Description
Angry Orchard has been making ciders for decades. Eager to learn more about the art of cider making, the team has experimented with different styles, crafting ciders for themselves and sharing them with close friends. After years of experimenting with different types of apples from all over the map and different cider-making techniques learned along the way, Angry Orchard came up with a really imaginative, creative recipe. Something different and special.
How does the cider making process work? Culinary and bittersweet apples are harvested fully ripe and stored for up to one month in porous plastic or wooden boxes. The sugar content increases as the apples age, which means more sugar to convert into alcohol during fermentation. The apples are then washed and milled to a pulp before the juice is pressed out. Historically, milling was done in a circular stone trough with a rotating wheel drawn by a horse. These days modern shredders are used, but the end result is the same—pulp that can be pressed into juice.
The pulp is then pressed and mashed to capture the juice. Back in colonial days, straw was used to contain the pulp during pressing. Today, electric-hydraulic “rack and cloth” presses are used to press pulp into juice. Wine yeast is added to the juice, which then goes through a lengthy fermentation process in which the sugar is converted to alcohol. During this time, the cider is wood aged, which adds subtle spice and vanilla notes.