Extreme Apples
With cider drinkers tending towards the adventurous, Reed’s includes a few curveballs on their menu. The Bordatto “Basandare” from French Basque country is a blend of a whopping 38 apples. And most of these have such acute flavors that they are not commonly eaten.
“It’s a funky, gnarly cider,” Ivanov says. “It smells like blue cheese, and is quite tannic on the palate.”
What dish will match up with such an extreme cider? Ivanov nominates the pork steak ($16), with braised collard greens, white beans and apple barbeque sauce. The steak and Basandare share strong, rustic flavors.
Another apple beverage a bit off the beaten path is the Bonnydoon “Querry.” This California cider is brewed with pear and quince—the name Querry is a play on perry, or pear cider—and sold for $18 per 25.2-oz. bottle.
On one recent research trip through New Zealand, the Reed’s team came across Peckham’s Elderflower. Intrigued by this elegant cider expression, in which the producers steep elderflower during production, Ivanov tracked down its U.S. distribution. Reed’s now offers it for $15 for a 16.8-oz. bottle.
Pairing-wise, Ivanov suggests the apple salad with the Peckham’s, as the elderflower adds character add a layer of complexity to this fall-themed dish. “It gives an aromatic lift that’s not there in the salad.”
Reed’s also offers La Face Cachée de la Pomme “Neige.” An apple cider from Quebec, it’s produced in the fashion of ice wine, and sold at Reed’s for $9 a glass, $56 for a 375-ml. bottle and $38 for bottle take-out.
The apple ice cider can make for a dessert pairing with the restaurant’s apple-date crisp and ginger ice cream ($8). “This might seem like too many apple notes,” Ivanov says, “but the dessert has cinnamon and granola notes to balance it out.”
Educating Consumers on Cider
Although the cider category is booming, it still has a way to go. Many drinkers remain unsure of the nuances, like the difference between French and Spanish styles. Or European and American—even East Coast vs. West Coast.
Some consumers are even more in the dark. “We still get a lot of people asking for a cider beer,” says Chambers.
That’s why cider spots spend time educating customers on the finer details. Asking what wines they drink is a good place to start Chambers believes. This can help determine whether a diner would prefer a dry, crisp, sweet or acidic cider.
The next step is delving into the difference between apples, and explaining the unique complexities. As they have with wine, consumers will eventually become more sophisticated about cider. “We’re all looking forward to when [consumer] knowledge matches where the industry is,” Chambers says.
Kyle Swartz is associate editor of Cheers Magazine.
