First Impressions: Wildcraft Cider Works

Recently, I heard that WildCraft, a new cidery, opened in town. I decided to check it out this week.

The space is all dark wood - set in the middle of a very old brick building. A lot of care has gone into the decor, which feels neither too spare nor too busy. It's comfortable and intimate. My one concern is that there's little to no acoustic dampening - with a large crowd in here, having a non-shouted conversation would be impossible. Also, the space itself is set up a little strangely - upon entry, the bar and taps are immediately on the right, with some bar seating straight ahead. To the left and around the corner there's bigger tables, ending in a garage-style door which'll be lovely come better weather.

The bar seating, glassed off, looks into what appears to be a (for now) empty warehouse/staging area, with the small kitchen in one corner and some of the cider-making equipment in the other. Access to the bathroom is through this space.

But of course, none of this matters more than the cider on offer. According to the website, WildCraft's ciders are all-natural, with no added artificial flavors or sulfides. And I'm pleased to report that this commitment to quality has paid off.  Here's what I thought:

Hard Cider: This is the flagship cider. At 6.9%, it's not a drink to take lightly - though it's certainly very light in the mouth and very dry, with a sweet apple nose and a bit of acidity.

Plum Cider: While still quite dry and acidic, this cider has some wonderfully bright fruit flavor and a welcoming sweet finish that darkens as it lingers.

Pioneer Perry: Perry is what one calls cider made entirely with pears. This particular batch was entirely wild-fermented, with no added yeast. The result is a much more tannic, cereal-ish flavor (somewhat surprising, as i generally consider pears to be milder than apples). Despite these added tannins, the perry itself is sweeter than either of the ciders, especially on the finish. Each sip of this one was interesting, as new aspects of the yeast or pear would surface every time.

WildCraft is making lively, fresh, interesting ciders and perries that are definitely worth checking out. Be aware, though - the prices here are quite high. A pint of most of the ciders runs $6, with $5 for 8oz pours of some of the perries. 4oz flights are available, but also very expensive - you can get 3/$7, 5/$11, or all 10/$22(!). There's also some food available - it's focused on small plates and sandwiches, and is also on the pricier side. What I saw come out of the kitchen looked good, though.