New York’s cider scene is thriving. The state is prime apple country, after all, with a longstanding custom of growing and using traditional cider apples. Recent years have seen a boom in small-batch, artisanal cider-making; New York now has over 80 cideries across 35 counties.
The eighth annual Cider Week NYC, organized by the New York Cider Association, celebrates that scene. From Nov. 2 to 11, the festival will bring together 33 cider makers and dozens of local bars, restaurants, and retail shops for 10 days of tastings, dinners, classes, and other events throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. It’s the last installment in a series of Cider Week festivals in Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and Western New York held earlier this year.
Festivities will kick off at the Bad Seed Brooklyn Taproom, and end at the Bushwick Cider Market at Brooklyn Cider House. Highlights include the Lower East Cider Fest, a one-night takeover of New York’s historic Essex Street Market by local growers and makers showcasing over 100 different ciders; a tasting with heritage company Cider in Love, highlighting products made from heirloom, wild, or cider-specific bittersweet and bittersharp apples; and a five-course pairing dinner, crafted by Brooklyn Cider House executive chef and cider maker Peter Yi.
A full list of events is available at CiderWeekNYC.com.
