On this day of Saturday, June 11th the year of 2016 I came….I saw….I cidered. Now, I’m not traditionally a jacked up apple juice gal but when I saw this event I thought I would give it a second chance. What with hard soda, root beer, and a plethora of other alcohol-infused delicacies making waves in the foodie universe it couldn’t hurt to see how far the cider game was expanding and innovating. Boy, am I glad I did.
Pour The Core
http://www.pourthecore.com
My friends and I chose to attend the session that ran 12pm-3pm, which took place at The Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. Typically, you find yourself elbow to elbow at these events. I attended a similar beer expo down at South Street Seaport where after standing on lengthy lines I exited with an awkwardly shaped sunburn and sore feet. However, the Pour The Core was delightful. There was plenty of room to move, little to no lines, and interesting cidervations that I would never have thought possible.
Did I mention that Applegate was giving out free hotdogs all day if you showed them your funky dance moves? Kettle brand potato chips pushed three bags your way including pizza, jalapeño, and smoked maple. No need to carbo load before the event, they had you covered! Check out the beautiful presentation near the Applewood truck with a gorgeous sunflower arrangement, folksy bandanas, and buttons for all!
Angry Orchard
http://www.angryorchard.com/
Angry Orchard had a pretty sweet photo booth where you could pose with their iconic tree and apple insignia and walk away with this too cool for school printout. My friends all grabbed at the box of apples that they also had for the public’s enjoyment.
Due to its prominent celebrity status in the cider cannon, Angry Orchard had the most options to choose from. I was very pleasantly surprised by their Elderflower. I prefer a bit of dry bite and generally opt out of anything too sweet. It was invigorating to find ciders that spoke to that. You can visit Angry Orchard and even take a tour.
This event did not only showcase cider alone but also had a couple of beer kiosks including Long Ireland, which hails from Riverhead, Long Island, and as you can see below, Neversink showcased their Apple Brandy and Gin.
Neversink Spirits
[email protected]
There was an entire area of jumbo games featuring Connect 4 and Jenga because go big or go home, amiright?!? Caitlin and Eric took their jumbo game of Connect 4 very seriously while I explored the Magners section. I do have to give a shout out to Woodchuck Cider’s Campfire Pancakes. It ACTUALLY tasted like a smokey campfire and I kinda really loved it. I inquired as to how they got that niche flavor and the response was they infused the cider with smoked maple syrup. Cider and syrup and camping, oh my!
If you find a Pour The Core in your area I highly recommend stopping by and redefining how you feel about that sweet, sweet, nectar of apples.
