple varieties growing on the orchard I’m especially interested to begin experimenting with,” said Ryan. “Most people don’t know that small tweaks to the regular harvest process of some of the more traditional household variety culinary apples– like leaving apples on the trees a bit longer than normal – can create a really interesting cider flavor profile. Actually making cider on the orchard will allow us to experiment with these options.” Angry Orchard also releases a new seasonal cider earlier this month, Angry Orchard Summer Honey, which will be available from now until August. This cider is smooth, light and refreshing with just a hint of honey sweetness and aroma to complement the bright apple notes from American culinary apples, perfect for warmer months and outdoor entertaining. After experimenting with a variety of honeys to achieve a balanced taste and aroma combination, Angry Orchard’s cider makers found that wildflower honey – which includes nectar, converted by bees into honey, from a variety of plants and wildflowers that bloom during the summer – was the perfect fit. The honey imparts subtle and smooth floral notes, adding a depth of flavor that’s not overly sweet and pairs well with the cider’s fresh apple taste.
Kevin Gillespie, former Bravo Top Chef fan favorite, Pure Pork Awesomeness cookbook author and Gunshow restaurant owner, find the natural sweetness of hard cider to be the perfect complement to a variety of cuisines and dishes, and the seasonal Summer Honey is no exception. “Whether you’re exploring spicy and bold cuisines such as Thai or Vietnamese or simply out back with friends grilling up some traditional American barbeque, Summer Honey offers great versatility when pairing with food. Its light effervescence and easy drinking make it a perfect seasonal drink,” said Gillespie. Angry Orchard Summer Honey is 5% ABV and is available in 6-packs for a suggested retail price of $7.99-$9.99. The cider is also available in 12-pacs and variety 12-packs with other Angry Orchard styles for $14.99-$17.99. Consumers can also find Summer Honey available in 16-ounce cans for $1.79-$1.99 or 4-packs for $6.99-$7.99. To find out more about Angry Orchard and Summer Honey, please visit them online at AngryOrchard.com. Photos courtesy of Angry Orchard. Slyboro Ciderhouse Reviving an American Tradition from Seed to Pint
Hicks Orchard, the orchard that owns Slyboro has been around for 109 years but it wasn’t until 1974 when it was picked up by the Wilson family. In 2007, Wilson added cider production to the farm in addition to having his U-Pick operations which is when Slyboro Ciderhouse was born. It is easy to see the passion that Wilson has for his ciders as he began speaking about Slyboro in its infancy. Wilson started with many cider batches at first with each one only using only one type of apple variety. By doing this, he was able to identify the different notes that each apple would bring to the cider, allowing him to determine which apples to mix in order to create the ciders he was envisioning. Wilson opened his tasting room in July of 2007. Today, Slyboro has a variety of different ciders with varying carbonation, sweetness, and everything in between. Wilson’s attention to quality is evident in that instead of just putting his ciders on sale right away, Slyboro had to hold off on distribution at first because they wanted to make sure they could make a consistent product and continue to produce enough volume to supply demand. Now you can find Slyboro throughout New York State including in New York City. Some of the varieties are listed below:
As a second generation farmer, Wilson talked about how he likes experimenting with many different apple varieties. He is slowly introducing new varieties to the orchard, but at $10,000 an acre and a 3-5 year turnaround time on the actual fruit, it takes some time. However, Slyboro produces over 9,000 gallons of cider a year so keep a look out for new and exciting cider varieties to come! We’re looking forward to a pommeau that Wilson mentioned he was working on back in November 2014. For more information on Slyboro Ciderhouse, please visit Slyboro.com. Photos courtesy of Kristyn Dolan. Frecon’s Cidery Puts American Twist on English Tradition of ‘Wassailing’
The 2nd Annual Wassail at Frecon’s Cidery will be taking place on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at Frecon Farms in Boyertown, PA and will feature local bluegrass, jazz, blues and improvisational rock band favorites including the Manatawny Creek Ramblers, The Cider House Band, and Flux Capacitor who will perform live in the orchard. The entire Frecon’s Cidery portfolio of hard ciders will be available for tasting, including The Crabby Granny, The Early Man, The Hogshead and Apfelwein – all gluten-free and made from apples grown right in the Frecon Farms orchard. Persons of all ages are welcome to attend. Food trucks like “For our first Wassail at Frecon’s Cidery, we wanted to recreate a traditional English wassail. However, American cider has different characteristics than English cider so why not create an American version of a wassail,” explained Hank Frecon, President of Frecon’s Cidery. “This year, we’re focusing on diversified music with American roots and creating an event that celebrates cider and the growing season.” The Wassail at Frecon’s Cidery will take place rain or shine on May 2, 2015 from 12pm-5pm outdoors in the picturesque Frecon Farms orchard. Tents will be provided for shade and shelter. Attendees are encouraged to purchase the special ticket offer in advance which is available online at FreconsWassail.com - $20 per person gets you a souvenir pint glass and three drink tickets (must be 21+; valid photo ID must be presented upon entry; each drink ticket is good for one pint of cider). Drink tickets will be available for purchase at the event. Children of all ages are free to attend. For additional information, please visit the website FreconsWassail.com or call 631-940-7290. Photos courtesy of Kristyn Dolan. Modernizing the Old Farm Feel at 1911
The 1911 barn, which only finished construction in August 2013, was made using pieces from about five or six old barns from Pennsylvania, each around 100 years old. The company decided to build using these old woods so that the feel and history of the new construction was from the same time period as when the Beak & Skiff General Store was built. This homage to heritage and effort to maintain history is how 1911 was named.
In 2001, the orchard decided to create their own line of hard ciders made from their sweet cider which includes the following: Standard 1911 Line
All of the ciders are made with the same base and the taste is determined by residual sugar. Founder’s Reserve Line
1911’s ciders can be ordered online from their website and delivered. Alternatively, 1911’s standard line is available in 750ml bottles in the tasting room. The Original and Raspberry 12-ounce six packs can be found in retail locations such as Wegmans. 1911 is distributed by Manhattan Distributors in New York City. The reserve line is only available in 750ml bottles. Interesting fact, prior to 2014, 1911 was operating their cidery out of a one car garage – all production, bottling, and kegging! In 2010, after the success of the hard cider line, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards launched into the spirits business with small batch made vodka and gin. The 1911 Spirits brand was the first in Onondaga County (New York) to hold a distillery license and first to produce gin! 1911 Distillery
Although the ciders a commercially available in many areas, the spirits have really taken off and are even available at airports across the country including LAX (Los Angeles), JFK (New York), SFO (San Francisco) and on Carnival Cruise Lines (20 different ships). The vodka and gin can be purchased at many New York liquor stores in 750mL bottles. In the coming year, we can hopefully see more 1911 Spirits available in the market since a new still is currently being produced for the distillery’s expansion. Beak & Skiff and 1911 have grown into quite the orchard creating some great tasting small batch cider and spirits all while still maintaining its traditions and never sacrificing quality. Much like their brand new beautiful facility, 1911 is a top of the line premium operation surrounded in years of tradition, character, and family. For additional information on 1911, please visit them online at 1911Spirits.com. Local Hard Cider Maker Wins City Santa Fe Sustainability Award
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Bold Rock Hard Cider announced the launch their new style, Bold Rock Pear, at the end of 2014 which has been a big hit. The seventh variety of cider in the Bold Rock portfolio based in Virginia is now being distributed throughout the East Coast from Pennsylvania through North Carolina.
Headquartered in Nellysford, Virginia, Bold Rock produces five hard ciders and two wines. As Virginia’s largest winery, the company is quickly ramping up distribution across the country, now delivering variety packs that include three styles of the award-winning Bold Rock locally crafted ciders. The variety packs will include popular flagship offerings Bold Rock Apple and Bold Rock Draft, as well as the newly released Bold Rock Pear. Bold Rock Apple has crisp and refreshing character, delivering the fresh taste of green Granny Smith apples. Bold Rock Draft is a more robust yet sessionable variety with a smooth and mellow taste that satisfies with a surprisingly complex broad blend of apples.
Angry Orchard announced a new home for research and development at a historic apple orchard in Walden, New York. The cider makers at Angry Orchard have been exploring different apple varieties and crafting ciders for twenty years, and are looking forward to greatly expanding that experimentation and driving innovation at their own 60-acre orchard, located in the heart of the Hudson Valley of New York State.
This location has been a farm since at least the mid-1700s, with the first apple trees dating back at least one hundred years. The farm was completely converted to a full-time apple orchard by the 1950s. During colonial times, hard cider was a popular beverage in the US and the Hudson Valley was known for growing traditional cider apple varieties. Prohibition dealt a serious blow to hard cider production, and orchards began shifting production to culinary apple varieties out of necessity. Even today, traditional cider apples are hard to find here in the US. Angry Orchard plans to plant traditional bittersweet cider apple trees and other heirloom varieties on the orchard over the next several years. Today, the orchard grows a number of apples, including varieties like Empire and McIntosh.
The Crist Family, the orchard’s previous owner, has a long history of growing apples in the region, and had owned the property since 1963. The family will continue to cultivate the orchard and retain all jobs associated with caring for and harvesting the land. With the cidery, Angry Orchard plans to add new jobs in the greater Walden community. Angry Orchard recently added Ryan Burk to the team, who will be the head cider maker on-site at the orchard. Ryan grew up in Upstate New York and began working in orchards at the age of six. He brings a breadth of life-long knowledge, passion and experience in cider making to the role. Previously, Ryan served as the head cider maker at Virtue, a craft cidery in Michigan, and led a large barrel-aging program. Ryan joins the other Angry Orchard cider makers in their commitment to experimentation and development of unique and innovative Angry Orchard cider styles. 
Similar to some of Angry Orchard’s other craft cider varieties including the cider maker’s newest year-round style, Hop ‘n Mad Apple, Summer Honey is made with American culinary apples including Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith. In developing the recipe for Summer Honey, Angry Orchard’s cider makers found the light fruit-forward juices from Washington State’s culinary apples allowed the delicate floral honey notes to best come through.
Slyboro Ciderhouse has been going back to its American roots by not only creating delicious traditional ciders, but also growing their own apples that are used to make the ciders. Hard Cider News staff visited with Dan Wilson to get some insight into Slyboro Ciderhouse and their orchard…
Pennsylvania local hard cider producer, Frecon’s Cidery, is teaming up with event promoter, Starfish Junction Productions, to continue the English tradition of ‘wassailing’ in an American way. Historically, Englishmen that celebrated a wassail would gather in orchards during the winter and sing chants/carols and dance together to awaken the cider trees, scare away evil spirits in the orchard, and toast the health of the trees to ensure a plentiful harvest in the fall. The Wassail at Frecon’s Cidery won’t have any chants or carols but it will have plenty of music and drinking, with dancing if you prefer!
WildeFire Wood-Fired Pizza and Oink & Moo BBQ will serve up delicious foods for you to purchase that will pair with your cider(s). The Frecon Farms Bakery will also be in attendance serving up sweet and savory delights including a cider braised pulled pork sandwich with apple onion barbeque sauce, spiced sour cream donuts with hard cider caramel glaze, and Frecon’s FAMOUS apple cake.
There will be seminars about making hard cider, demonstrations about cooking with hard cider, and a cheese and hard cider pairing. A contest was also held online via the event website to crown a couple the king and queen of the wassail. To enter, contestants had to show off their best impression of one (or more) of the Frecon’s Cidery characters on the various labels – The Hogshead, The Early Man, and The Crabby Granny. The contest winners will be announced at the event and win a year’s supply of cider – visit the website 
Approaching the 
The name 1911 is the year the first Beak and the first Skiff got together and established an apple orchard business on 100 acres with only about 150 apple trees. Today, members of the 5th generation of the Beak and Skiff families still operate the farm. However, Beak & Skiff plants approximately 20 different apple varieties on about 800 acres and still has another 400 acres they can grow on not currently used. In 2013, the company planted almost 15,000 new trees!
Raspberry: This cider is the Original cider as a base but is blended with a raspberry puree added during fermentation from locally grown Raspberries. At 5.5% ABV, this cider is almost champagne like with hints of raspberry; it is not overly sweet but very crisp and refreshing. The raspberry is subtle compared to other raspberry ciders available on the market but you get a raspberry burst on the finish.
Santa Sidra Hard Cider was among the groups presented with a Sustainable Santa Fe Award by the City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce this month. The Sustainable Santa Fe Awards program recognizes model sustainability projects that are helping Santa Fe, New Mexico, reduce its ecological footprint, mitigate carbon emissions and build resilience in the face of climate change. Santa Sidra Hard Cider won its sustainability award for Food System Adaptation.
