2024 brought lots of cider adventures and lots of sips! Here’s a list of my top favorites, in no particular order.
Wild Ferment • Twisted Hills Craft Cider
This cider was so incredible. Notes included mango, tropical fruit and apple with just a hint of funk. My only regret is that this Canadian cider brand is not available in the United States and I can’t stop thinking about it. If you’re in Canada, definitely order a bottle or six.
Barrely Red • Bauman’s Cider
If memory serves correctly, this cider was born out of a forgotten barrel of Mountain Rose cider. The name is a play on words since the barrel aging process removed a lot of the red color. This had notes of cherry, watermelon, raspberry and slight oak. The original batch was the best, in my opinion. Subsequent batches can generally be found on tap or in bottle at Bauman’s on Oak.
Hopped • Alma Cider
This cider was my go-to when working in the yard this year. It was the perfect refreshing sipper with notes of lemon zest, pine and hops. I am not a huge beer fan, and usually don’t appreciate hopped ciders. This one, however, is the perfect blend in that the hops don’t overpower the apple characteristics. Get yours through Press Then Press.
Airlie Red • Raw Cider
I’ve been told that cider maker Levi usually uses his Airlie Red juice to blend with other ciders. However, if you make your way down to Raw Cider’s new taproom in Dayton, OR you can try it on tap. It’s only 3.5% but it is amazing. This has notes of watermelon, strawberry, raspberry jam. Do yourself a favor by checking out their spot and getting a growler to take home.
Inversion II • Empyrical Cider
Empyrical Cider is back with another installment of Inversion and it won Gold at the Northwest Cider Cup this year. This is an apple and pear blend giving notes of pear, peach, and tropical fruit. As of this publish date, you can order Inversion 1 and 2 in a bundle through Press Then Press for a fun comparison.
Estate Keeved • Nomad Cider
Here’s another spectacular Canadian cider I don’t think I can get in the United States. I’m still very thankful for cider friends who like to pop open the good stuff when I go visit. This one has notes of baked apple, stone fruit, and honey. If you’re in Canada, it looks like it’s still available on Nomad Cider’s site.
The Cooper • Heartland Ciderworks
I love whiskey, so it’s no wonder I kept coming back to this cider. It was aged in bourbon barrels giving it notes of burnt sugar, toffee, bourbon, oak. It’s a very limited batch, but as of this publish date is still available through Press Then Press at a very reasonable price!
French Cider Apples • Haykin Family Cider
This cider is dear to my heart. In July, my love and I chose to elope to beautiful Colorado. While there, I had to make a stop at Haykin and they couldn’t have been more welcoming and congratulatory. So many of their ciders could have ben on this list, but this was my favorite. It was so complex with notes of petrichor, baked apple, leather, hay, toasted marshmallow, and burnt sugar. Buy this one directly from Haykin Family Cider.
Winesap SV • Tieton Cider Works
Tieton Cider Works has been doing some great single varietals lately, and I’m glad to see it. This cider was on rotation throughout my summer and I had so much fun sharing it with friends new to cider. It had strong notes of cherry and raspberry. You can buy yours directly on Tieton’s website.
Esters 
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