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Historians know that the apple trees planted along America’s western frontier by John Chapman (a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed) were used for drinking instead of eating. Hard apple cider was a common beverage in the early 1800s and remained so until Prohibition many decades later. Federal agents and temperance activists actually destroyed many cider orchards while the Volstead Act was in effect.
After Prohibition, beer became America’s preferred alcoholic beverage, and sweeter eating apples became a staple of healthy diets. But, over the last decade, cider has enjoyed a comeback, and three Milwaukee-area artisan beverage producers are dedicated to making hard cider in its truer form—drier and tarty with no artificial additives—cider that Johnny Appleseed would have likely enjoyed.
People might associate Sprecher Brewing Company with beer, but CEO Jeff Hamilton reminds us that Sprecher is a craft beverage company. “We’ve produced many different beverages over the years like hard sodas, and we bring in wine from California and bottle it and sell it as Sprecher wines,” he said. Because cider has grown in popularity, adding it to Sprecher’s offerings was a logical choice. They also wanted a gluten-free option for their traveling beer gardens and partner restaurants. Their Cidre de Pomme, released in 2015, was crafted intentionally dry and is made with champagne yeast. Hamilton noted it’s popular for mimosas.
The Cranberry Cidre de Pomme, released last year, is made with the same yeast but tastes drier because of the cranberry tartness. Since the Badger State is the nation’s leading producer of cranberries, it made sense to offer a cranberry cider sourced with Wisconsin cranberries, Hamilton said.
Sprecher also offers perry—an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears and produced by a process similar to cider. Hamilton emphasized there is a difference between perry and pear cider. “People confuse pear cider with perry, but they’re quite different. Pear cider is apple juice with pear flavor,” he said. Sprecher’s ciders can be found at their beer gardens, select restaurants and Sprecher’s brewery store.
John Ela of Ela Cider Company said their hard cider endeavor stemmed from the orchard currently owned and operated by his cousins, Bob Willard and Edwin Ela. The Elas had orchards since the 1930s and made fresh-pressed cider since the 1980s. “We figured that those great apples would also make great hard cider. A few years ago, my parents and I started Ela Cider Company with apples from their orchard,” John said.
Their two varieties of hard cider include Stone Silo, their flagship. It’s semi-sweet yet less sweet than most commercial ciders on the market. “The yeast is added to fresh apple juice after fermentation is completed, which gives it a fresh apple flavor,” John said. Barn Cat is totally dry and not too apple-y. “It’s a different experience in cider, and for people looking to branch out and find something new and interesting, that’s a great cider for them.”
John affirmed it’s difficult to make hard cider like it was traditionally made in America. Apples that were grown just for cider making had a lot of tannins. Although Ela Orchard grows many varieties, John said they avoid popular eating apples like gala or honey crisp which don’t have much character when they’re fermented. One unusual variety they use is golden russet, which ferments well as a hard cider. Ela’s cider is available at Outpost Natural Foods, Ray’s and other locations.
Charles and Milissa McGonegal of AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery have 20 products, including hard cider, spirits and wines. They strive to bring back light, subtle, tart characteristics of pre-Prohibition Era hard cider. Their partner, Brightonwoods Orchard, grows more than 200 heirloom and antique apple varieties.
Last year, AEppelTreow built a second tasting room with sample options based on how many things people want to try. They added a canning line, so their draft ciders and perries are now available in 12-ounce cans. AEppelTreow favors heritage apples, but they also make some modern hard ciders. “We know Wisconsin likes sweet, and those are flavored to bring some of the aromas that you might find from wild-fermented cider from western England. It’s not done with yeast or bacteria, but with essential spices,” Charles McGonegal said. Best-sellers include black currant and elderberry flavored ciders like Blackbird Berried Cider.
Selection varies depending upon the crop and availability of apples. This year’s heritage hard ciders, all named after birds, include Ringlet, Orchard Oriole Perry—a gold medal winner at this year’s Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition—and new “farmhouse funky” Siskin Scrumpy. September and October tasting room hours are 12 noon to 5 p.m. daily and Saturdays from 11a.m. to 5p.m. (closed Tuesdays).
This article is part of Shepherd Express' 2018 Fall Drink Week, which runs Sept. 10-16. Fall Drink Week is brought to you by Discount Liquor. Read more of our Fall Drink Week coverage here.
