Saturday, July 28, 2018

North Carolina Cider

So I have this wife, and she has a traveling bear.  Think 'garden gnome' that makes its way around the world only it is a stuffed bear that drinks hard cider.

The bear ('Snuffles') gets his picture taken in most, if not all cider places my wife goes to with me.  Case in point...

Bull City Cider in Lexington Appalachian Mountains Brewery in Boone

I guess it is pretty clear that the bear digs his cider.

If you get the chance to go to either one of these pubs, take it!

Appalachian takes some looking to find, and you might have to work for your parking.  It is a pretty open layout with space for dogs, kids and pet bears.  The cider is a first rate citizen at this brewery, but those that crave a beer can find one here.  The peach is great as is the Roots.  They have enough of a selection that I did not get a chance to try them all.  (I had to drive out of there and I am a good boy when it comes to being a responsible cider consumer).

Bull City is pretty cool too.  I went with the 5 flight, then did it again to try most the others.  I had favorites, and walked out with two 32 ounce howlers...one of Compassion, and one of Off Main.  Bull City in Lexington is currently only open 1-5 on Saturdays, but the lovely girl behind the counter said plans are in the works to add air conditioning and more open hours.

Whew.  Ok, I did the first real post, so now I can work on making them better.  I know this one was short on details, so the future ones will be a little more in depth.


Cider is here, and it is getting more popular.  Step outside the Angry Orchard and find a local cidery close to you - it is worth it!

The seeds of a blog

A few years back I was in England, and I tried some cider.  Well I liked it, a lot.

So I spent the next year and a half spending as much time as I could (work got in the way a little) seeking out tiny farm house ciders in the Southwest of England.

Come the end of 2014, I had the choice to leave England or overstay my visa.  I wanted to be able to come back, so I opted to return to the USA, reluctantly.  My appetite for cider did not leave me though, and I found that cider was becoming more interesting in the USA...yay!

I am going to post some history of places I have found in the USA, and will put down info on the places I go now that I have finally started this.

As I write this, I am in North Carolina, where I have found at least a few outstanding cideries.  I will try to be accurate with my description of the places I go, both with regard to the cider and the atmosphere, but do not expect much negative vibes...when I get to have cider I am a cheerful guy.

Some stuff I might reference:


I won't be making another map, but I will try to help these folks update theirs if I can help them.  I will also be referencing these maps to find new places to try their cider!

Cheers, and will talk to you soon.