Lost in the shuffle of the hellstorm of 2020 was the hyped then disappearance of the Cosmic Crisp apple. Well, it is back, in cider form….
2 Towns Ciderhouse is adding a Cosmic Crisp to their portfolio. I wasn’t much impressed with the apple but that doesn’t mean that it won’t make a good cider.
Cellador Ales has dabbled in cocktail beers and their new beer, Verboten, is a beer “riff” as the call it, on vermouth. Here is their description, “ It’s blended from several of our base beers, including some with wine grapes, and layered with botanicals to mimic the aromatics of sweet vermouth.”
If you haven’t had cider that has been aged in a spirit barrel, well, you are missing out on a unique flavor pairing. You can see what apples and Heaven Hill bourbon barrels can do together with this new release from Ogopogo Brewing.
CAMRA wants to educate us on British Cider through the years. Their books division is Kickstarter-ing a “book that will look at how cider has formed an integral part of the UK’s landscape, with a heritage dating back at least 2,000 years. Today, cider faces a new change in the drinking landscape of Britain — the rise of craft and modern, discerning drinkers with different needs, habits and spending opportunities.”
Those choosing to crowdfund Cider “the book for £15 to demonstrate interest in the subject, which will also give them the opportunity to take part in a personal online tasting, and get limited edition T-shirts and signed editions of the new title.”
Lastly, CAMRA adds, “This is a unique opportunity for CAMRA books to gauge interest prior to a book’s publication, which can, in turn, allow us to offer a far wider selection of books in the future and potentially increase our publishing portfolio.”
I dabble in wine. Ranks below gin and bourbon in my personal book but when you add a Trailblazer into the equation, well, wine gets a boost so I was excited to see foodie and podcaster and shooting guard C.J. McCollum branching out to wine with Adelsheim….
“As the Chehalem Mountains’ first winery, we believe it is our duty to be steadfast stewards of this abundant land and to rally our community in support of equity and education. CJ McCollum’s curiosity of wine and love of learning made it easy for us to help turn his hobby into a passion. We are so honored and excited to bring his first wine to life—McCollum Heritage 91: 2018 Pinot noir!”
I have noticed a micro-trend in brewers adding vintners to their job description. Patrick Rue at the The Bruery was the first one that I noticed and now two more are entering the wine world.
Ogopogo Brewing dipped into cider first but also have wine coming soon under the Hartlam banner.
There are quite few breweries in the cider space, but maybe it is time to let a winemaker in. I have had a few Thacher wines and their spread in Paso Robles is so calming. And if we get back on track by June next year, maybe I will be buying wine and cider.
I do my level best to stay seasonally appropriate. You don’t see mentions of Maibock in January or oodles of Oktoberfest posts in Summer. But, I am making an exception for this…..
…because, well 2020 needs more spirits and I think this one could make some fine fall cocktails since Southern Tier knows it’s way around pumpkin spice.
Perhaps the fine brewing folks at Strand Brewing in Torrance are gonna use some of their massive space for distilling, that would be quite the coup. Then they could use their barrels for beer as well. Put a pin on this one and we will see what develops.
One of the things that I missed about visiting Paso Robles this year was a trip to Re:Find Distillery. And when I win the lottery, one thing I want to buy is…
“Preserve your favorite craft cocktails, beer, cider, or any other carbonated beverage for days! Our growler uses food-grade C02 cartridges and a regulator cap to pressurize the growler maintaining carbonation. Its space-saving square shape has a tap that swivels out of the way for so it will fit right in your fridge door. It’s a simple but elegant piece of equipment for any craft beverage lover.”