There’s nothing but sunshine on our minds. We’re pretty stoked about sun-drenched adventures in the days ahead, and all the spritzy, delicious cider we’ll drink while doing so.
While there’s nothing quite like cracking open a chilled cider in the backyard – we’re not too keen on the decision fatigue that ensues while pounding the aisles of a grocery store. Thankfully, the NW Cider Association has a delicious solution to this conundrum. Enter the NW Cider Club. Here, you can leave the heavy lifting to the experts and savor a true craft cider experience. Launched in Fall 2020, the club curates themed quarterly selections of Northwest ciders that are shipped to cider lovers not just in the Northwest, but across the country.
You could call it an unexpected perk of quarantine life. Necessitated by need, the craft beverage world saw the ease of online shopping and direct deliveries. “The club was a longtime dream that came to fruition because of the need to help our member cideries sell directly to consumers when many of their regular sales channels were limited or closed because of the pandemic. Northwest Cider Association works to connect cider and cider drinkers, so the club is a natural extension of that,” said Jana Daisy-Ensign, Certified Pommelier at the Northwest Cider Association.
Two Clubs to Choose From
Being a member of the NW Cider Club gives you insider access to the hottest happenings of the Northwest craft cider scene. It is the first of its kind to offer a staggering array of ciders from a specific geographic region. Think hard-to-find, limited edition and pre-release ciders. It also includes informational and pairing guides, opportunities to hang out with cidermakers and fellow cider aficionados. The best part? The selections are handpicked by experts, hyper-seasonal and holiday focussed. The NW Cider Club is also different in that it is run by a non-profit trade association made up of nearly 100 cidery members, orchardists and allied suppliers.
Whether you’re a cider newbie or a connoisseur, the NW Cider Club has your back. The summer release is now live and focused on a variety of cider styles that is perfect for the season. For those who want to simply dip your toes in, consider the mixed-format selection of six ciders as part of the Discover Club. It is a great way to get introduced to delicious craft cider. And for those who really want to do it right, consider the four large-size bottles in the Elevated Club box – each bottle is decidedly celebration worthy. Club members can select one box, both boxes, or double up on the Discover Club box for 12 total ciders each quarter.
The Elevated Club
The Elevated Club box offers a superlative cider experience featuring four celebration-worthy wine-size bottles delivered to you quarterly. Each of these are small-batch, limited-release offerings that can be harder to locate in the general marketplace. They also showcase heirloom, barrel-aged, fruit cider and hopped styles this summer..
There are lots of reasons to love the Elevated Club, but if we had to focus on one, it’s the vibe, akin to the carefree feeling at a festival where you’re clinking glasses of sparkling cider and the conversation flows freely. We’re missing in-person festivals but being part of a unique cider club is the next best thing. It is experiential. You can engage with the community and support small businesses across the Northwest, all while enjoying stunning ciders. There are no fees. Club members can jump in or cancel at any time. . It’s a win-win for everyone.
The club curation process is serious business. “First and foremost, we look for high-quality, delicious cider. Our team of cider professionals selects themes per quarter and chooses ciders that align with those themes. We work with the cideries to determine the good fit and secure availability for small-batch releases. As an association, we seek to be representative and love highlighting ciders from large and small producers, BIPOC-owned cideries, from a variety of geographical locations, crafted by a variety of makers. Our members are folks who appreciate good food, special experiences and celebrating life. We think a lot about our members in striving to curate selections that will help them explore the world of cider, delighting in discovering new flavors,” said Daisy-Ensign.
The orchard-based ciders are delivered from farm-to-doorstep. The current club release is creative, exploratory and offers a delicious assorted collection. Western Cider’s Hewe’s Rouge Estate Cider is a bold, barrel-aged, classic all-apple cider. Madrone Cellars’ Dry Hopped Cider is a luscious, botanical beauty made from 100 percent Washington-grown Honeycrisp apples and local hops that give it a fruity, white wine taste.. Jammy and intensely fruity, Methow Valley’s Black Raven is made with estate-grown cider apples infused with blackberry. Westcott Bay Traditional Dry is an all-apple offering that is layered, complex and tannic. These are quintessential backyard beverages, perfect for impromptu cookouts, summer grilling sessions, and alfresco dinners.
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