Appetites: Hard cider on the rise in Minnesota
Autumn in Minnesota is not complete without a trip to the apple orchard. Minnesota's apple harvest has always made for countless pies and caramels, but increasingly, it's being made into cider.
In the last few years, our shelves have featured more local ciders. John Garland, the deputy editor of the Growler Magazine, joined MPR News host Tom Crann to catch us up on the state of Minnesota's cideries.
It's important to note: when we say "cider" we mean "hard cider."
"It has been fermented, so there is alcohol," Garland said. "But it's worth pointing out that hard cider is not beer. A lot of people call it 'cider beer,' I hear that term thrown around and that is a misnomer — there's no grains in play, it is a fermented cider."
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The confusion is understandable though, said Garland, because you can find ciders at your local bottle shop that are flavored with other fruits and spices, they can be sparkling or still, sweet or sour. The range of different styles of cider is probably more diverse than that of beer, he said.
And Minnesota is making a wide range, with some cideries treating cider like wine.
"These are usually orchard-based operations. They make a point of planting heirloom cider-specific varieties of apples. Things like the Kingston Black and the Golden Russet," Garland said. "These heirloom varieties that are terrible to eat — some are so sour that you can't chew them, some are so tannic that they taste like wet cardboard."
But when you press the juice and mix it in the right balance with sweeter apples, you'll have a cider with all kinds of nuanced aromas and flavors like you'd get in a fine wine.
"Keepsake Cidery in Dundas and Milk & Honey in St. Joseph is two great cideries making cider in this wine-like style," Garland said.
More common apples, like Haralsons and Honeycrisps, are also being used in ciders. They taste less complex than their heirloom counterparts, but they're some of the most popular in Minnesota, Garland said.
"You've no doubt seen Angry Orchard on the shelf," he said. "And we've got a few good local examples as well. There's Loon Juice, made south of Rochester, that's 100 percent Honeycrisp, it's a light and easygoing, beautiful cider. Also Sociable Cider Werks in Northeast Minneapolis, they use a blend of Haralson, Honeycrisp and SweeTango for their products."
To listen to their full conversation, click the audio player above. Check out Garland's cider guide here.