Alchema: The Future of Cider
August 30, 2016Hard Cider Apparel Store Now Open!
September 20, 2016
Well, its been a few lonely days since the Meadful Thing & Outcider Festival 2016 in Indianapolis and, yes, our hangovers have finally worn off. The inaugural festival was a great success and the cider and mead was flowing! The festival was held in the Circle City Industrial Complex, the same complex that New Day Craft (the cider company running the event) makes their product. The choice of location was not only intriguing but also made a nice backdrop to the event. Typical beer/cider events feel familiar due to location, but this felt industrial and intimate with shade or sun depending on where you were standing. Music was playing out in the uncovered section with a few food trucks and booths.
There was a large variety of vendors (100+ cider/mead options) at the event pouring their delectable choices such as B Nektar, Oddball Fermentables, Star Cut, Ash & Elm, Blakes Hard Cider, New Day Craft (of course), and many, many others. Of the offerings, one of my favorite selections was the cherry limeade mead from B Nektar, reminiscent of childhood summer memories! Many cideries featured a special offering, but we will show an abbreviated version of out favorites below:
Imperial Breakfast Magpie by New Day Craft
The Tonic by Blake’s Hard Cider Co.
Sunset Tart Cherry by Ash & Elm
Hopped Up by Apple Knockers
The Muse by Angry Orchard
Erraticus No 2 by Star Cut Ciders (This was aged in gin barrels)
Appleseed Cask by Crafted Artisan Meadery
Blazin Pineapple by Gnarly Grove
Outside of the fantastic alcoholic beverages, there was a delicious array of food trucks offerings. In attendance was Gomez BBQ, which had a sauce featuring a New Day Craft base, as well as Caveman Truck and Cosmic Chrome Cafe. The most intriguing external offerings for sober drivers and coffee connoisseurs alike was the homemade soda and coffees from Bee Coffee Roasters. They brew their coffees with New Day Craft’s barrels for some of their processing. Actually, a few of New Day Craft’s offerings were make with Bee Coffee Roasters own brew including the Imperial Breakfast Magpie.
All in all, the event pulled in what looked like 350+ attendees which spells an extremely good chance of a return event next year. Let’s also not forget FACE who brought out some adoptable pets that seemed to find good homes by the end of the day.