Second Annual Washington Cider Week

SEATTLE— The Northwest Cider Association is delighted to present the second annual Washington Cider Week, a 7-day celebration of craft cider that kicks off on September 8th with the Cider Summit at South Lake Union. Washington is one of six states celebrating a Cider Week this year, along with California, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Virginia. There are 7 cideries from Washington that are participating this year.

Cidermakers in Washington have a lot to celebrate. Several of our regional cideries have won national and international awards for their traditional dry ciders and perrys, while new blends featuring black currants, hops, lavender and quince are giving cider fans plenty of unusual flavors to enjoy. Nationally, cider continues to be the fastest-growing segment of the beverage market. Hard cider, crafted from apples with the same careful attention that wine is developed from grapes, is naturally gluten-free, and makes use of fruit varieties that date back hundreds of years.

A quick sampling of Cider Week events:

• Cider Summit, a day-long festival at South Lake Union Discovery Center Park, featuring 23 cidermakers and food from Whole Foods Markets and Brave Horse Tavern.

• A gluten-free cider dinner at Skelly and the Bean, and a 3-course prix fixe cider dinner at Lecosho.

• Special ciders on tap at pubs from the Beer Junction in West Seattle to Eastside Club Tavern in Olympia to The Beer Shoppe in Yakima.

• Cider-themed craft cocktails make special appearances at bars and restaurants from Allium on Orcas Island, to TASTE at the Seattle Art Museum to Madison Park Conservatory in Seattle.

• Unique menu items specially created to pair with particular ciders. You’ll find dishes at Lark, Café Flora, Pike’s Brewing Co. and Carmelita.

• Cider gelato at Fainting Goat Gelato.

• Cidermakers from Alpenfire Cider will teach an Organic Homebrewing and Cider Making 101 class on September 12, and Rebecca Staffel of Deluxe Foods will close the week with a cider-inspired Pie Class on Saturday, September 15.

More than 70 separate activities and special menu items are planned, from Port Townsend to Spokane and Bellingham to Olympia; you can find the complete schedule at http://nwcider.com. For some events, such as the Cider Summit and the cider dinners, advance tickets or reservations are strongly encouraged.

The Northwest Cider Association is a trade organization formed by cider producers throughout the Pacific Northwest in order to promote awareness of regional artisanal ciders among the public. You’ll find member cideries in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Canada. Memberships are also available to individual cider fans, as well as retail shops, restaurants and beverage distributors. For more information, including complete membership details, visit http://nwcider.com. Direct media inquiries to Angela Murray – angelasmurray@gmail.com.

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