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I’m just warming up to trying cideries in the same frequency as I do craft beer breweries. It’s a nice change of pace by having just a little something different instead of having back to back beer while doing weekend tours to places that are on the “to try” list. As I started trying cideries that I am a lot more picky with what ciders and cider companies that I like as opposed to beer. Lost Giants Cider Company was a cider place that was on my “to try” list and while I was glad that I gave it a try the cider I had here just didn’t quite match up with other cider experiences that I have had so far. Perhaps I should have tried another cider over the one I picked however when doing these beer and cider tours on a weekend one has to drink small so you can keep hitting all of the stops you intend on going to with out feeling ill. At Lost Giants I got their Graf cider which is a cider beer that was made in collaboration with Boundary Bay Brewing. Normally I really like collaborations between two companies but in this case I wasn’t too impressed with what I got. While there were hops that were noticeable overall I thought that the cider was fairly tasteless. But I did find positives to Lost Giant as well. The staff was very friendly and easy to deal with and the taproom had a nice clean and crisp look to it. I liked some of the decor as well. Especially the large horizontal picture of the various mountain peaks in the area and their names… the same peaks that we saw prior when we went to Artist Point to enjoy the views and scenery there.

Thirsty Joe’s Draft House – Menu with Prices – 3300 W Cary St Suite D, Richmond

If you are looking for casual food options but also want a drink… this is probably your spot. There is Zzaam where you can get Korean food and then Sweet and Saucy if you want BBQ…. there is also a drink/dessert spot Kokee Tea where you can get bubble tea, or ice cream in a puffle cone. Basically you can sit at any of the spots each little restaurant gives you a number if you ordered anything and they deliver to your table. If you want beer you will need to see the attendant and get a card so you can self serve yourself beer, cider or wine. Supposedly they cap you at 64 oz but as long as you are not wasted of anything they say they can override it if you get to that point. As far as the spot goes…. it’s very family friendly. Though I wish it was bigger than what it is. I also don’t get why a lot of beer places are going for bar chairs and table tops instead of regular height tables and chairs. That would be my only complaint not the most comfortable. Though where the food options are there are normal tables and chairs but limited. Plus if you get there around noon half the tables are difficult to sit at due to the incredible sun that comes through… it would probably be better if they get some blinds. The draft room has games you can rent it seems like since the attendant oversees it. We brought our own since we weren’t sure if they had anything to occupy our three and a half year old. As both my husband are beer, wine and cider drinkers you would think this would be heaven…. but we were both kind of disappointed with the selection. We drink just about all beer, wine and cider but we felt like the selection kind of lacked. Just to give you an idea of our favorite RVA breweries/cideries…. Strangeways, Hardywood, The Answer, Busky are probably our top places. I feel like if you are expecting something like any of the four I mentioned you may come out pretty disappointed. Though because of the food options and how it’s casual, both my husband and I said we would be back since it’s pretty family friendly. It’s nice that it’s not just one food truck option like most breweries or no options for food. So if you are hungry and are wanting to do some tastings definitely check it out. On another note… parking is kind of a pain since it’s in Carytown… definitely stinks in the winter. My bet is when it gets nicer, traffic will really pick up since it looks like they have some nice outdoor seating!

Lost Boy Cider Menu with Prices 317 Hooffs Run Dr, Alexandria

You know how they say all who wonder are not lost????? Lost Boy has been on my radar for some time now so I’d glad I finally made it here!! If you are lost when it vibes to cider you should find yourself here immediately!!! Cider choices are plentiful and you have two flights to chose from and of course singles and full glasses. If you are really undecided and are feeling adventurous you can ask them to surprise you!! The young lady who assisted us what great. We opted for one flight the Lost Boy way and one that was a complete surprise! All the ciders were great as you could taste the fruitiness in each one.. my favs were Amelia and the Pixie Dust!! Not just because of the stunning color but the flavor palette full bodied and left you wanting more!! Bottle Rocket was a surprise hitter because it was calm and smooth at first but end the it was sassy and spicy on the finish. As if these are not plenty of reasons to wander and explore Lost Boy, a pour is a full pour, to the rim pour, don’t spill it on your way to your seat pour!!! While they have no food out their own onsite they do have a healthy rotation of food trucks and you can bring your own food as well! The explorer in you can get lost and found and lost again over and over again here at Lost Boy Cider!!!

Hop Street Lounge – Menu with Prices – 7215 E 22nd St Suite 101, Tucson

The place is really nice and has a great vibe. I tried the beer flights but was not impressed by any of my choices. I chose all the sours, cider, fruit beer, and a few pale ales. I am not a big beer drinker so I thought my choices would be okay but I didn’t love any of them. Out of all my choices I liked the rose cider the most but still it wasn’t the best. I will be back to try the wine and some of the beers in the fridges they have. Its a really nice place but the beer flights just didn’t do it for me.

New Mexico Hard Cider Taproom – Menu with Prices – 505 Cerrillos Rd a, Santa Fe

I’m sitting here relaxing outside on a sunny day in Los Angeles. We are brewing and drinking some cider from a cider place about 2 1/2 hours away. They have great cider choices mind you but I can’t stop thinking of the dill pickle cider I had there last October. I luckily was driving back to LA the next day so I drank a few pints and got a 32 ounce growler to take with me so my fiancé could experience this wonderful cider. We drank and loved this cider. They had some other great ciders as well. A tart cherry as I remember. Great space, friendly staff. I miss it and the dill pickle cider. Hands down my favorite cider of all time. Maybe not for everyone but I love pickles and I love this cider. I sadly can’t find anything like it here and anywhere near ( 3 hour journey) me. Sooooo….when is the soonest I can drive there and it will be on tap?

Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop – Menu with Prices – 5815 College Ave, Oakland

I DON’T DRINK UNLESS I HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT Last December I went to a pub in Berkeley that specializes in sour beer. I didn’t know what to expect. At the end I wasn’t a fan of sour beer as it reminded me of kombucha tea I had growing up. About a month ago I went to this cider bar after watching “Hamilton” in San Francisco. I didn’t know what to expect when I went a cider bar. I had to admit I assumed cider would be those alcoholic ciders you buy at grocery stores. As I looked at menu one item that intrigued me was Gurutzeta, a cider from the Basque Region in Spain. I’ve heard that cider is one of the specialties in the Basque Region so I ordered that particular cider. In addition I ordered prusciotto sandwich. My approach to drinking is very European as I need something eat with my drink – whether I was in London having an ale with Shepard’s pie, or in Rome sipping wine with pasta, or in Munich drinking wheat bear while munching on a crispy pork knuckle. My first initial reaction when I sipped the Basque cider it had the bitter taste that reminded me of the kombucha tea. However when I had the prusciotto sandwhich it helped elieviate the taste of the cider. In fact I enjoyed my cider more with my prosciutto sandwich. My only knock is with a variety of selection of ciders I wish there were more food items that would compliment the ciders. The food doesn’t have to be heavy but something that enjoyable to drink with cider. If you want to have introduce yourself to cider drinking. This is a good place to start.

Bella Vista Beer Distributors – Menu with Prices – 755 S 11th St, Philadelphia

I can’t believe that I haven’t reviewed this place before- we love this business and were thrilled when laws in PA changed allowing them to sell beer in quantities more appropriate for home consumption rather than just large groups/distribution. The staff here are knowledgeable about anything and everything beer and cider related. The growler list is constantly changing and there truly is something for everyone- or if you’re looking to bring a “wow” to a dinner party, worth checking it out. The physical store is roomy- I can confidently tell you that strollers comfortably fit down all of their aisles and around the store as this is a frequent stop for us- and it’s easy to browse your aisle of interest. My husband is a beer guy and manages to find something interesting and a bit off beat here without fail. As a cider drinker, I love picking up something new with an interesting story as much as tried and true classics, the depth of their selection allows for both. tl;dr: This place is great, come buy stuff

Nine Pin Cider Works Menu with Prices 929 Broadway, Albany

Support local, support cute shops, support cool hang outs! I have never been to Nine Pin, really never had the cider much either, but mentioned going while we were at Druthers down the way and we all decided to go grab a flight. They have some parking but I can imagine it being hard to find a spot on a nice weekend. The outdoor area, entrance, tap room, everything is so well decorated, cute and inviting. I just enjoyed the feeling of walking in there with the bright greens and cool artwork. The staff was very pleasant and helpful in choosing a flight. I must admit, I do not like cider. Why did I want to come? Simple – Local cidery, good reviews, must visit! To my delight, they actually offered quite a few beers for tasting as well! I went with trying 3 of their dryer ciders and one IPA they offered. The flight was $7, not a bad deal. We sipped on them for about 30 minutes for our visit. Everyone’s favorite cider was the “Dark n Stormy”. It was nice they also offer snacks, such as hand pies and cheese plates. Very cool! I would like to come back to do some more tastings and enjoy the atmosphere. If you like cider this is a must stop!

TreeRock Social Cider & Mead Bar and Patio Menu with Prices 760 Biltmore Ave, Asheville

This is a tough one to review because it is in the category for me of “Did Like, Probably won’t go back”. My wife and I both like cider. They had a bunch of cider and the owner was a great hostess. She opened early when she saw us coming and gave us several samples. She was genuinely excited about cider and so were we. They have a great selection. The reason I say we probably will not return is that it is kind of a novelty place. Not a lot of selection outside of cider. Not a lot of food if any. Really recommend you give it a try. Wasn’t exactly our cup of tea, but it is a nice place with a cool vibe.

Liquid Alchemy Beverages – Menu with Prices – 28 Brookside Dr, Wilmington

Highly recommend this awesome little spot if you’re up for trying something new! We wandered in on a Saturday and found the place to be fairly busy. There’s plenty of outdoor seating along the side of the building, and inside they’ve got a bar as well as multiple barrel-tables set up with barstools. The decor was very unique and adds to the charm — make sure you take a moment to look around and take in the decorations; BF’s favorite was the giant stuffed white tiger with a wiffleball bat. (Similarly, the quirky names for their meads and ciders further suggest a great sense of humor!) We chose to sit at the bar where we were enthusiastically welcomed and offered a menu. We were helped by Jeff, one of the owners/founders, who was very friendly and extremely helpful in guiding our first adventure into mead. We were eager to try both the cider and the mead, and he encouraged us to try flights of each separately to really appreciate the flavors (which turned out to be a great recommendation). He guided us through our selection of meads for our flight, offering detailed descriptions of the meads and helping us to taste in an order that made sense. We wound up trying their Sweet Nothing (the basic, honey-forward mead), Red Cowabunga (cherry vanilla), O4 (billed as “orange juice for adults”), Black-302 (blackberry), Overly Hoptimistic (which is carbonated and reminiscent of beer thanks to the hops), and the Red-White-and-Blue (cranberry, coconut, and blueberry). They were sweet and delicious; I’d say the O4 and Black-302 were the highlights for me. After that, we switched gears to try their ciders. We did a flight of four, opting to try their Light Cide(r) (apples with honey, for a very tasty standard hard cider), Pineapple Experiment 13 (cider with a hint of pineapple), Magenta Dragon (a delicious, gorgeous light pink cider with dragonfruit, mango, and mint), and their anniversary barrel-aged Deeply Rooted (a flavorful cider with hints of root beer/birch beer that almost tasted like apple bourbon). I really enjoyed their ciders and wound up going home with a growler. I appreciated their option of a mini-growler, which feels like a more manageable amount to finish within the week. I really enjoyed our drinks and appreciated how the bartenders all made us feel like one of the regulars — greeting us with smiles and making sure we were well- cared for. We also learned that Liquid Alchemy is making its way into more and more liquor stores, including Total Wine recently, so keep an eye out and consider supporting this local gem.

Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery Menu with Prices 1506 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria

I bought a couple of cupcakes the other day from Smallcakes. I have actually been trying to visit since they opened but their hours are, frankly, terrible. I think it’s best to sum up the positives and negatives in a list. Positives: +Best cupcakes I have had in a long time! I really enjoyed the chocolate cream more (it’s like a 930 club cupcake or you could say, one of those Hostess ones with cream in the middle and thick chocolate icing) than the cookies and cream but both were perfectly cakey (not dry at all), very chocolatey for the cake portions, and sized nicely. + icing in general: the icing is my favorite part and I LOVED this icing. Not overly sweet but still quite rich. The chocolate icing was thicker and creamier while the cookies and cream was slightly more fluffy but well-flavored definitely with a vanilla base but hints of oreo. +Pricing: Each cupcake was slightly over $4 which I think is reasonable considering their size. I only ate 1/2 of one at each sitting because they are large and rich. I think there is a military discount because I was asked if I was military. Negatives: – Hours: how can you be closed on Sunday?! They are missing out on so much potential business given the amount of people that congregate in Pentagon Row on Sundays. Also, how can you close at 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekend nights?! Again, so much business lost! I can tell you too they definitely have closed before 9pm because when hubby and I tried to go there are 8:45pm one Friday night, the door was locked and the register person was counting the money. -Chocolate cream cupcake had less than a dollop of cream inside. If you advertise there is cream, it should be more than a tiny dot. Neutral: *The register person was not unfriendly but not friendly either. *I came at 7:30pm on a weeknight and the chocolate flavors (cake and icing both) were limited. They offer ice cream and coffee too. I will definitely return for cupcakes in the future and possibly for ice cream since there isn’t anywhere else for that in Pentagon Row. I just wish they would revise their hours to be open on Sunday and be more flexible with their closing time. Otherwise, I’m a fan of Smallcakes!

Kiepersol Vineyards, Winery, Distillery, The Grand Room & Salt Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 21558-A Merlot Ln, Tyler

Had a fabulous time at Vine Day. Was our first outing to Kiepersol Winery. Wine was wonderful the Winery was gorgeous, the staff was very friendly. Only downside to our outing was I called during the week to inquire about the tours of the Winery and Distillery. Was given information about times and cost along with tastings. Drove 2 hours and the tours were altered because of their event. What would have been the same price for both tours turned into 1/2 a tour with no tastings offered. That would have been something the staff should have needed to know when guest inquired before hand. We would have chosen another day to come for a visit. We really wanted to see the Distillery as well. Another couple in our group had called in advance also and was misinformed too. The lady brought that to our guides attention and our guide did offer us one tasting, thank you. I would highly recommend the Winery as a must see. Beautiful grounds. �

The Blue Coyote – Menu with Prices – 5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino

It’s not bad, but I would stay away from the food, not usually the best , the tacos are alright at a $1 a taco. The cashier/ servers are usually friendly and sometimes pour the beer just right, and if they don’t , They usually accommodate with a trial of another beer. They have about 6-8 beers on draft and I believe carry some cider beers as well. Too bad they don’t have a tip jar, come on management, get with it.