Having a clean moment.
Farnum Hill Summer Cider
This year’s fermentation batches (2012 juices) start easing into the market with Summer Cider 2013, our only seasonal label. In each SC we try for something un-sweet, but also markedly un-tannic compared to other FH ciders. SC’s existing fans welcome its bright upbeat pleasures. Newer cider explorers will in theory find fast fun in its fresh, fruity, food-flattering flavors. Bewitched by our Summer Cider, they will later thrill to the tricky tannic turns performed by more mysterious FH blends … you should test that theory this year!
Farnum Hill Summer Cider is golden and gently sparkling, blended to remind people in the States that good ciders make ideal summer “wines,” something the wider world never forgot. So in this one we go for prominent fruit and keen acid, soft-pedaling the tannic, earthy notes common to the other FHC blends. In Summer Cider the fruits are rich, the citrusy notes are strong, with gentle sweetness in the background. It’s a bit like whiskey sours, without the alcoholic whack. Summer Cider’s alcohol by volume is our usual, around 7.5%. AVAILABLE MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER while it lasts — more goes out each year and sometimes we miscalculate. (Some people put cases down cellar in order to drink Summer all winter.)
It feels a little silly to recommend food pairings for Summer Cider. Can’t we just lighten up in summer? It’s got the good clean FHC finish, and will help anything from your pasta salad to your lobster taste extra-great. Don’t know about your tofu dog, but would love to hear. Summer Cider’s acidity might make war with certain acidic treats like sharp tomato sauces or vinegary salad dressings. We get different opinions about how it goes with sweets, so will leave you to experiment.
Consider SC with (and over) fruit salad, or you could flip the situation and drop a few berries or a slice of peach into your glass. Great for summery punch, sangria or even with a shot of fizzy ginger ale! Like our others, Summer Cider tastes best to us at about 60 degrees F., but if you chill it down or chuck an ice cube in we won’t tell the cider room crew. Brenda (office manager and photographer) has taken some gorgeous pictures of SC with fruit that are on the left hand side of the page. Send us your Summer Cider pics and we’ll post those too.
