LIQUID LIBATIONS/hard cider
Let’s take a tour of some of the hard cider artisans in our region and toast to the spirit these folks are bringing to their craft.
north idaho cider
by David Ross
A Celebrating Washington Apples with
Hard Cider
134
spokanecda.com • NOVEMBER • 2016
s the cool breeze of November signals the height of autumn, we celebrate Washington’s apple harvest. But not all of those apples find their way into kids' lunch boxes or homemade apple pie. The hard cider trade in Washington is booming, and Spokane and North Idaho are the home to a growing menu of hard cider businesses. Washington is America’s leading producer of apples, harvesting more than 70 percent of the annual crop—and we’ve been the leader for decades. And Washington leads the nation in the production of hard cider. The geography of Eastern Washington is Mother Nature’s gift to apples. For generations, farmers have cultivated mineral-rich soils fed by pure, clean water that spills into tributaries from the mighty Columbia River. This summer we experienced the heat of August, tempering into September then fading into the cooler weather of October and November—the perfect growing conditions for apples. Forecasts predict a record 2016 apple crop with a projected harvest of a whopping 140 million cartons of apples. Hard cider is a fermented, alcoholic beverage made from the juice of apples. But the key to a good hard cider is to find the right blend of apple juice, hitting the perfect flavor notes with a balance between sweetness, hints of tartness, alcohol punch and the fragrance of the apples.
Take a leisurely drive through the colors of fall north of Coeur d’Alene and you’ll arrive at North Idaho Cider. Owners Keith Allen, Matt Peterson and Jeff Selle craft hard cider with natural juice and no preservatives. Apple juice arrives regularly from Grandview, blended to their specifications to create a unique hard cider with a dry, crisp, fresh effervescent flavor. North Idaho produces seven types of hard cider, including a seasonal special. The Logger cider, with bright apple flavors, is accented by the woodsy notes of oak and a hint of pine. The seasonal Fall cider reminds one of the flavors of apple, cinnamon and spiced tea. In October, North Idaho Cider hosted their 2nd Annual “Tail Waggin” Chili Cook-Off to benefit the Kootenai Humane Society. They also host the popular Saturday movie nights in September. Future plans call for stoking the fires of the competition barbecue smoker the guys brought in to feature cider and barbecue feasts. Growlers are available to take your cider home, and you can find North Idaho Cider on tap at Manito Tap House in Spokane. 11100 N. Airport Rd., Bays 5-6, Hayden, Idaho. (208) 480-1048. Fri: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. and Sat: 2 p.m.-8 p.m. northidahocider.com
One Tree Hard Cider In 2012, Grant Barnes started a hobby at home with a hard cider kit his wife gave him for Father’s Day. From those humble beginnings, Grant and his partner, Neal Hennessy, built One Tree Hard Cider and today they are producing upwards of 10,000 gallons of cider a month. One Tree has partnerships with apple growers in the Tri-Cities, Yakima Valley and Wenatchee, who deliver a custom blend of apple juice. As Grant noted, “we want to