Why Cider Deserves a Place in Your Glass

A golden glow catches your eye, snuggled amongst the usual suspects on the bar shelf. It's squat, often sporting a rustic label, and probably says something about a farm somewhere. “Cider,” you think, and your mind most likely flits to that sweet, mulled concoction swirling with cinnamon sticks around winter holidays. While that cozy image has its place, the world of cider is like a sprawling orchard – far more rich, surprising, and frankly, deserving of our appreciation.

Let's not pretend cider is something shockingly new. People have been fermenting fruit for about as long as they've been cultivating the stuff. Apples, with their natural sugar and agreeable wild yeasts, were prime targets for a little boozy experimentation. Ancient Greeks? Yep, they had cider. Roman legions marching through Europe? They brought the cider craze with them. Heck, even presidents like John Adams reportedly kicked off their days with a tankard of the hard stuff.