Cider And Fire Pits

We took a trip to the Ironbound Farm and Ciderhouse this weekend and enjoyed some amazing cider in the most perfect and rustic setting.  Ordered a flight and food at the bar and then moved outside to a nice fire and enjoyed some drinks.  Will definitely be heading back soon.

Some of their neater offerings:

DEVIL’S HARVEST 

TART. JUICY. SUBLIME.

Infused with dry-harvested Pine Barrens cranberries and tart cherries, with a hint of white pepper in the finish.

JUNIPER HARD CIDER 

Juniper berries impart aromas of rosemary, lime peel, lemon, and subtle green apple in this rich, dry, intensely aromatic cider.

CAPE MAY ROSÉ 

A sweet-yet-dry summer infusion of Cape May beach plums and Ironbound farm-harvested aronia berries.

Their menu here.

And here's their IG.

Willow Oaks Cider: Black Twig

In June, we had the great pleasure of visiting the Willow Oaks Cidery in Maryland.  Their process for making cider is more like the process for creating wine.  Typically, cideries make cider in three to four weeks, but Willow Oaks goes a full two years.  The result is a wine-like noncarbonated cider.  There's a dark sweetness there, but it's dry, and balanced with a powerful amount of tannin and acid.  This is definitely not the cider that you're thinking of if you buy the occasional six pack.  The owner warned us of this fact, and we assured him we did our homework and were ready for that unique flavor and tartness.  

The setting is really perfect as well...  rolling fields and meadows, and a friendly old dog named Ginny.

  

Unfortunately, they don't ship their ciders, but they take online orders for local pickups at their cidery.  

Here's a bottle of Black Twig back when it had some cider in there...

Churchyard

Cider made with bittersweet apples:

Our take on England’s west country cider. It’s mild with a rich apple finish. The key is drinkability. Balanced, not too much acid, and it can be drunk day long and night late. Roger Wilkins told us ‘the greatest cider drinkers are in the churchyard pushing up daisies.’ Cheers to these great drinkers.

Click the great logo below to see other offerings from the Ploughman Farm Cidery...

Rum Cider Cocktail

From WorldlyTreat.com:

Ingredients

Crushed ice

4 .Oz dark rum (I used aged rum)

8 .Oz apple cider

4 dashes orange bitters

2 .Oz triple sec simple syrup

ginger beer to top (I strongly advice using Fever-Tree brand. The ginger is intense)

Apple slices to garnish (from 1 apple)

Instructions

Combine the rum, apple cider, and orange bitters in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously until frosted.

Fill the serving glasses with crushed ice (you can equally enjoy it without ice).

Strain the rum cider cocktail into the glasses halfway up (about 7.oz). Top with ginger beer. Garnish with apple slices or cinnamon sticks. Sip immediately.

Click below...

Linvilla Orchards

I want.

Click here for their IG.

Smoky Harvest Apple Cider Margarita

Cinnamon sugar and flaky sea salt, for the rim

2 ounces mezcal or silver tequila

1/2 ounce orange liquor

4 ounces (1/2 cup) apple cider

juice from 1/2 a lime

1-2 teaspoons maple syrup use more or less to your taste

apple slices and cinnamon sticks, for serving

Click below to see it in action...

Thanks, Wren!

Halloween Hard Ciders

Click below for a neat article....

And click here for a smoked cider I must absolutely taste at some point.

Apple Cider Syrup

Cool Weather Drink'n

From the iloveitallofit blog.

Hot Caramel Apple Cider

Click below:

I've never tried flavored vodka of any kind, though if they sell the green olive variety, I'm all over that (currently [and apparently] too lazy to check).

Pumpkin Cider

From Woodchuck...
Not bad.  VERY sweet.
I mix it with Zeigler's spiced apple cider and it's pretty noice.

Spiced Cranberry Cider

If you live near a Trader Joe's, pick up some of their Spiced Cranberry Cider and Spiced Apple Cider. Mix those two together and heat them up on the stove.... no cinnamon sticks required.


Thanks, Trader Joe's. Your employees may make me a little uncomfortable, but I love your products.

traderjoes.com

Private Reserve Pumpkin

Every once in a while you know you stumble upon something glorious. That something just so happens to be our Private Reserve Pumpkin. We have combined our signature taste with a refreshing pumpkin finish. Limited to just two and half hours on the production line this is a true connoisseur's cider.


And I've called some stores in my area...and nuthin.

Thanks, Stacy, for the heads up. I had no idea such a thing existed. I'm a big fan of Woodchuck cider so hopefully I can find some of this.

woodchuck.com

Blissful

Tons of vintage Halloween photographs by Swapatorium2.

Woodchuck

Woodchuck Draft Cider, Vermont’s premier hand-crafted hard cider, launches Woodchuck Fall Cider – the 2009 Fall Season Limited Release. The unique taste and aroma of Woodchuck, not found in any other hard cider, results from century old hand-crafting techniques… The 2009 Woodchuck Fall Cider begins with apples that are pressed to juice, fermented and then cold-filtered. Then master cider maker and creator of the original 1991 Woodchuck recipe, Greg Failing, performs his personal touch with an attractive bouquet of autumn spices starring cinnamon and nutmeg. Creation of this season’s limited release is completed while Failing balances out the taste with a hint of American white oak.


Thanks, Necrobones, for the heads-up. I can't wait to try this.

woodchuck.com

Scotia

I was looking for a neat cider recipe and ended up on a site for Scotia, New York. It featured a 2008 schedule for cider and donuts at the local firehouse. Pretty neat. Then I saw it - a blurb at the bottom of the schedule:

We are asking that all residents celebrate Halloween between the hours of 4 P.M. and 8 P.M. on Friday, October 31st, 2008.We would ask that children complete their "Trick or Treating" and that residents turn off their front porch lights at 8 P.M.

I'd be ruined in that town. Ruined.

Scotia, NY link.

A recipe for hot buttered cider.