CIDERCRAFT Magazine, CIDERCRAFT Volume 14 2020

BY ALISHA MCDARRIS T en years ago there was hardly a drop of hard cider coming out of Chelan County Washington Surprising considering that the region has been an apple producing epicenter for over a century long before the Wenatchee Valley was dubbed the Apple Capital of the world in the 1940s However in the last three years the cider industry has exploded in the Cascade Foothills growing from just a handful of cideries to 20 And more makers than ever are calling on the areas resource rich ields of orchards to concoct impressive varieties ARCHIBALD JAMES in Leavenworth is one of the newest makers on the scene joining Wenatcheebased grower cidermaker SNOWDRIFT CIDER CO in crafting dry apple focused ciders The team employs local cider apples to craft a beverage aged in oak barrels that sips more like Champagne than a typical cider Those higher end o erings contain little more than the fruit itself but youll also ind slightly sweeter varieties made with area dessert apples in the lineup For the local fan favorite turn to MANCHESTER ROAD CIDER CO in the town of Chelan which 24 CIDERCRAFTMAG COM INDEPENDENT CIDER PERRY SNO GEM This classic perry is fermented dry uses 100 percent Anjou pears has a clean inish with high acidity and a bright e ervescence and o ers crisp and citrusy notes with a subtle pear lavor ROOTWOOD CIDER CO HERITAGE STYLE Multiple varieties of estate grown cider apples create a complex balance of tannins and lavor Reminiscent of harvest season it contains a touch of bitterness and astringency plus full bodied lavor MANCHESTER ROAD CIDER CO 42 With full apple fervor this light and qua able sip is reminiscent of a modern British style draft cider Refreshingly smooth and medium sweet the sparkling cider is easy to drink and easy to pair with classic pub grub ARCHIBALD JAMES DRY CIDER APPLE FIELD BLEND Floral citrus and herbal aromas mark this ultra dry cider made from a ield blend of traditional cider apples The oak aged cider is brightly acidic and pleasantly full bodied with zero residual sweetness APPLE CAPITAL Cider from Washingtons Fruit Belt of Chelan County calls on the bounty of local apples to make what co owner Andrew Fielding says is the sort of cider you could ind in any British pub We wanted to make a very approachable drink he says And true to pub style one that youre more likely to ind on draft in a local taproom than in a bottle And as you might expect in such a fruitful region there are a handful of makers crafting beverages from fruit in their own orchards Mansons ROOTWOOD CIDER CO is one of them The family has been orcharding for over 100 years but its just in the last few that theyve branched out into cidermaking Were excited to share the apple in another way says Kate Koenig Howard co cidermaker Look for semi dry hop infused rosé ciders and single origin heirloom varietals But its not just apples vying for cidermakers attention perries have also found a home in a region where pears grow just as proli ically Drydens INDEPENDENT CIDER crafts perry thats from its own estate pears Its all pear from whole pears in the best growing region for pears in the country co owner Micah Roberson says Its a true taste of the region l HOT S POT