One hour, one bridge and one ferry ride away from Seattle is Vashon Island, known to locals as “the heart of the Sound.” The isle is a petite 13 miles long and eight miles wide with a warm and welcoming population of approximately 11,000. Vashon is also home to Dragon’s Head Cider. Although this urban islet isn’t yet known as the agriculture heart of the area, Dragon’s Head Cider planted orchards there three years ago in an attempt to start getting the island some recognition. Producers of classic cider from English and American apples, Dragon’s Head had a wild hair to allow their basic level cider take a crazy turn by fermenting it with the natural yeasts that were already present on the apples. An experiment gone right, the cider is clean, crisp and mostly dry, with feral robustness and solid apple core, along with pear, honeysuckle and floral notes on the edges.
