Eden Ciders: Boutique Taproom & Cheese Bar

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[no_toc] About a month ago, Eden Specialty Ciders opened a new taproom and cheese bar in Winooski, VT, just outside of Burlington, VT. While visiting the area for the weekend, we were fortunate enough to be staying just a two-minute walk up the road from the taproom and were able to drop in for an in-depth and very informative cider tasting with Adam, their Retail Director.

The building itself is gorgeous, and there is a retail store with an endless varieties of cheeses, dips, spreads, crackers, and (of course) ciders available for purchase, in addition to the taproom and bar. You can choose to sit at a table, on a comfy sofa, or at the bar like we did. In addition to nearly every cider that Eden has available, between tap, bottles, and cans, the taproom also has an elaborate menu including cheese and charcuterie boards, Eden’s own ice cider pickles, and much more. Stop by for an aperitif, a flight, full pour, or even a light lunch or appetizer pairing.

Heritage Ciders

We began our afternoon at the taproom with their Heritage flight, consisting of Brut Nature, Anxo 7 (Eden’s recent collaboration with Anxo Cider of Washington DC), Extra Sec, and Rosé, arranged in order from dry to sweet. All of the blends showcased the distinct, true flavors of each apple, without overpowering the palate with the addition of other flavors.

Cellar Series

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Once our flight was completed, we moved on to some of their Cellar Series, featuring limited releases from previous years. First up, we had “Cinderella’s Slipper,” a dry, still, unfiltered, and highly tannic cider with notes of green apple, rose petal, horse blanket, and granite. Next up in the Cellar Series was “Ezekial,” a single varietal cider made exclusively from Kingston Black apples, one of the best cider grown apples known to this region. “Ezekial” is then bottle conditioned to really draw out the flavors and allow the process of natural carbonation really do its thing. This cider was unfiltered and highly acidic, with notes of lemon, roses, granite, and pencil shavings. Last on our list for the Cellar Series for the day was “Guinevere’s Pearls,” an imperial semi-sweet cider which was my favorite of the Cellar Series. This cider was produced using Northern Spy apples and Riesling yeast, giving it an essence of apple pie…not your standard “apple pie spice,” but rather the more savory flavors of the cinnamon and nutmeg and dryness of the crust without any artificial sweetness. “Guinevere’s Pearls” tasted of baked apples, white grape, pear, and autumn spices, a must-try with the turn of this fall weather upon us.

Ice Ciders & Orleans Aperitifs

After the Cellar Series, we moved onto some of Eden’s Ice Ciders, followed by their Orleans Aperitif Ciders. The Ice Ciders are made by naturally cold-concentrating the juices of locally grown, fresh, heirloom apples in the cold of Vermont’s winters. These ciders are naturally very sweet, without the addition of any sugars or sweeteners. In fact, Eden’s specialty Ice Ciders don’t have any added colors, fining agents, enzymes, flavors, or preservatives, and usually take one or three years and over 8 pounds of apples to produce one 375 mL bottle! We were lucky enough to be able to try the Honeycrisp, Heirloom Blend, and my personal favorite of the Ice Cider collection, the Northern Spy Barrel Aged.

On the stronger side of things, you’ll find the Orleans Aperitif Ciders, similar to European aperitif wines commonly used in cocktails. These ciders are made from fruits and infused with herbs and roots, without the addition of any dyes, sweeteners, flavorings, or bulk alcohol. We tried the Orleans Bitter Aperitif, which was true to its name with a strong burn to the throat on the way down, making it the perfect substitute for whiskey and bitters for a twist on the classic Manhattan. Orleans Bitter Aperitif is made by fermenting cold-concentrated fresh pressed cider, infusing it with red currant, a tart antioxidant-rich berry, and blending with dandelion, gentian, and angelica bitters locally sourced from URBAN MOONSHINE™ of Burlington, VT. Although a little too bitter for my taste, I have enjoyed some of their other varieties in the past. For more ideas on how to create sophisticated Orleans cocktails that’ll impress your friends, check out this recipe!

Biodynamic Farming

During our time at the Eden Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar, Adam educated us on the concept of biodynamic farming, a practice that Eden takes pride in. To quote Adam, biodynamic farming is like “organic on crack.” That is to say that compared to biodynamic farming, organic farming is basic, simple, and much more “artificial.” Biodynamic farming really took off as it gained popularity in the wine industry in Europe. Biodynamic farming is very ritualistic, and at its greatest depth involves following the lunar cycle, planting and tending to crops according to the moon. However, in most modern applications of this practice, many of these ancient customs are forgone but the key aspects of cultivation remain. Biodynamic farming is a Paganistic style, requiring that no artificial substances are used on any of the crops. Its focus is on using wild, natural growth as food for crops. Think of having your desired harvest surrounded by a jungle of native green life and nutrients. This concept encourages growth to counteract the negative side effects rather than killing off something deemed as “bad” for a certain plant variety that is already there or has introduced itself into the system.

Another concept relating to biodynamic farming is that of dry farming. Dry farming is a huge part of how Eden Specialty Ciders grows their apple trees. Dry farming is exactly what it sounds like: farming without the use of added water. This means no irrigation whatsoever. The plants are not coddled, but rather learn to adapt to their surroundings and survive in the environment in which they exist. This concept results in more robust roots burrowed deeper into the soil, and therefore naturally stronger and heartier crops. Think of dry and biodynamic farming as a sort of natural selection, in which the weaker plants or species will die off but the ones that remain are bigger, stronger, and have naturally adapted to thrive in their native environments with minimal outside influence. It is thanks to these processes that the fruits produced by Eden’s orchards possess such a delicious flavor. We were able to try their biodynamically farmed Honeycrisp apples, and believe me when I say it was the best apple I have ever bitten into. Luckily, Eden’s Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar also sells them by the pound.

What’s to Come

The Eden Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar has been opened for about a month now and have had a really positive experience thus far. The regular taproom hours are: Wednesday 11:00-6:00 Thursday 12:00-8:00 Friday 12:00-10:00 Saturday 12:00-10:00 Sunday 12:00-8:00. In hopes of drawing a larger following, they plan to host educational events at the taproom. Be sure to follow @edentaproom on Instagram and Eden Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar on Facebook to stay in the loop. Events scheduled so far include Cider and Cheese 101, being held on October 10, Cider Apple Exploration on October 17, and Cider Culture: Tour of Asturias on October 24. Links to purchase tickets to these events can be found on their social media pages or by contacting Eden Specialty Ciders at contact@edenicecider.com.