Expand Your Horizons With Far West Cider

Since the craft cider market heated up a few years ago, there’s been a trend lately in the segment to focus on terroir. In that respect, few makers can boast the heritage of Far West Cider: all of the fruit used comes from a 100-year-old family farm operated by father and son in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Each of Far West’s three bottled products pairs great with food. Their best seller, Orchard Blend #1 is “a semi-dry cider made with GoldRush, Pink Lady and Granny Smiths,” cider maker Adam Chinchiolo tells AIROWS. “We ferment those with a Champagne yeast.” What gives it character is that they then age it for three to nine months, sometimes up to a year.

The team also make a Proper Dry Cider with zero residual sugar. It drinks almost like a Champagne or Prosecco and is perfect with fatty foods or cheese.

If an IPA is your favorite sidekick for a meaty sandwich, try their quaffable OB Amarillo. “The OB stands for Orchard Blend and we age it on hops for two to three weeks, a variety of hops called Amarillo,” Chinchiolo says. “There's not a whole lot of hop cider on the market. Often hops are used to occlude flaws. We are using it to showcase how apples and hops can work together.”

Pick up a few bottles for your fall tailgate party here.