There’s only so much beer a guy can take—or make, for that matter. Joel VandenBrink is far from tapped out from brewing barrels for his flagship Seattle brewery, Two Beers, but after a diagnosis with Crohns Disease (where beer can be a trigger to symptoms), he started to look at the bigger picture: no excuses, only expansion. VandenBrink decided to stretch his beverage production range by founding Seattle’s first cidery since Prohibition—Seattle Cider Co. With two year-round offerings (in 16 ounce can), a collaboration with Two Beers and New Belgium to create a cider-beer hybrid called GRAFF(T) and half a dozen rotating seasonal/specialty ciders (all in bottle), VandenBrink’s suds are no longer limited to one beverage. With a release in two weeks, the high-demand Gin Botanical Cider is back. Fermented with used gin botanicals from Batch 206 Distillery, this is an aromatically effusive cider that pushes well beyond the primary fruit tones of apple and pear and well into the fated smells of juniper, cucumber, citrus rind and floral notes. The palate is semi-dry with fresh fruit and herbal flavors, but finishes full, crisp and clean.
Follow on Facebook: Seattle Cider Co.
Track on Twitter: @SeattleCiderCo
