Some of the finest fruit comes from the Northwest, so it’s only natural that we would produce some of the best hard ciders available as well. Hard cider isn’t exclusively made from apples, and you have a lot more options than just dry and semi-dry. To help you enjoy summer to the fullest, we have gathered four of the best local fruit ciders, and we’re teaming them up with cannabis strains from all over Oregon. The perfect compliment to any summer afternoon is a cold drink, fresh buds, and the beautiful Oregon outdoors.
So… grab a spot, kick back, relax, and partake in some of the best that the Northwest has to offer. With summer supplanting spring, the Oregon outdoors are calling. We weather the storm all winter for these precious weeks of beauty. Make sure you get out there and experience it with good buds, and even better companions. We have a never-ending variety of ciders and cannabis to be found here on the West
Coast, so you can spend your summer exploring more than just trails.
Grizzly NW’s The Ridge paired with Bubba’s Gift
The Ridge has a light amber color and fresh smell. It has a clean, crisp, refreshing taste, and reminds me of more expensive craft ciders. Most flagship ciders don’t have this depth of flavor. Bubba’s Gift has a sweet, fruity scent. The flavor of the buds was a nice compliment to the bitter cider. Both had what I would consider traditional, be it exceptional, flavor. A perfect combination of good cider and dank bud.
Grizzly NW’s The Ridge is brewed in Milton-Freewater, OR.
Bubba’s Gift is available at Pipe Dreams in Lincoln City, OR.
Locust Vanilla Bean Cider paired with Lemon OG Kush
I was very intrigued by the thought of a vanilla cider. I love dessert wines and sweeter cocktails, and I was not disappointed. Sweet like honey, I didn’t get any artificial vanilla taste. It was very similar to a mead or a late harvest Gewurztraminer, sweeter even than most Moscato. The Lemon OG was a surprising contrast. It’s earthy aroma was not overly lemony, but definitely had a trace of citrus. The balance between the surprisingly sweet cider and the slightly sour buds may have been my favorite pairing.
Locust Vanilla Bean Cider is brewed in Portland, OR.
Lemon OG Kush is available at Tamerans in Merlin, OR.
Atlas’s Apricot Hard Cider paired with Chernobyl
This cider is a personal favorite. You will catch me drinking a bottle during every camping trip and at most barbecues. It’s sweet, light, mildly fruity, and very smooth. If you enjoy more flavor, try it at room temperature. This is when you can get a true taste of how good it is. Chernobyl is another flavor profile I’m familiar with. Its fresh citrus aroma was very compatible with the sweet apricot flavor. I felt a strong nostalgia for this pairing. These have become flavors that I associate with summer!
Atlas’s Apricot Hard Cider is brewed in Bend, OR.
Chernobyl is available at Herbal Remedies in Salem, OR.
Wildcraft Native Botanical Blackberry paired with Purple Afghani
This was not what I was expecting when I chose this blackberry cider; I immediately assumed it would be your typical fruit cider. There is nothing typical about this cider. The botanicals add a ton of flavor that you just don’t find in most other ciders. I’m excited to try the rest of the Wildcraft line! The color and flavor certainly mirrored that of the Purple Afghani. Very fragrant, both earthy and sweet; The strain was almost as complex as the cider!
Wildcraft Native Botanical Blackberry is brewed in Eugene, OR.
Purple Afghani is available at Cannabliss & Co. in Eugene, OR.
Master Grower: Ryan Marshall
