Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/724494
6 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m hat is hard cider, anyway? The increasingly popular beverage, which is basically fermented apple juice, is categorized as wine by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. Yet it's tracked by the Beer Institute, a national trade association for the brewing industry, which includes hard cider in its broad definition of beer. Cider makers might place them- selves in either camp, with the more traditional cideries firmly and proudly on the fine wine side of the There are 30 varieties of cider apples planted at Foggy Ridge Cider, each chosen for the complex flavor, tannin and acidity needed for fine cider. Much like wine, the variations in hard ciders depend on both fruit source and technique. BY SUSAN G. HAUSER argument, while cider iconoclasts actively court the craft beer bunch, using bold new flavors to make drinkers ditch the grains and love the fruit. Cider is relatively new on the U . S . m o d e r n b e v e r a g e s c e n e , although it was nearly ubiquitous on dining tables of Pilgrims and early colonists. It enjoyed widespread popularity in the United States until Prohibition, when teetotalers intent on universal temperance actually uprooted "demon" orchards of cider apples. As a consequence, many of those apple varieties were lost to history. Now, a dedicated few are try- ing to revive the growing of cider apples, which differ from so-called culinary or dessert apples in that they're barely palatable for straight eating. Pressed and fermented, however, these high-tannin nug- C R A F T B E V E R A G E S R E P O R T + The cider industry is experi- encing phenomenal growth. + Ciders are crafted with either wine or beer lovers in mind. + Cider makers embrace the beverage's history. + Results are as varied as the apples within. AT A GLANCE