A few years ago, Craft Brew Alliance (the company that markets Kona, Widmer Brothers and Redhook) saw the rise of craft ciders and decided to get in on the action, creating Square Mile Cider Company. The cider house uses three apple varieties (Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious and Johnny Gold) and a lager yeast to produce two different brands: The Original is a classic hard cider and Spur and Vine is Northwest take on that classic cider with the addition of Galaxy hops. I knocked back both ciders side by side to figure out which style shines.
The Original
The Original pours almost clear, with just a hint of yellow, and smells exactly how you’d think it would smell—like apples. Given the straightforward nose and appearance, I expected a rather straightforward (read: boring) taste. Something akin to a carbonated, boozy apple juice, which is what most ciders taste like in my opinion. They’re typically too sweet for my taste and lack any depth. Square Mile does a good job of not falling into that trap with the Original. It’s effervescent, crisp and dry, and has strong apple notes, but it isn’t saccharine. This isn’t boozy juice. It’s more like you sliced a bunch of fresh apples and dropped them in a bottle of Champagne. Square Mile recommends pouring the cider over ice. It sounds ridiculous, but I tried it because I’m a professional, and here’s what I think: Don’t do it. The Original is much better without the ice, which only dilutes the intriguing dry, effervescent qualities of the cider. Keep it neat.