We're Back!

Hello loyal readers,

Thanks for sticking with us through our hiatus.  We're bummed there wasn't a January Guest Blogger--but that just means February's will have to be super awesome!  In the meantime, here's a product review to wet your appetite (pun intended):

We finally got to try Woodchuck Hard Cider's Winter seasonal/limited release!  It's currently available by the 12 oz. bottle at Max's Taphouse in Fells Point.  This naturally gluten-free beverage is described by the company as follows:

"Somewhere between a delicate snowflake drifting down to your tongue and a hard-packed snowball to the teeth, the power of this winter Cider is a balanced culmination of Premium French and Traditional American Oak, giving the cider great complexity and broad characteristics that neither style could produce on its own."

So what'd we think?

It was good, but not great.  I can't quite put my finger on the flavor, but it went down smoothly.  Since it's on the drier side, it's easier to have several of these than of, say, the Amber.  I must admit, I thought it was supposed to taste like blueberries...turns out that's the Summer edition, so that was a let down.  I want to try it again without the expectation of fruit!

Overall: B+

If you want to try this flavor--hurry to your local bar or beer distributor!  The Winter edition is only available Nov, Dec, & Jan.  The locator on the Woodchuck website lists 58 places in the Baltimore area where the Winter Ltd. can be found: click here to find the location nearest you.

On a side note, Max's carries several varieties of Woodchuck; I saw at least 4 varieties in the fridge.  I believe they have a cider on tap, but I forget the brand.  Also, the bartender was knowledgable about gluten-free! I made a comment about being 'allergic to beer' and he automatically said, "Oh, gluten?" [and then allowed me to sub grilled-chicken for the beer beef chilli on the nachos :-)].

Homemade Hard Cider Recipe

Homemade Hard Cider aka the easiest thing you've never made
by Domestic Sundays
 
[Editor's note: This recipe will be featured in our upcoming Hard Cider taste-testing on Sunday, September 4th and the event's Review to follow.]

You need:

1. Cider: the fresher the better, pasteurized is fine but NO preservatives (they cramp your fermenting style). I found this (in its brew-ready glass jar) in the juice isle in Safeway. Turns out people don't stock up with organic cider when preparing for hurricanes.
2. Yeast: I use champagne yeast, but you can go for lager or something else entirely (for those in Baltimore, you can find this at Maryland Homebrew in Columbia)
3. Food for the yeast: I like molasses for its rich flavor, but any kind of sugar will do
4. A good (one-way) seal: you can get airlocks for cheap at homebrew stores (and the cork to go with them - a piece I've obviously neglected, as evidenced by my saran wrap), but in a pinch, a balloon stretched over the mouth with a small hole will do. The basic goal is to prevent explosions by letting your carbon dioxide out while keeping bacteria from getting in.

If you're feeling fancy:

• Spices: cinnamon sticks, cloves, fresh ginger root, allspice, lemon juice, cardamom…go crazy!
• A hydrometer: also available at your favorite homebrew store; chemistry nerds especially love these because a quick dip in your brew before and after will let you know your alcohol composition
• A funnel: makes life way easier
• Bleach: people claim sterilizing everything is good for brewing. I'm ambivalent.

What to do:

1) On the stove, dissolve your sugar in about 2 cups of your cider. The sugar is mainly there so you can make it taste nice and ferment it a bit more. I added about 1 cup of molasses for my gallon of cider and the hydrometer told me it'll be about 9% alcohol if all goes as planned. Throw your spices in too!

2) Read your yeast packet and follow its instructions. For mine, I had to add 1/5 of the packet (because I was only making 1 gallon) to some warmish cider and let it sit for 15 minutes.

3) Dump it all in your big jug.

4) Seal that bad boy.

5) Let it sit in a closet for 5-15 days.

6) Throw it in the fridge overnight.

7) Put in bottles or just dig in! If you don't drink it all right away, you probably want to keep bottles in the fridge and drink them within a few weeks.