On January 20, Virtue Cider is hosting their 5th Annual Stone Fence Competition & Mitten Drive at Big Star (Wrigleyville) The Stone Fence Cocktail Competition brings together 10 of Chicago’s top bartenders to compete with their take on a traditional American cider-based cocktail, the Stone Fence – which is traditionally a blend of bourbon or rum and hard cider. The event will be held: …
Happy New Year! One of the things we always look forward in the cold Chicago winters is the annual return of Cider Summit Chicago. The 7th Annual Cider Summit Chicago is scheduled for Saturday, February 9, 2019, in two sessions – Session 1 is 12 – 3 pm (VIP admission at 11 am) and Session 2 is 5 -8 pm …
As the cider market has continued to have explosive growth (thanks in part to Rose) unique gifts for cider lovers have cropped up. Here are a few of our favorites for 2018. Bitter Pops 12 Days of Cider Gift Box features 12 beautiful ciders that you can enjoy each day starting on Christmas Day. The Bitter Pops Twelve Days …
Cider is a great alternative to wine for your Thanksgiving table. Considering the cider traditions of the US and the resurgence of the beverage Pick(ing) Cider will be sure to impress your guests. To help navigate the world of ciders, we’ve compiled a list to help you choose the perfect Thanksgiving cider pairings for your holiday feast. Appetizers Sparkling Ciders/Perry Tieton Sparkling Perry Prima …
Join me and Sean on October 20 for CiderFest 2018 at Taste Food and Wine (1506 W Jarvis Ave, Chicago). Sample 40 different ciders from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, France, and Spain. The $20 ticket price includes a souvenir glass and a cider-based dessert. Limited tickets available so don’t wait to buy tickets at Taste Food and Wine or online.
A couple of weeks ago, Sean and I joined the Northman on the Chicago Riverwalk for a Cider Cruise aboard “Chicago’s Classic Lady” (part of Chicago’s First Lady Fleet). The event was a great start to fall (except it’s still been 80 degrees in Chicago) with several producers sampling cider, light bites, and chocolate. The cruise, which we hope will be …
As part of our cider maker series, we highlight some of the smaller or more unique US cider makers. Grand Illusion, one of many urban cideries that are on the rise, is located in Carlisle, PA – about 30 minutes outside of Harrisburg, PA. Grand Illusion opened their doors in February 2018 with three ciders and 14 employees. The cidery was …
This past Saturday Sean and I went to the South Loop Beer & Cider Fest which combined several of our favorite things – Cider, The Southside, and #ciderfriends. The weather was great which, coupled with the cider and beer, made for an amazing tasting experience. All the cider and mead makers were located together in a prime tent spot and we were …
As part of our cider maker series, we highlight some of the smaller or more unique US cider makers. During our spring Colorado trip, we had the opportunity to visit Haykin Family Cider which opened about a month before our visit. Even though Haykin’s only opened their doors in 2018, they have been winning awards for their unique, thoughtful, small-batch …
Summer is here! Sean and I love to beat the sweltering heat by coming up with creative cocktails. Last Friday we went to a 2 Towns Ciderhouse tasting at The Open Bottle. In addition to some of our summer favorites (e.g. Pacific Pineapple), we tried a limited release cider named Easy Peasy, a mix of Northwest apples, Meyer lemon, raspberries and …