A Few of My Favorite Ciders from 2023

Cider outside of Excursion Ciders in Kimberton, PA

by douglas reeser, December 26, 2023

The year 2023 marked my first full year of making ciders for our humble little cidery, Excursion Ciders. Officially, we crossed the year mark in early November, unofficially, in August. In all, I made 58 different ciders over the course of 2023, and they were all over the cider map, although they overwhelmingly shared the distinction of being dry ciders. In fact, just one cider would be classified in the sweet category in any way, a special cider I made to commemorate the 94th Kimberton Fair and their infamous donuts. Admittedly, that Cinnamon Donut Cider with PA maple syrup was a hit, but my heart lies with the dry. 

With so many end-of-year lists filling my news feeds, I thought it would be fun to share some of the ciders that I most enjoyed making this year. The following 5 ciders showcase a bit of the diversity in style and experimentation that I employ to my cider making, and all of them hold a special spot in my memories of working in the Cidery this year. I've included the write up that I do for each cider, along with a short note, reflecting on why each cider made the list. In no special order....

Excursion Ciders Of the Wild: Aronia

Of the Wild: Aronia ~ Relationships are the founding basis of our Cidery, from the orchards and growers that we work with to the friends and neighbors we feed and drink. In this spirit, we are thrilled to be working with the Ursinus College Food Forest, a teaching project focused on a unique form of sustainable land management, one that produces food! The source of these Aronia Berries, they have focused on planting and growing native species. This small batch of cider was wild fermented (with our local yeast!), rested for 3 months, then conditioned on their donated Aronia Berries for an additional month. The result is a beautifully hued dry cider with big berry and wine-like notes, and a finishing astringency that leaves you thirsting for more. Cheers to our Relations!

This Aronia cider was not only fabulous, it also marked one of the most exciting collaborations that I've worked on. Patrick Hurley is a cultural geographer who studies foraging practices around the US and globe, and has been instrumental in establishing the Ursinus College Food Forest program. The program is doing some really amazing work, and I'm hoping this is just the start of our relationship. As for the cider, I used a heavy proportion of fruit to cider for this small batch in an effort to really showcase the fruit. A stunning red/purple color resulted, along with a unique berry character reminiscent of a deep complex red wine, and a pleasant and heavily tannic finish. So fun, and so good!

Excursion Ciders Of the Eye: Gold Rush

Of the Eye: Gold Rush ~ Our "Of the Eye" series of ciders are made with a singular variety of apple, designed to showcase the distinct nature of select PA apples. Our first in the series is Gold Rush, a variety derived from the classic Golden Delicious. The apples are from our friends at Weaver's Orchard in Morgantown, PA, traditionally pressed in our 125 year old basket press, wild fermented, and aged for a full year. The result is a beautifully soft and easy cider, with strong minerality, and flavor notes reminiscent of fermented white grapes. May you find the Gold Rush the apple of your eye! 

The Gold Rush was the first single varietal cider that I released, and it was a good one (Gold Rush is the apple). It represents a piece of what I'm doing at the cidery, making what many would see as more of a traditionally made cider. I only make a handful of these small batch ciders each year, pressed on our 125 year old basket press, then fermented cold through the winter, and rested for many months. This Gold Rush was simply fantastic, and inspiring. I'm hoping to add more of these types of ciders in the coming years.

Excursion Ciders Of the Hood: Amigos Viejos

Of the Hood: Amigos Viejos ~ Old friends can make the best things in life even better! In the spirit of those closest to us and the fond memories they conjure, we offer this delightfully refreshing cider. Fresh Baby Ginger grown by our old friends at B&H Organic Farm down the road in Morgantown, and Lemongrass grown by our friends at nearby Hill Creek Farm, combine to suggest the essence of the tropics with ingredients from right here in our neighborhood. A true "Of the Hood" cider, a cleansing and refreshing drink, and a reminder to enjoy cider with old friends!

Amigos Viejos! The concept behind this cider started as a beer. It was one of the first beers I designed and brewed professionally, a pale ale with ginger and lemongrass, and first brewed with a few dear and old friends that were visiting me at the time. The ginger lemongrass combo is lovely, delicious, and refreshing, and works wonderfully as a cider. The old friends theme is maintained through the ginger, grown by Erica at B&H Organic Farm, who I've known for nearly 30 years. I've made this twice now for Excursion, and this second batch was sublime. I hope I get to keep making it with the help of Old Friends!

Excursion Ciders Of the Farm: Perry II

Of the Farm: Perry II ~ Our second Perry! As old, and perhaps older than cider made from apples, perry is another traditional beverage from the Old World. As with our first, this batch is made with local PA pears from our friends at Weaver's Orchard. We then aged this one for a bit over 10 months. A light funky pear presence on the nose is followed with a classically rich, lightly sweet, and deep pear vibe going down. We're excited to be able to bring a Perry to the tap room, and hope you enjoy!

I've made a number of Perries over the years, and I feel that this, the second Perry for Excursion, was the best I've made to date. I'm lucky to be able to source some all-PA, all-pear juice each year for some small batch Perries, and I started making them while still at my previous brewing gig. They are a fickle, and challenging, and fascinating, and surprising beverage to make, and definitely a bit different than working with apples. I was able to make 3 Perries from the 2022 season pears (only one coming from the 2023 season!), and this one, number 2, was exceptional. Easy, rich, and filled with all the Peariness you can imagine. Just a lovely drinker.... 

Excursion Ciders Of the Hood: Smokin' with Daddio

Of the Hood: Smokin' with Daddio ~ a cider made with the help of friends, in honor of the legendary Daddio of Cherrymont Farm in nearby Morgantown. So many of us enjoyed the epic parties there, eating, drinking, and partying together, with great music, art, and tons of laughs. We made this cider with peaches from the farm, and put a whole bunch of them through our smoker. Then we added a touch of PA maple syrup, and some bourbon-soaked oak. The result? Something you've never imagined before. We hope Daddio would approve! 

The world lost a truly unique man this year in Patrick Radebaugh, better known by his friends as Daddio. He was a throwback classic who exemplified living the good life. I knew him for short periods later in his life, attending some of the many (sometimes unending) parties he hosted at his freak-filled homestead in the woods. I was honored when two of his closest friends asked me to make a special cider for Daddio, to be served at his memorial party. They then started bringing me bins and bins of peaches harvested from the old homestead. I wanted to do something different and unusual, something inspired by Daddio, and this is what I came up with. I'm not sure there's been a cider quite like this one, just like I'm not sure there's been or will be another quite like Daddio.... 

2023 was a great cider year for me, and I'm looking forward to what I coax out of the cidery in 2024. Cheers to Cider, and Happy New Year!