“Oregon cidermakers are lovers,” says Emily Ritchie, the Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. “They know which kind of cider they love, they make the cider they love and they love sharing.”
With almost 70 cidermakers across the state, including more than two dozen new cideries popping up in the last two years, there’s a lot of love to share. That’s why Oregon’s cidermakers started Oregon Cider Week – this year held on June 20-30, 2019 – eight years ago: to share their cider, their expertise and their love.
This maker-driven festival celebrates the incredible diversity of Oregon hard cider. Some cideries, like 1859 Cider Co. in Salem, try their hand at old-world styles, using bittersweet apples grown organically in Oregon. Others are shaking it up with fruits and botanicals: Bauman’s Cider in Gervais makes modern fruit-infused ciders with apples from their century-old farm. Reveille Ciderworks in Astoria infuses their limited-edition ciders with spices and botanicals.
Wherever you travel, you’ll find Oregon’s independent and intriguing ciders on tap. Create your adventure with a new map of Oregon’s cidermakers. Whether you want to sip a little Bandon Rain on Oregon’s South Coast or sidle up for a cold one at Freewater Cider in Milton Freewater, you can find an Oregon cider to slake your thirst.
“There are so many new cideries opening in Oregon, and this map makes it easy to find them all. The challenge now isn’t finding great cider,” says Ritchie. “It’s picking which style you love!”
Oregon Cider Week is the perfect time to find your next favorite drink. Cidermakers and cider lovers in every corner of the state will be hosting tastings, dinners, festivals and events packed with hand-picked ciders. Try only the best at Loyal Legion’s Cider Cup Gold Tap Takeover, where only the Portland International Cider Cup winners will be on tap. Head out to wine country for a pairing feast on the patio with 1882 Grille in McMinnville. Or get heady at the Upper Lip in Portland with a panel on cider production and the future of cider in America.
Of course, Oregon Cider Week events are as creative as Oregon’s cidermakers: Get into punk/hip hop fusion at Cider Bomb in Portland. Share intimate cider-infused cooking in Hood River. Drink with your pup at a charity dog wash in Tigard. From the city-park-sized Cider Summit to an intimate dinner at Marche in Eugene, you can find an event to love and the cider that goes with it at Oregon Cider Week.
If you are ready to fall in love with Oregon Cider, find the right Oregon Cider Week event at www.oregonciderweek.com.
