by Kerry McKenzie
The lights of the Philadelphia skyline shone bright on the rooftop of Bok Bar for the recent Austin Eastciders Fall Launch party. Austin Eastciders, a Texas-based cidery, was celebrating the debut of its line of four ciders in the Philadelphia market.
“Philly has built such a rich culture of craft beverages,” said Joanna Manzo, Austin Eastciders’ PA & NJ district sales manager. “We had 375 people come out to the party, and for a startup cidery to get that kind of turnout in Philly is huge.”
Each of Austin Eastciders’ four offerings is made with bittersweet and bittersharp apple varieties. The Original Dry Cider is clean, refreshing and easy-drinking with a slight hint of sweetness. The Hopped Cider has a floral aroma and bitter characteristics that pair well with the dry cider base. The Pineapple Cider drinks as if it was made for summer, but there’s no reason this tropical cider can’t be enjoyed year round. The Texas Honey Cider has a pleasant sweetness with deep notes of honey.
“The response to our cider across the board has been overwhelmingly great,” added Joanna. “Our ciders aren’t as sweet as others and people really seem to like that.”
They might do it bigger in Texas, but these ciders are a perfectly restrained yet complex addition to the East Coast cider scene.
Be on the lookout for the beautifully packaged 12 oz. cans of Austin Eastciders in stores on the East Coast from Massachusetts to Virginia, minus Delaware.
- Photos: Stephen Lyford