10 Ciders to Pair With Thanksgiving Dinner
The apple shouldn’t fall far from your table this Thanksgiving.
Rather than entering the long-standing debate of does red wine or white go better with a turkey, try an apple cider instead.
Cider in the United States can mean both apple cider (also called sweet cider or soft cider), which is unfiltered and unsweetened apple juice often sold at fall farmers markets, and hard cider, an alcoholic drink made from fermented apples.
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Globally, cider has long been a staple, with countries like France, Spain, and the United Kingdom all producing unique styles.
Hard cider has a long tradition in the United States, but often is made from bittersweet apples rather than the sweeter varieties that are used for snacking and desserts. During Prohibition, apple trees were ripped out of the ground as part of the temperance movement, says Ryan Burk, the head cider maker for Angry Orchard.
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Cider is now following in the footsteps of craft brew, and cideries are popping up across the country. With interest in the beverage growing, cider makers are planting crab apples and other sour varieties to meet the growing demand.
Many cities, including San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Asheville, N.C., now have bars that specialize in cider. Wassail in New York City carries more than 100 varieties of cider by the bottle and 12 more on tap.
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“When people come in they can try different ciders. It opens their eyes to what cider is in different parts of the world, and the variety you can find in the United States,” says Jennifer Lim, one of the owners of Wassail, who points out that hard cider comes in a range of options: still, sparkling, sweet, or unfiltered.
If you want to try a cider this Thanksgiving, we’ve got inspiration for you. Click through the slideshow above for a range of ciders, including lots of new launches that will suit all palates, plus a recipe for a cider cocktail perfect for Thanksgiving.
