Review: Wyders Dry Pear Hard Cider
Wyders Dry Pear Hard Cider is one of four ciders now produced in Middlebury Vermont by the Vermont Hard Cider Company, the makers of Woodchuck Hard Cider. The other flavors include a Dry Raspberry, Dry Apple and a Reposado Pear which is available on draft only. Wyders was originally created in Vancouver Canada in 1987 by Ian Wyder. Dry Pear is made with hard cider and pear juice and bottled at 4% alcohol. Read more 
Review: Magners Pear Cider
Magners Pear Cider was introduced in 2009. It is made in Tipperary Ireland with 100% premium quality pears. Some pear ciders start with an apple cider base. The juice is slowly fermented before being cold filtered. While it is imported from Ireland it is now sold in the US in 6 packs of 12 Oz bottles instead of their traditional 11.2 Oz. bottles. Read more
Review: McKenzies Lazy Lemon Hard Cider
McKenzies Lazy Lemon Hard cider was introduced April 2013. It is their Spring and Summer seasonal cider and one of five hard ciders made with cider sourced from Mayer Brothers in West Seneca New York. With the makers of Mikes Hard Lemonade entering the cider and apple ale market, and the increased popularity of Lemon Shandy’s, it was only a matter of time before someone created a lemon cider. Read more
Review: Woodchuck Private Reserve Pink Hard Cider
Woodchuck Private Reserve Pink Hard cider was introduced in 2013. It is one of four flavors in their Private Reserve line of ciders and is available each March – May. Proceeds from the sale of Pink go to support Survivorship Now, a group that supports breast cancer survivors. The Woodchuck brand was launched at a winery in Proctorsville Vermont in 1991 with the introduction of their Amber hard cider. Woodchuck is responsible for restarting the American cider industry. By 1996 they were already producing half a million cases of cider with just their original Amber and 802 Dark and Dry. Their Pink is made with purple grape skin to give it a natural pink hue. Read more
Review: Ace Hard Apple Cider
Ace Hard Apple Cider was introduced in 1994. It was the first of seven ciders now made in Sebastopol California by the California Cider Company. A mixture of six different pressed dessert apple varieties are blended with Champaign yeast and fermented 10-14 days. It is then cold filtered four times and carbonated before bottling at 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Hard Apple Ginger Cider
Angry Orchard Hard Apple Ginger cider was one of three cider’s the Boston Beer Company, the makers of Sam Adams Beer launched the company with in 2011. Traditional Dry and Crisp Apple are the other two. All three of these ciders are made with hand selected bittersweet apples from France and culinary apples from Italy. These hand selected apples are pressed and mashed before white wine yeast is added and a lengthy fermentation process begins. Angry Orchard cider is wood aged and Nigerian ginger and natural flavors are added to create their Apple Ginger cider. Read more
Review: Woodchuck Pear Hard Cider
Woodchuck Pear Hard Cider is one of six core ciders made in Middlebury Vermont by Woodchuck. They start with fresh picked local apples. These apples are fresh pressed with Champaign yeast added to the juice to start the fermentation process. After cold filtering pear juice is added to the blending tank. Read more
Review: Ciderboys Mad Bark Hard Cider
Ciderboys Mad Bark Hard Cider is one of five seasonal ciders that along with their two year round flavors are made at the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point Wisconsin. It is available September 1- February 28 each year, but I was lucky enough to still find some at my local liquor store. To create their Mad Bark cider the Ciderboys boil 100 pounds of natural cinnamon sticks and blend the resulting extract into the juice from Washington state apples. A special yeast imported from France is added and the mix is fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks for two weeks. After filtering it is bottled at 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Woodchuck Crisp Cider
Woodchuck Crisp Cider was introduced in 2011, first as part of their Spring variety 12 packs, and again in their fall variety 12 packs. By November 2011 it was added to their Core line and made available year round in 6 packs. While Crisp does not position themselves as a reduced calorie cider, with 120 calories per 12 oz. serving and 3.2% alcohol, it is the lightest cider on the market today. Read more
Review: Ciderboys Raspberry Smash Hard Cider
Ciderboys Raspberry Smash Hard cider was introduced July 2013. It is one of five seasonal ciders that along with their two year round flavors are made at the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point Wisconsin. It is available March 1- May 31 each year. Raspberry Smash starts with juice from Washington state apples that is fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks for two weeks. It is then fermented before 100% raspberry juice and natural flavors are blended in a two step proprietary process. No sugar or artificial color is added. Read more