Haykin Family Ciders Elevates Apples

In the rapidly-expanding cider market, Denver’s Haykin Family Ciders offers a fresh take on the beverage with its unique philosophy and focus. Haykin, owned by husband and wife Daniel and Talia Haykin, puts a premium on using boutique apples to make premium ciders that compete for space on the menus of prestigious restaurants.

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Waldschänke Ciders Celebrates Swiss National Day

In honor of Swiss National Day, Aug. 1, we’re taking a closer look at Denver’s Waldschänke Ciders, which blends family traditions of Swiss cider-making with modern and innovative flavor pairings. Waldschänke gives craft beverage lovers a reason to expand beyond typical malt-and-hops drinks with a whole range of sweet, tart and savory flavors. Read More

Stem Ciders | Chile Guava Apple Cider

“Cider is too sweet. Cider isn’t beer.” If that’s your thought on the matter of ciders, I would implore you first to refrain from comparing cider to beer. Beer is beer. Whiskey is whiskey. Wine is wine. And cider is cider. Yes, the packaging and crafted nature of the business has often allowed the two imbibe industries to converge, but they are not the same. I would then suggest next that you explore ciders as its own entity; you’ll find that the ciders of today are nothing like the jugged-cider sold at family pumpkin fests, and they differ greatly from the hard cider that first emerged fifteen to twenty years ago. Cider today is innovative, nuanced and balanced, demonstrated exquisitely by Stem Ciders‘ Chile Guava Apple Cider.

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Cider Showcase | Cidergeist (Rhinegeist) Bubbles

ABV: 6.2%

Full disclosure – I have never been much of a cider drinker. My friends can all attest that whenever we head out to a bar, I’m sticking to beer. Whether it’s the cloying sweetness of some or the champagne dryness of others, I haven’t quite had the best luck when it comes to craft ciders. So when I was recently offered a can of Bubbles by Rhinegeist, needless to say my past experiences prompted me to accept with some hesitation. Luckily, any and all hesitation was obliterated as soon as I took that first sip. It was amazing.

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Stem Ciders | Off-Dry Apple Cider

Here at PorchDrinking, while beer will always be our first love, we also enjoy occasionally dabbling in other forms of imbibing such as bourbon, rum, mead and cider. And there is one Colorado cidery that has risen to prominence in recent years, it’s Stem Ciders in Denver’s River North Art District. Lucky enough for me, one of my closest friends is the assistant cider maker over at Stem Ciders and she was willing to talk to me about the cidery’s newest offering.

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Cidery Showcase | Right Bee Cider (Chicago)

Leave it to a Siebel Institute graduate to ferment a plan to impress a girl. Charlie Davis attempted to win Katie Morgan’s heart with hard cider. It worked. She not only fell in love with him, she married him. Katie also fell in love with the cider. In fact, the two of them thought so highly of that magical moment that they turned it into a business — Chicago’s first cidery. Today, you’ll find Charlie right-beside-her — Right Bee Cider, churning out well crafted cider to a growing fan base. He wooed her, and now they are wooing Chicago. You might say, it is cider at first site.

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Stem Ciders | Banjo Cider

Post-Memorial Day my taste buds begin to boycott woody, smoky porters better suited for cold, cloudy days of yore and turn to crisp, refreshing flavors that pair nicely with patios and sunburns. I’m from an Irish/Scottish family (see: sunburns) whose fridges and cellars were always stocked with a variety of ciders. Countless times growing up, I sat with my family while they told stories and sang songs – stealing sips of their ciders, trying not to get caught.

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