Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope that your week is going well, and as it’s coming to a close, I wanted to share a new product with you guys: Austin Eastciders Original Hard Cider. Hooray!
I love getting packages. Love. It. I mean, that’s how I found my new obsession, Goldbely, so today when the UPS man stood outside my door, I instantly got excited. A package!! And when I took a look at it, and saw it was addressed to Slow Down and Savor, I practically squealed with excitement.
Inside the box, nested in some packing peanuts was a can of Austin Eastciders Original Dry Cider, a press release and some business cards. Sa-weet! So, first up, I wanted to share some bits and pieces from the press release with you, so you can get to know the brand along with me. I’d never heard of it, but I’m pretty excited about what they’re doing here in Austin!
Austin Eastciders launches first Texas-made canned hard cider.
Craft cider company, Austin Eastciders, now available in cans, bottles, and on draft at select stores statewide.
Ten days ago on April 14th, Austin Eastciders proudly and officially unveiled their first cider to be available in cans, Eastciders Original, which will be sold at select HEB groceries, and other fine grocery stores throughout Texas beginning in late April. In addition to the launch of the Eastciders Original, the craft cider company’s Gold Top cider is now available in over 60 locations on tap.
So what is hard cider? It’s said that it is the original drink of America pre-prohibition, and it’s making a comeback. Apparently, sales for hard ciders nationwide are expected to close at 100% growth, according to, get this, CiderCon 2014, in Chicago. CIDERCON… Like ComicCon… but FOR CIDER! Fantastic.
“Unlike other ciders on the market, Austin Eastciders uses bittersweet cider apples to produce a drier, smoother, more complex taste. Bittersweet apples, which were traditionally used for cider pre-prohibition, went out of use due to the destruction of many cider apple orchards during prohibition. Since then, the majority of hard cider has been made with eating apples. Eating apples?? There’s more than just eating apples?
Austin Eastciders brings back the traditional flavor of the ‘Original Drink of America’ with the use of bittersweet cider apples, which creates a delicious tanginess, bitterness, and much greater depth of flavor, with a refreshing dryness and astringency. Austin Eastciders is one of the very few cider companies in the United States producing ciders using these varieties of apples. Eastciders Original is a combination of American dessert apples and European bittersweet apples resulting in a blend of old and new world cider styles.
Eastciders Original is light, crisp and ‘easy-drinking,’ making it the ideal summer cider. Eastciders Original is 4.8% alcohol by plume and is served in a 16 oz can – the perfect format for packing along for an outdoor adventure. The can design is inspired by old Prohibition-era beer and soda brands.
Speaking of the packaging, I love it. I love the old world-style, and feel it evokes inside of me. I’m a sucker for stuff with simple colors, clean lines, yet somehow manages to instill a bit of boldness in there too. Big fan.
And for those of you out there who follow gluten-free diets, this cider is for you! Both Gold Top and Eastciders Original are gluten-free. The founder of the company, Ed Gibson, is actually gluten-free and so are other members of the team, so there was great motivation in creating a drink that was a delicious and desirable beer alternative.
The founder, Ed Gibson, is from Southwest England, a region where more cider is produced and consumed than anywhere else in the world. Gibson is a former musician and music promoter for various festivals and music venues before founding The Apple, an award-winning cider bar in Bristol, England, which was named ‘Best Summer Pub,’ by The Guardian.
Gibson first came to Austin, TX in 2010 and soon after dreamed of starting an English-style cider company in East Austin – the heart of the city’s vibrant, creative community. Austin Eastciders officially launched in October of 2013. Gibson says his cider is best enjoyed with the simple pleasures in life, “Good food, good music and good company,” – a statement that has quickly become the motto of the company.
A full list of locations where Gold Top cider is currently available on draft can be found on the Austin Eastciders Facebook Page. The Eastciders Original can and the Gold Top bottle will be available in bars and restaurants, select HEB’s, Whole Foods and other fine groceries in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and College Station, starting late this month.
But how does it taste? Check out this super awesome video with a live taste test:
Basically, it’s not too sweet, it’s deliciously tangy, and wonderfully smooth. The apple taste is strong, but not too strong. I really enjoyed it, and can see it being a super refreshing addition to our summer!
And if you want to read more about Austin Eastciders from some of my blogging buds, ch-ch-check out Full & Content’s thoughts from the launch party at La BBQ last week. Love the photos. Also, Ms. Amber Demure has a post from the same event! Check it out too.
