Cider Competition Tips
Recently, I joined 70+ judges for the 13th annual Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Over 1,334 commercial and non-commercial ciders were submitted, and I had the opportunity to sample and judge 60 ciders and perries. The results for the competition were announced on Friday, May 25. I am overjoyed to announce that the two ciders I entered took home silver! “10:10” is...
A Final Toast to Blue Point Cask Ales Fest
Today marks Blue Point Brewing’s last Cask Ales Festival at its original location. Although there is a clear split between Long Islanders who are loyal to Blue Point’s brand versus those who argue that the company sold out, neither group can deny that Blue Point and their annual festival did not have an impact on Long Island’s craft beer scene. Nobody will ever forget their first time at Blue Point Cask Ales Fest....
Keep Track of Cider Pressing
33 Books Co., which produces pocket tasting journals for wine, beer, and cider, released its newest logbook, 33 Cider Pressings, at CiderCon. 33 Cider Pressings is one of 16 booklets published by Designer Dave Selden. Selden developed his idea for these books from his interest in homebrewing in 2009. “I had a beer blog, and I started getting invited to tasting events by professional PR [Public Relations] people. The next day I...
Cider to the Rescue Recipes
A few years ago on Thanksgiving Eve, I was prepping for my big Thanksgiving dinner and decided to get a few dishes out of the way so I wouldn’t feel stressed Thanksgiving morning. I baked pumpkin cake, threw together veggie dips, and whipped up cranberry sauce. But I managed to forget some ingredients for my cranberry sauce. The stores were closed and I had to utilize whatever I could find in my kitchen. So I grabbed an...
Homebrew Tinctures
When I first began home brewing, I always added ingredients in secondary to give my beer a kick of flavor and personality. With so many festivals so frequently, it was hard to get the flavor that I wanted by just dropping them into secondary for a few weeks, not to mention I always ran out of time. I decided to spend some time learning about tinctures for my cider and beer that would give me the flavor and scent that I needed. What is...
Sex and the Cider: Carrie’s Cosmo
Finally, my Cosmo-inspired cider completed fermentation and officially kegged last night! I have always been a fan of Carrie from “Sex and the City” and her fancy pink drinks. I give her credit for always ordering one without knocking it over. Since I know I’m not as graceful as Carrie and her Cosmos,I thought I would make a Cosmo-inspired cider. My version: “Sex and the Cider” 9% ABV is made of zesty...
2017 Hops & Props
Once again, I’m pouring at Hops & Props on Feb. 11 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. Last year Jason Scott and I brewed a 6% gluten-free beer, so this year, I brewed a cider instead. I had originally planned to bring my Cosmo-inspired cider, but it isn’t ready so look out for it at the next festival! If you missed my Instagram post, check out the ingredients I added to it. Bringing “Sex in...
More Beer: NY State To Let Homebrewers Go ‘Small Scale’
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state will soon allow homebrewers to rent out space and equipment at beer, wine and cider production centers, allowing them to take their hobby to the next level. The small-scale production centers were authorized by a new state law signed Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Previously, homebrewers were typically limited to what they could produce in their own homes. Under the new law, businesses interested in...
Busy Brewing
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted on here. I haven’t been outside the beer culture, in fact, I’ve been super busy at events and brewing this summer! I just finished “11:11,” a dry-hopped cider that I brewed with citra hop leaves. I’ve brewed this type of cider before for the Great Beer Expo (Belmont) last November, but I made a no-no and didn’t write down the recipe. Although...
2016 Hops & Props Festival
Words cannot express how excited I am to pour a gluten-free beer for this year’s Hops & Props festival (*Evening Session*), which takes place tomorrow Feb. 27 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. Hops & Props is a draft only festival and located at truly unique and historic venue. Since I’ve been told that the festival is one of the best festivals to attend on Long Island, I immediately wanted to brew a...
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