Frozen Cider? Yes, Please!
This is the adult slushie you never knew you needed. Now flowin’ in our Houston taproom – enjoy two rotating flavors. We’re kicking off with two bangers, first up is Cherry Red Lemonade & the other is the CRISP Mr. Tea (Green Tea + Mr. Green ). Guaranteed to keep you cool on our patio!
City Orchard brings home five 2022 GLINTCAP Awards
Even before we opened our doors in 2020, we at City Orchard have been sending ciders to the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition (GLINTCAP). Held in my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, GLINTCAP has grown over the years to be one the most important cider competitions in North America if not the world. In 2005 the competition had less than 50 entries – in 2022 there were over 1,300 ciders tasted!
Mat Smith and I entered our first collaborative cider in 2017 and came back with a bronze which, at the time, was pretty exciting news for us. The following year, our first cider destined for City Orchard, Silver Tip, captured a gold medal, and ever since we have made it an important part of our product development process to send ciders to this competition. Now the cider-making team has grown to include Clay Watson, Paul Tenney, and Alex Bacio and we are thrilled with the progress.
This year Mr. Green captured First Place, Best in Class for Modern Cider and Orchard Blend #13 won a gold medal in the Heritage Cider-Dry category. Congratulations to the team for these fantastic results! Our two recent Cider Frescas, Plum and Strawberry Basil won silver medals, and our best-selling Lavender Royale and its “pet- nat” cousin Mellow Gold also came away with silvers. So I think that it was a good year for us at GLINTCAP.
Orchard Blend #13 is available only at the cidery taproom and our online store and our supplies are running low! We are always making Mr. Green and you can find it across Texas in many locations.
Buy Online
Where to find City Orchard Ciders
As for Mr. Green – this is one of our favorite ciders to make and one of the most challenging. We were first turned on to ciders made from Rhode Island Greening Apples by our friend and cider-making pioneer, Bill Barton of Bellwether Hard Cider & Wine. Greenings are found scattered throughout the New York apple growing region and these apples are one of the few varieties that can stand on their own in a “single- varietal” cider. Most ciders are blended from the juice of many different types but the Greenings produce a very tart and distinctive cider that we just fell in love with.
Like any wine, the characteristics of ciders change with the fruit that is harvested each year. And like grape wine, the region, and the weather play a very important role in the taste, sweetness, tartness, and color of the pressed juice. Even the age of the tree can make a huge difference. Since we can’t blend the juice for Mr. Green, each harvest and each batch can be different. So we’ll take this best in class while we can get it, but even if the batches change a bit there is always no doubt that Mr. Green is made with Greenings and it is always wonderful.
Speaking of gold medals, last year Mrs. Green won gold in the hopped cider category. Mrs. Green is Mr. Green adorned with Citra hops and it is a constant favorite in the taproom. Our inside joke now is that Mr. and Mrs. Green is a true power couple!
While Mr. Green is a core perennial for us, Mrs.Green is now made in smaller, seasonal batches to make sure that the hoppy character in the cider stays fresh. There is really
no season for Mrs. Green – we make it when we feel like it! We just made a new small batch at the end of May for the taproom and for select on-premise, on-tap customers.
We’ll feature these watering holes soon in another blog. In the meantime come out to the cidery and enjoy some award-winning ciders.
GOLD at GLINTCAP๐ฅ
We have VERY exciting news from GLINTCAP!
What’s GLINTCAP? It’s the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry competition, which is like the Oscars of the cider world: the most prestigious, and largest, cider competition in the United States.
And at the 2021 event, which took place at the end of July in Grand Rapids, MI, City Orchard picked up *14* medals!
Here’s what our team won:
๐ GOLD
Mrs. Green – Hopped Cider
๐ฅ SILVER
Block 19 – Heritage Cider Orchard Blend #10 – Heritage Cider, Dry Orchard Blend #12 – Heritage Cider, Dry Batch 144 – Fruit Cider Cherry Red – Fruit Cider Lavender Royale – Botanical Cider High Summer – Specialty Cider and Perry June Drop – Specialty Cider and Perry North Rose – Specialty Cider and Perry Mr. Green – Modern Cider, Dry Silver Tip – Modern Cider, Dry
๐ฅ BRONZE
Orchard Blend #11 – Heritage Cider, Dry Sweet Solstice – Ice Cider
Cheers to our team! And cheers to all of you! ๐ ๐ป ๐
Don’t Drink Green – PARTY with GREEN! ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ
๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐e๐? ๐ฟ๐๐๐รฉ! ๐ผ๐. & ๐ผ๐๐. ๐ถ๐๐๐๐? ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
๐ Green beer? We’ll pass. ๐คฎ The only green we need to celebrate this year is the Rhode Island Greening apple, thank you very much! ๐๐ฅ๐
Cool, crisp, and conveniently canned, our spring release, from our 2020 harvest, Mr. & Mrs. Green ciders are here!
Don’t miss them in the Taproom (on draft, too!) or to go (Cide-Car sale gives you 10% off all March!) ๐ค
Super crushable this cider was made for spring patio parties. So, naturally, we’re celebrating with a Mr. & Mrs. Green Release Party this St. Patrick’s day. ๐
Join us Wednesday, March 17th ๐ , & enjoy $2 bucks off carafes of Mr. & Mrs. Green
ALL ๐DANG ๐ DAY!
Plus pick up a couple of 4-packs of either Green and go home with the *super snazzy* koozie!
So make your beer-drinking friends green with envy, and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with City Orchard! โ๏ธ๐โ๏ธ
Wanna celebrate with a solid (not green) stout? We’ve got out City Stout also on draft for a buck off all day!
The only Green we’re drinking this March, Mr. & Mrs. Green are back! ๐
Fresh cider drop alert! Our first release from our 2020 harvest is HERE and available
NOW at our Taproom!
๐ Mr. & Mrs. Green are back! ๐
Both Mr. & Mrs. are single-varietal ciders made from the illustrious Rhode Island Greening. This American heirloom apple dates back to the 17th century, making it one of the world’s oldest cultivated varietals!
๐ฉ Mr. Green is a uniquely bright, dry, and perfectly balanced cider that’s lipsmackingly tart. He actually drinks a lot like a coastal Italian white wine with beautiful minerality and complexity. Enjoy blooming aromas of white flowers and melon, exotic citrus, and gloriously tart green apples from the first sip all the way through each elegant bubble. Mr. Green is bright and fresh with a refined citrusy finish.
๐๐ผโโ๏ธ For Mrs. Green, we took our Mr. Green base and dry-hopped her with Citra hops, adding a delicate, beautiful balance of apple and floral aromas. She’s lively, floral- focused, and citrus-forward cider that drinks more like a crisp and crushable aromatic wine. What can we say…Mrs. Green’s got style!
The Greens are that couple you’ll want to invite everywhere: for drinks on the patio, a dip in the pool, the backyard BBQ…to any party! Or weekday. Or whenever! But they only come once a year, so don’t miss your chance!
Three ways to get your hands on some GREEN: ๐ Stop into our Taproom for a glass of that good green stuff on tap! ๐ Score your green Cide-Car style – visit the Taproom to purchase the Greens to go!
(Psssst…you’ll also get 10% off Cide-Car shopping through the month of March!) ๐ Never leave your house (or your sweatpants) and order online from Vinoshipper!
So Fresh & So Green ๐ Green ๐
If youโve been to our Taproom, then you mightโve met this perfect pair. Now available on draft and in 12oz four packs, pick up Mr. Green and his audacious partner Mrs. Green at our Taproom and Cider Garden.
Both are single varietal cider, made from Rhode Island Greening Apples, an American heirloom apple that dates back to the 17th century – making it one of the oldest cultivated varieties in the world.
Mr. Green is a uniquely bright, dry, and well-balanced that is deliciously tart and drinks more like a coastal Italian white wine with beautiful minerality and complexity. Blooming aromas of white flowers and melon, exotic citrus, and ripe mouth-watering gloriously tart green apples. He is further elevated by an elegant fineness of bubbles, a rich freshness, and long citrus finish.
For Mrs. Green, we took our Mr. Green base and dry-hopped her with Citra hops, adding a delicate fragrance that wafts on the nose to create a beautiful balance of
apple and floral aromas. Sheโs lively, floral focused, and citrus-forward cider that drinks more like a crisp and crushable aromatic wine.
This refined couple is the most refreshing patio pounders youโll savor all Summer long. Enjoy in the can at the pool or in a wine glass at a backyard BBQ this couple will bring excitement to any party.