More and more people are opting to switch up their boozy beverage of choice and grab
a hard cider, and many are reaching for the distinctive and fun varieties of Angry Orchard.
So, what should you know before you pop the top on your next bottle of Angry Orchard?
According to Angry Orchard, the name comes from the fact that the very best apples for
cider-making look, well, angry.
When they started exploring orchard after orchard across the U.S., Italy, and France,
they found that the best cider apples were nothing like the ones you'd find at the grocery
store.
While we might prize smooth, round, flawless apples for eating, good cider apples are often
tart and a little bitter, and less than perfectly formed.
"Some of these apples stay on the tree a little bit longer.
They develop more complex aromas and higher sugar."
The first bite might be with your eye, but since there's no need for them to look pretty,
it's fine for cider apples to be gnarly.
It just goes to show that it's what's on the inside that counts!
Angry Orchard's ciders might come in the perfect size bottle for cracking open and drinking
on the back porch, but they're not exactly like a beer, save two important ways: the
alcohol content and the calorie count.
Angry Orchard is about 5 percent ABV, and that's pretty middle-of-the-road for beer.
It's also fairly high in calories, with each bottle landing around 190 calories.
That adds up pretty quick if you plan on having one or two an evening.
For comparison, Stouts have an average of 210 calories, lagers are usually around 170,
and pale ales are around 180.
But according to Angry Orchard cidermaker David Sipes, they look at it more like they're
making wine.
That's because apples pick up characteristics - like bitterness, sweetness, and acidity
- based on the environment they're raised in.
It's a concept more popularly associated with grapes and wine-making, and that's no coincidence.
The process is pretty much the same, and hard cider is basically fermented apple juice,
in the same way wine is fermented grape juice.
When it comes to Angry Orchard, the flavors they're looking for in some of their apple
varieties can only come from overseas, and that means you might be drinking a beverage
that's traveled a long, long way.
Some varieties are made with American apples.
According to David Sipes, their seasonal varieties - like Elderflower and Cinnful Apple - are
made with all-American apples, along with their Green Apple.
But if you start getting other kinds, you're getting something a little more international.
Iceman, Strawman, Apple Ginger, Traditional Dry, and Crisp Apple are all made from apples
imported from Italy and France.
"Do you like apples?"
"How do you like them apples?"
When it came time to really swing into high gear making Angry Orchard, cidermaker David
Sipes told The Street that it was a culmination of 15 years' worth of work researching techniques
and perfecting recipes.
They weren't just doing it on their own, either - they were consulting with some of the best.
That included Alan Tringham, a cider expert who had been in the business for more than
50 years and spent his career working with Bulmers - a cider brand known as Magners in
the U.S. Tringham started working with ciders right out of school; that's decades of valuable,
practical experience behind every bottle of Angry Orchard.
Sadly, Tringham passed away in 2012, but his legacy can still be seen at Bulmers and at
Angry Orchard, and that's a pretty cool thing to leave behind.
Not all Angry Orchard bottles that have hit shelves have been enjoyed, and in 2015, they
issued a voluntary recall of several batches of their Crisp Apple.
The problem?
The cider was beginning to re-ferment in the bottle.
According to the news release, there was absolutely no health risk or danger associated with drinking
the cider.
The problems could potentially happen when the buildup of carbonization inside the bottle
increased the pressure too much, and it could cause bottles to explode or overflow when
opened.
Angry Orchard is delicious right out of the bottle, especially on a hot afternoon.
But if you're not using it to mix into cocktails, you're seriously missing out.
What kind of things are we talking about?
How about mixing up a cocktail using Crisp Apple, a shot of bourbon, then a dash of honey
and lemon?
Angry Orchard is the perfect base for some delicious fall cocktails, no matter what the
season actually is outside.
Get a pumpkin spice fix with Crisp Apple, a shot of rum, a dash of pumpkin spice syrup,
and a squeeze of lemon juice.
You can make versions of some of your old favorites, too.
Use Crisp Apple with an ounce of bourbon, a dash of sweet vermouth, a dash of honey,
and a few slices of orange and a cherry or two for a new take on an Old Fashioned.
Or, just keep it simple.
Add a shot of Fireball, peach schnapps, or vanilla vodka for something that'll warm you
up right.
If you're a huge fan of Angry Orchard, there's only one place you need to go: their 60-acre
orchard in Walden, New York.
It's been a farm since the 1700s and an apple orchard for around 100 years, and it's way
more than just a place to go and take a tour of the facility.
That fun starts with their Treehouse Tours, a regularly scheduled tour that takes visitors
through the orchard and into their treehouse — built by the Treehouse Masters from Animal
Planet — for guided tastings.
Plan your trip right, and you'll be there when they're hosting other events, too, from
live music to fundraisers for causes like Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
There's trivia nights, game nights, barbecues, and there's even the occasional yoga class.
It's so much more than just drinking cider — although you can do that, too, of course.
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