Beer person? You might just have a taste for cider as well
Cider vs. beer: the age-old battle. Many have an allegiance to one over the other.
But in a town like Bellingham, where the craft beverage options are aplenty, one Bellingham cider maker wants to “take the versus out of the equation.”
“We started out as beer people,” said co-owner of Bellingham’s Lost Giants Cider Company Brad Wilske in a telephone interview with The Bellingham Herald. “What we really want to do is marry the two and bring cider and beer closer together.”
So ahead of the 10th annual Ciderfest in Whatcom County Saturday, Nov. 12, here are some of the biggest misconceptions about cider that may have you crossing brewery lines.
1. Cider is sweeter than beer.
Cider is made from apples, so it can be sweet — many are! But they don’t have to be. Many ciders are gaining popularity for having a “dry” taste.
“In the last five to ten years, ciders are popping up that are geared toward the less-sweet side,” Wilske said.
A dry cider basically has most of the sugars fermented out of it.
“What you’re getting is a lighter, cleaner-tasting cider. So maybe you can have more than one glass and not feel like you just had candy,” Wilske said.
2. All ciders taste like apples.
“We want the apple to shine but we also want to do some more modern ciders like elderberry, pineapple and blood orange,” Wilske said.
Any number of flavors can be added to cider to bring out other notes in the tasting, according to Wilske.
“Our dry cider has a nice apple backbone but it has more of a champagne feel to it,” Wilske said.
3. Cider is more expensive than beer.
Purchasing apples and the process of making cider tends to be a bit more expensive than beer making, according to Wilske.
But that gap is closing, with the price of craft beer starting to increase, Wilske told The Herald.
4. Cider and beer vary greatly in alcohol content.
Cider tends to range from about 5.5%-8% alcohol by volume, according to Wilske.
“Our ciders tend to come in at about 6%,” Wilske said.
But beer isn’t far off, with many IPAs coming in at about 6.5% ABV. A pilsner might come in a bit lower at around 5.5%.
Here’s the divide, though
Cider and beer do have one large difference: their gluten content.
Cider is always naturally gluten-free because it’s made from apples, not malted barley. So if you have a gluten intolerance or are opting out of gluten, cider could be the best bet for you.
Ciderfest
Ciderfest is planned for 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday at Whatcom County’s Bellewood Farms and Distillery in Lynden.
Ciderfest features hard cider tastings from Northwest Washington cideries, including Lost Giants Cider, Bellingham Cider, Herb’s Cider, Alma Cider, Renaissance Cider and Finnriver Farm and Cidery.
Ciderfest tickets are available online for $25 per person. They include tastings of different ciders and a take-home shot glass.
