For most people, the word “spitter” evokes the thought of something unpleasant—angry llamas, perhaps, or individuals who require a little extra talking space if you want to stay dry. Not Rob Fisk. For him, the word means something beautiful, something high quality, something on which he’s built his life. Spitters are the colloquial term for … [ Read more]
Sweetland Orchard Bottling Line of ‘Scrumpy’ Hard Ciders
June 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Sweetland Orchard, in Webster, Minnesota, has been making hard cider since 2012 and is now bottling and kegging it for wholesale distribution. Four-packs of Sweetland’s Scrumpy Original (“tart, dry, and unfiltered”), Scrumpy Sweet (“a sweet-tart cider that gets its flavor from from the non-alcoholic cider added to every bottle”), and Cherry Rhubarb Scrumpy (“combines hard cider … [ Read more]
The State of Cider 2015
April 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The art and science of hard apple cider has been practiced in America since long before there even was a United States. The first English settlers to arrive in New England are said to have promptly requested apple seeds from the motherland upon learning that the crabapples native to the promised land were unsuitable for the making of their favorite fermented beverage. The … [ Read more]
Sweetland Orchards Scrumpy
September 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Our favorite beer bars are getting wise to the national trend. There, on the drink lists, among a litany of IPAs and Belgians, you’ll increasingly find dedicated selections of hard cider, giving us a chance to expand our craft palates. These places include both Republic locations, which comprise two of the four Metro locations currently … [ Read more]
Sociable Cider Werks in Minneapolis
October 1, 2013 by 1 Comment
Now Open (Or Damn Close) visits an enthusiastic Twin Cities cider house. By Brian Kaufenberg Sociable Cider Werks Fall in Minnesota is when families visit local orchards to pick baskets of apples from the trees and buy fresh apple turnovers, applesauce, apple cider, apple pies, and every other iteration of apple products. All save one—locally … [ Read more]
