Just a bridge, a meandering road and a ferry ride away from downtown Seattle, Vashon Island is quickly becoming one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier destinations for great bottles. Dragon’s Head Cider has made fans thanks to its Pippin Cider and Manchurian Cider, both made with bold Washington apples. Heirloom varietals and native local apples are fermented and then blended, and a similar approach is taken with the pears for their perry. The smooth beverage is made of a blend of Comice and Seckel pears and seedling pears that were planted over 100 years ago on Vashon Island.
The seedling trees are 60-80 feet tall. To harvest, they climb up the trees with bike helmets on and shake them down. “The helmets are to protect ourselves from the rain of pears coming from above,” co-owner Wes Cherry explains.
The Dragon’s Head Perry falls on the dry, crisp side, with a hint of sweet pear flavor and the residual sweetness that remains naturally when pears are fermented. The seedling pears are quite bitter and provide body to the perry. This perry is made with AWRI 350 and Cotes de Blanc yeasts, which lend fruity esters. Pleasingly effervescent and complex in flavor, Dragon’s Head Perry is an easy choice for a cheese plate, makes a nice complement to buttery king salmon and pairs well with spicy Thai curry.
