"The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider."
-- Jane Hirshfield
Cider. Just the name evokes hot summer days with a cold drink. Or, cold winter nights with a hot mug topped off with a cinnamon stick. Since I moved home from England, I have missed hard cider as it is not as easy to find on this side of the pond. Luckily, it turns out that just down the road from where I live, cider is being produced with delicious results.
Jeff and Terri, the owners of Liquid Alchemy Beverages (LAB) started this enterprise as a hobby. They began by making mead then expanded into cider. The menu changes frequently as they are constantly experimenting with flavors and seasonal fruits. From what I tasted, the experiments are more often than not successful.
LAB is not that easy to find. When my GPS told me to turn onto the road where it is based, I had to pause for a second. Keeping LAB company is one commercial endeavor after another. What shines like a beacon as you make the turn, however, is a white wall with a huge 28 on it. I knew I was most likely heading in the right direction.
When you go, be careful where you park as some of LAB's neighbors get a bit snarky if you park in their lots. Like have you towed snarky. I solved the problem by just asking Jeff as I walked in if I had parked in a good spot. He has made friends with some of those around him, so there is almost always a place to put your car.
From the moment you walk in, you are struck by how quirky and fun this place is. Jeff is a collector of all things sci-fi and weird, and the small restaurant is filled with things he has collected along his journeys. I had as much fun looking at all the stuff as I did drinking the cider.
Both Jeff and Terri are incredibly helpful when it comes to picking out what you want to try. What I ended up doing was a flight of ciders plus one for good luck. As you look at the photo, I did the rainbow followed by the pot of gold underneath it.
1. In-CORE-Rigible: LAB's best seller and becoming more available all the time. While I was there, I overheard Jeff saying that one of their distributors just tripled the monthly order which is great for the bottom line, but ties up the vats for experimentation. The customer's response made me laugh out loud, "just get another vat."
I loved this one and would drink it all summer long. Tart and full of apple flavor without being sickly sweet or too sour. I'm thinking I may have to take some to drink on the beach during some hot August afternoon.
2. The-Light-Cide(r): A little too light for me. A nice one if you are new to cider and want to try it, but it lacked the depth of apple flavor that the one above had.
3. Cinnical (Seasonal): You know when you take a first sip of something and you just know that your life will never be the same again? This may be one of the greatest drinks I have ever held in my hand. Originally created for the winter holidays, this cider tastes exactly like apple pie. I mean, exactly.
This would be fabulous as "dessert' instead of a real slice of pie when you have already had too much to eat. It's not just me. This cider was the Cider Craft Magazine Gold Medal winner.
4. Cherry-ots-of-Fire: Not for me. The combination of the cherry and the apple just didn't work and it all tasted a bit like medicine to me.
5. Deeply-Rooted: If you like root beer, this is the cider for you. I was a tad skeptical about how it would taste, but it works. I wouldn't drink gallons of the stuff, but it is a nice change of pace from pure apple.
6. The-Dark-Cide(r): Lovely cider that tastes sweeter than you would expect from something so dark. I enjoyed it a great deal, but it is a tad heavy which means a little goes a long way.
The only negative comment I have about the entire evening is the seating. Customers sit on hard metal stools pulled up to barrels. While that is fine for a while, after about an hour I was very uncomfortable. It didn't stop me from enjoying my drinks or making friends with the couple who were at the next table (these days, it felt like shouting distance). Larry and Michelle told me they come twice a month from forty miles away and take growlers home with them when they leave. Now, that's a fan.
I am very glad I found this place and I will be back, probably in the summer when I can have that ice cold drink sitting outside in the heat again.
Liquid Alchemy Beverages
28 Brookside Drive
Wilmington, 19804
No comments:
Post a Comment