Hard Cider in Madison, Wisconsin--Global Perspectives, Local Connections
That is now changing. Hard ciders are now becoming easily available, and a surge of small-scale artisanal and locally-based cideries are making the beverage better known. Madison, Wisconsin is one location where excellent cider can be found, and I spent a week in April exploring some of them. It was well worth it. The ciders were not only tasty; I also learned how complicated it is to produce it and how varied are the motivations and experiences of the people making it.
(A note here—I did not get a chance to try all the ciders being produced in this area, and I apologize for those not mentioned here. These 3 represent 3 stages in cider making: growing the apples, making the cider, and consuming it.)
Interestingly, two of the makers featured here (the Cider Farm and Restoration Cider) were introduced to hard cider in Europe, where it tends to be drier than the ciders traditionally made in the US. They now try to replicate some of that taste, but also--along with the third maker (Brix Cider)--felt that hard cider would allow them to combine their values with a potential business opportunity. Those values include a passion for the land, a love of the outdoors, and a commitment to local communities.
All three makers display qualities apparent in much of the hard cider being produced today in the US--innovation and imagination, qualities reflected in new blends and flavorings, quirky names, and memorable packaging designs. Actually, those qualities are very traditional. Experimentation with apple varieties was a hobby of some famous early Americans—Thomas Jefferson developed at least 18 varieties of “cyder” apples. And many orchards boast their own distinctive variety.
Another thread evident in the current cider revival is a connection to American history. George Washington is said to have relaxed by pruning his apple trees, and Johnny Appleseed is a familiar legendary figure and real historical person. Apples themselves tend to be thought of as all-American, and many of us mistakenly assume they are indigenous to the continent. (They originated in Central Asia, in what is now Kazakhstan.) Imbibing the beverage can then be a way to participate in history—or, a good excuse if one is needed.
The Cider Farm (http://www.theciderfarm.com) is an orchard and farm near Mineral Point in the “Driftless” area of Wisconsin. Deirdre Birmingham and John Bionchi started hand-grafting with cuttings from English and French
cider apple trees. Unlike the sweeter American apples for eating, the European ones have tannins that give “mouthfeel and complexity” to the cider. Their orchard is certified organic and is a hands-on operation, as I discovered walking with Deirdre while she checked on young saplings and a ditch being dug. The cider itself is made in Madison and then distributed to select restaurants and groceries in the Midwest. It can also be purchased at their recently opened Cidery and Tasting Room at Brennan’s Cellars in Madison, where I had a sampler of four of their ciders along with an imaginative and delicious radish and turnip dish. The ciders were delicious, with pronounced differences between the varieties.
Restoration Cider (http://www.restorationcider.com) is located on the east side of Madison. The owner, Paul Asper, met me at the door to a large room where cider is made and bottled. As I watched several employees working, Iwas reminded that this is hard work, especially when a glass bottle explodes from too much carbonation. A “veteran owned” sign hangs on the wall, and I soon learn that Paul is a nurse for the Air Force and helped bring wounded soldiers out of Afghanistan. Afterwards he spent time restoring his spirit flyfishing at streams in rural Wisconsin and now donates 5% of his profits to stream restoration, hence the name of the company. Paul and his wife/business partner, Lissa Koop, discovered cider in northern Spain and fell in love with the taste, and the food and lifestyle surrounding it. They wanted to recreate that experience, but with locally grown apples.
Restoration Cider seemed like a way to pursue their dream and also manage their own business, although they both work at other jobs in order to support it. They would like to grow their own apples and offer a space for tastings, but, for the time being, they have to be satisfied with sourcing from local orchards and making excellent cider. And they have been successfully doing that since 2014. I’ve purchased their ciders at stores in Madison and given samples to friends who swore they didn’t like cider. Restoration Cider usually won them over, much to my dismay since it meant depleting my stock. (Another trip to Madison in the near future!)
Brix Cider (http://Brixcider.com) in Mt. Horeb, also in the Driftless area, is a cidery and family-friendly cider pub that focuses on sustainability. The owners, Marie and Matt Raboin, have 
backgrounds in agroecology, and spent time working in Africa. Like the others, they also were introduced to hard cider in Europe and wanted to reproduce those tastes but also connect them to Wisconsin. They did that by starting their own orchard, and, until that produces enough apples, they source from at least 18 local orchards. The pulp left over from pressing apples for juice is fed to pigs at a local farm, and the pork is then used for sausages sold in their pub. Their all-in-one building offers a view of the cider making along with a café and a very comfortable space for socializing and eating—and drinking cider, of course. Their website clearly states their vision, letting consumers know that producing cider at Brix is more than just a business venture; it is a statement of values, and an opportunity to create positive change. I paraphrase here: “We believe that cider should be …about the land, the people who grow the apples, the people who drink the cider, and the connections between us all.”
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Hard cider might not seem to be about identity and passion, but these three businesses show that the beverage is much richer in history and meaning than it might appear on the surface. It ties in with American heritage, but also connects us with global food cultures as well as local landscapes. Making cider is a huge investment of time and energy (and money), but the results have positive implications for sustaining local economies, small-scale farms, and a wider variety (and biodiversity) of apples. And best of all, those results are delicious!
