Earlier this spring I was in Saratoga, NY for the “Taste of Upstate” festival which was a showcase for regional beverage producers, as well as food artisans and crafts people from the area. Afterwards, despite all the nibbles during the event, I felt I needed a substantial bite to eat. Being just a couple of blocks away, I went to visit a pub, an old standard in the my stomping grounds. “The Parting Glass” has been feeding and quenching folks in Saratoga for decades, and never fails to satisfy.
There, I had a beautiful, hearty and succulent plate of bangers and mash, along with a pint of cider. I’d tasted enough wine earlier and was not in the mood for beer, so I chose to go with the beverage that has been growing by leaps and bounds in the US market. Cider is making its way back into the American consciousness, and I wonder just how long it will be before it regains it’s historical levels enjoyment. It’s gaining speed but modern cider is often missing factor that was once part of the formula…the tart and bitter heirloom varieties of apple most of which were expunged by avid law men with axes during prohibition. There is a resurgence in seeking out these old trees, planting new ones, or even bringing in fruit from overseas to fill the gap. Others try and make due by making hard cider from the sweet ‘eating apples’ that most of us are familiar with. Yes, it ferments into a quaff-able juice, but I often find those kinds a bit simple and not quite dry enough.
At the Parting Glass, Angry Orchard was on tap and while tasty, it was a bit too sweet for my palate. I asked the bartender, an older Irishman, if he had a splash of bitters about. He did not, but he understood my issue and immediately and suggested a splash of Guinness on top of the apple juice. It more than did the trick adding just a bit of earth edge and bite to offset the residual sugar in the Cider. I have since tried this a few more times at the Worthy Burger in South Royalton Vermont and at the Worthy Kitchen in Woodstock Vermont with whatever tap cider plus dark beer they have. It’s definitely a good option for dry altering the simpler draft ciders on tap for the masses. I will continue to test this any chance I get.
A Shandy is traditionally a beer and soft drink or apple juice mix, while a Snakebite is generally an equal parts blend of cider and lager or stout. I’m not sure that what I’ve been doing, or what that kind barkeep offered me, qualifies as either, but I’m open to your suggestions for both a name, and for local concoctions that fit the bill. I’ve seen a few other suggested libations in the category, and may need to engage in further research,
