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Oftentimes, when people think of the PNW, they think of Washington and Oregon, but the hidden gem of the PNW is Idaho (shh…). Hailing from Garden City, Idaho, and owners of Idaho’s first Cider House in Boise comes Meriwether Cider. They’re an award-winning cider company owned and operated by the Leadbetter family—parents Ann and Gig, and daughters, Molly and Kate. They use Northwest apples and other PNW native fruits in their ciders.
I’ll be reviewing their flagship ciders as well as their cider-based spritzers in this blog, but they also have a ton of seasonal ciders sure to rock your taste buds. They had a huckleberry cider that was so popular they limited it to 2 bottles/customer and it sold out in ten minutes. If that doesn’t explain the sheer experience and talent behind their cider making, I don’t know what will! I’m very excited to actually sit down at their taproom and cider house when I get back out to Idaho.
Flagship Ciders
Blackberry Boom – 6.9% ABV and living up to its name, the blackberry flavor is BOOMING and I am here for it! Holding blackberry aromas with a deep heliotrope purple tint, this tart cider is a wonderful ode to the end of summer foraging and transition to autumn!
Foothills Semi-Dry – 6.9% ABV with a pale tint and apple aroma, this is a medium-carbonated cider with a bit of a bite to it from its acidity. The taste is a fresh, clean apple flavor with some sweet overtones.
Strong Arm Semi-Sweet – 6.9% ABV and this is adult apple juice if I’ve ever tasted it. It’s a straw color mimicking regular apple juice, full of sweet apple aromas and flavor to match. It’s a full-bodied cider with light carbonation and a sweet bite of crisp apple with every sip.
Ginger Root – 6.9% ABV and smells like you could expect ginger would—pungent, peppery, warm with a hint of lemon notes. I feel so healthy drinking this cider full of apples and ginger, so drinking one of these every day should keep the doctor away, right? Straw-colored with sweet ginger taste leaving peppery and lemon notes, this cider is better than I expected! I didn’t know ginger could taste so good, and I have to say I love the combination into a cider.
Hop Shot – 6.9% ABV and a surprise cider for me. I don’t mind hops, but I’ve never had them in a cider before. This cider holds spice, mint, floral, and somewhat fruity aromas all in one. On first taste, it is a sharp but surprisingly light citrus taste with some floral notes. It’s a semi-dry, slightly acidic cider that goes down easy and tastes delightful.
Meri-Spritzers – So far Meriwether has released two spritzers which is a cider-based hard seltzer! They’re low calorie, low ABV, and made with simple ingredients. No added sugars, just fruit, and both of these are DELICIOUS! There’s definitely a market for these and they’d be a great light drink for any adventure. The Rasp-Berry is packing a punch and tastes just like a juice box. It’s made of just raspberries and apples and smells and tastes just the same. The Lemon Ginger is also exactly how it sounds, apples and lemon with ginger floral notes
For more information on Meriwether, including new and limited releases, you can check out their website www.meriwethercider.com or follow them at @meriwethercider on Instagram & Facebook.
