The Northwest Cider Association celebrates Washington Cider Week for 10 days every September. The event brings together cider producers throughout the Pacific Northwest with cider lovers. It’s an event to share knowledge, experience, and the Northwest cider culture.
Members include cideries in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as retail shops, restaurants, beverage distributors, equipment suppliers, and anyone involved with the cider industry. They offer classes, workshops, and cider-themed events, now as well throughout the year from spring through fall. Most of all, they celebrate the cider they love.
The Northwest Cider Association Presents the 11th Annual Washington Cider Week September 9-19th, 2021 With Smaller Celebrations This Year.
Apple cider tasting flight. Cider can range from light, delicate and sparkly to rich, dark, and full of complexity. – DepositPhotos.com
About apple cider
Fermented apple juice is called “hard cider” or simply cider. Other terminology such as organic and unfiltered can mean different things in different places. If you are in doubt, ask!
Cider has been enjoyed for thousands years. It’s mentioned in the histories of the Romans, Greeks, and Hebrews, among others. Many old apple varieties were tart and bitter, making them more suitable for cider than for fresh eating.
Early European pioneers along the Atlantic coast in America often planted easy-to-grow apple orchards on their homestead. Pressing apples and fermenting apple juice was an easy way to preserve a large harvest. Apple juice, also called “sweet cider” comes from freshly pressed apples.
By the late 1800s, cider began its decline as the most popular beverage in the nation. The Industrial Revolution lead to increased urbanization and populations moved from farms to cities. Fresh apple juice did not keep well. Farms and orchards were abandoned.
Immigrants from Germany and Ireland preferred beer, and moved to the Midwest, which was ideal for growing grains needed to brew beer. These and other factors led further to the decline of cider as the most popular American beverage.
Today, there is a resurgence in cider making. It is one of the fastest-growing segments of the liquor industry. Many wine and beer drinkers, chefs, and food enthusiasts enjoy exploring cider in all forms and flavors. Unlike beer, cider is suitable for a gluten-free diet.
The Washington State University cider research program was established at Mount Vernon, Washington in 1979. Initially, they planted six cider apple varieties. Today they have more than 65 varieties. Test orchards include apples originating from England, France, Germany, and the United States. They perform research to assist apple growers and cider makers in our state. They work to improve cultivation methods and evaluate cider characteristics from different types of apples.
Fresh red apples growing on trees. There are hundreds of varieties of cider apples. – DepositPhotos.com
Washington Cider Week 2021
Here are ways to celebrate:
- Join the NW Cider Club, a next level cider experience, shipping up to 10 different ciders to your door seasonally. Find out more at nwciderclub.com
- Visit cideries directly at their tasting room. Plan your own Washington Cider Week adventure, from Westscott Bay in the west or Liberty Ciderworks in the east, you can create an itinerary using the NW Cider Map: nwcider.com/map
- Please buy local wherever you shop!
- Visit a local cidery or taproom. Find a list of some of our favorite shops below (many more are on the map!).
Selected cideries and taprooms in Washington State
(Listed alphabetically by city.)
The Local 104, 18498 Ballinger Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155. Offers a Northwest-inspired menu centered around their wood-fired oven.
Spin Cider, 8323 SE Millihanna Rd, Olalla, WA 98359. Located on the Kitsap Peninsula between Tacoma and Port Orchard.
Locust Cider (Seattle, Tacoma, Woodinville) Hard cider and hard teas. Taprooms around Washington State and beyond.
Peaks and Pints (21+ only), 3816 N. 26th, Tacoma, WA 98407. Bottle shop, taproom, and eatery. For the fifth consecutive September, “Hoptoberfest” will featurebright, hop-hazy fresh-hop beers AND clean, hearty Oktoberfest-style lagers from Peaks’ Western red cedar tap log daily through Sept. 30.
Incline Cider, 2115 South C Street, Tacoma, WA 98402. Ciders on tap. 21+ only. Outside food welcome.
Nashi Orchards, 25407 Wax Orchard Road SW, Vashon, WA 98070. Grows Asian and European pears and heirloom apples to handcraft award-winning hard cider and perry.
Tieton Cider, 619 West J Street Yakima, WA 98902. The largest acreage of cider apples and Perry pears in the state of Washington.
Apple orchards were common on early American farmsteads – DepositPhotos.com
