Autumn is synonymous with apple season, which pits apple cider against pumpkin spice lattes in the competition to be your fall drink of choice. But what cider has—that the latter does not—is its capacity for variety. As a cocktail component or a standalone drink, ciders have a versatility that other beverages cannot achieve. Don’t believe us? Explore the variety of options available from local producers to satisfy your cider cravings, below.
Teatonic Kombucha
Born out of founder Ford Hebard’s vision of bringing the healthiest, best tasting, local probiotics to the Intermountain Region, Teatonic Kombucha uses high quality teas and botanicals to create unique flavor infusions in its beverages. Plus, these organic, raw kombuchas are low in sugar, unlike most mass-produced brews.
Our Fall Favorite: Apple Chai
Hints of ginger cut through the subtle sweetness of local apple cider, while the aromatic notes of chai spices give off the comforting essence of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves with every sip. The result is a satisfying fall beverage that is effervescent and packed with probiotics.
Farmstead Cider
Farmstead Cider is a Jackson Hole cidery with unique beginnings—their story began with a grant to remove apples from properties, with the purpose of reducing bear/human conflicts in those areas. A delicious result of these efforts was cider made from harvested high-altitude crab apples. While their selection of ciders has expanded, one of our favorites continues to be the 2020 Rafter J Cider.
Our Fall Favorite: 2020 Rafter J Cider
In the local neighborhood of Rafter J, the crab apple trees are nearing forty years old. These trees have survived on their own tenacity, symbolic of the hardiness of Jackson’s locals. Wildly fermented, this cider has no residual sugars or added sulphites.
Highpoint Cider
Based in Victor, Idaho, Highpoint Cider is a modern craft hard cider company that produces low-sugar hard ciders made from Rocky Mountain apples. As an added bonus, their taproom space in Victor has a fun, convivial atmosphere and also hosts weekly events—like their Tuesday Trivia Nights.
Our Fall Favorite: Spur
Semi-dry, Spur is a highly sessionable cider with 6% ABV. Infused with ginger, the taste presents a bit of a kick while still maintaining a clean, crisp finish. Recommended pairings include spicy foods, fall colors, and good company.
Wyoming Whiskey
Although not explicitly cider, we love to cozy up with a Wyoming Whiskey and apple cider cocktail this time of year. Arguably, all of Wyoming Whiskey’s products would be suited for the task, but our pick for this particular purpose would be their Small Batch Bourbon. Its robust and smooth flavor melds seamlessly with the sweet and tart notes of apple cider. Elevate your cider experience by adding a nip of bourbon the next time you’re looking to sip on something fall-like, or go a step further and try the cider cocktail below.
Wyoming Harvest Cocktail
Ingredients
2 ounces Wyoming Whiskey
4 ounces apple cider
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce maple syrup
Cinnamon stick and apple slice, for garnish
Instructions:
In a cocktail shaker, combine whiskey, apple cider, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously to mix and chill the ingredients. Strain into a glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of apple.
