CATEGORY
Refrigerated Apple Cider
2007 ChefsBest Certified Award Winner
Zeigler's
What Makes a Great Apple Cider?
Often associated with crisp autumn days, apple cider is a favorite with all age groups. With deeper and spicier notes than straight apple juice, apple cider is a great drink at family gatherings, picnics and soccer games. You can also serve it hot during cool afternoons in the backyard.
Our chefs define high-quality apple cider as having an opaque appearance that is not clear like apple juice, a rich, dark amber color and a bold apple aroma. There should be no aroma or flavor off notes indicating poor handling or packaging.
Apple cider is in taste balance when bold sweetness is the predominant basic taste. It should also have discernible sourness, but bitterness from the apple skins should be low.
The strong apple cider flavor should be noticeably complex. It will have apple, musty and earthy notes that are reminiscent of autumn holidays and apple orchards.
Apple cider should have a heavier mouth weight than apple juice, but it should not be as heavy as un-pasteurized juice. Though sweet, cider should not be so sweet that it leaves a sugary finish.
Product Category Definition
The product judged was defined as refrigerated apple cider for the consumer market, not including apple juice, dry apple cider mix or other juices.
Other Leading Brands:
N/A
ONE-STEP IDEAS
Use instead of milk or water when making oatmeal.
After sautéing pork chops, add 2 cups of apple cider and a pinch of salt into the pan. Boil down to 1 cup and serve as a sauce over the chops.
Pour hot cider into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick to warm up your sledding party.
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TASTING
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FUN FACTS
- Cider was the most common fruit drink in the U.S until the mid-19th century.
- Apple cider is often made from several different types of apples to give it a balanced flavor.
- More than 12 million gallons of cider are made each year in the U.S.
The ChefsBest Certified Award is awarded to brands highly rated overall by independent professional chefs.
