Fall brings more cider. I want to be back in Orleans again!

Orleans Cider taken at Stowe Taste of Vermont Fair

Sometime ago, I posted a blog entry about drinking cider and fall imbibing.  I found that apples as a fruit where never my fancy, but when fall season would come, I would think about them for good drink.

You may have seen my video of visiting Hill Farmstead in Vermont for great beer, but I also made a discovery at a small food fair near Stowe Vermont, trying a little product I had never heard of from a craft producer.  That product was ice cider made by Eden Ice Cider in West Charleston Vermont.

You heard that right ice cider.  It was here I discovered a product known as Orleans.  Orleans unlike most ciders is actually a cider hybrid wine.  They took their fresh pressed cider from Vermont apples, then fermented the concentrate to make a dry wine that was then infused with a mixture of herbs.  The result is something truly spectacular.

At first sip Orleans is like cider, but then it tastes more like an ice wine when nicely chilled.  The nose is all apple aroma but filled with huge notes of basil and other aromatic herbs.  It finishes clean, with a palate rich in flavors of apples, honey, anise, slight pepper, and LOTS of basil.

Speaking with the booth attendant, she remarked the product was extremely popular with bartenders in New York City who were making lots of cocktails with it.  This was no surprise to me whatsoever, the applications you could do with this beverage made my headspin.  Cider and fruit check, incredible herbs, check, controlled sweetness, check.  It was practically a well crafted cocktail in a bottle by itself.

All I can say is that if you ever see this product where you live, you need to try it, it is really something special worth seeking out.

Fall imbibing season kicks in to high gear!

Fall has finally hit, even though it seemed that Summer recently wouldn't go without a fight.

I made a trip out to rural Maryland to take in some of the bounty that comes with Fall. The bounty would be apples, but more so for the imbibing purist, that pursuit would be in the form of hard cider.

I have to admit I was not in to cider, and I usually do not care for apples at all. My wife however loves cider, and the occasional trip to a farm in Fall would mean a jug of cider to bring home. I was interested when I started hearing about hard cider, but more so when I learned that there was a great drink you could have in Fall called a Stone Fence. It turned out I had one of these in a recent Mr. Booze event, and I was hooked.

A Stone Fence is a Fall cocktail. It consists of two simple primary ingredients. One, is cider either regular or the hard type. The other without question is Applejack, which is made by Laird's Company the oldest family run distillery in America. The Hard cider I picked up was in three varieties one very dry, and then 2 that had slightly more sweetness while still remaining dry and crisp. I had tasted them before purchase and figured that I could work with something at home even if it didn't work out. I returned home with bottles in hand all set for my Fall drinking glory to begin.
The first Stone Fence was made with the hard
cider which I will admit was very dry. The apple bouquet notes are very subtle but the drink has a good feel almost like if I could describe it (even though there is no such thing) an apple spirit. However, it became apparent that while this drink was enjoyable to my palate this was not the drink I remember having at the event. The other Stone Fence I had was much sweeter. Then it occurred to me... this should be made with regular cider. Some tempting moments later, regular cider was poured... and magic hit the glass. PERFECT! now this is what I remember!

So make sure to give a Stone Fence this summer with some great Applejack and the cider of your choice. Hard cider will create a very dry cocktail. Regular cider will create a sweet Fall apple mix that will just make you swoon. It's up to you how you like it, and it seems cider can change as it's been opened so you may find a certain cider that works for you. I've also seen some other recipes that involve the use of bitters, either Peychauds or Angostura. So it all depends.

Either way a Stone Fence in Fall is truly a fantastic drink and it's easy to make a basic one. Watch the video below to learn how to make one.