New York Cider Company

PERSONAL INVITE: Join the Cider Club! - https://mailchi.mp//holiday-invite-join-the-cider-club-524

Hi, Everyone! We hope you are safe and well and finally enjoying daylight! If you are receiving this email, you have bought our dry hard cider in the past. Steve and I (Joseph) are contacting you now to say thank you and to invite you to join the New York Cider Company Cider Club (https://www.nyciderco.com/cider-club) if you haven't already! It's fun and an exciting way to see what is going on behind the scenes at our Ithaca, NY cidery. And, yes, it will help our small c...ompany sell some very good small-batch dry artisanal cider. That, in turn, will allow us to continue rescuing ancient abandoned apple orchards upstate; forage for wild apples; and work with wonderful local orchardists / farmers to grow beautiful heirloom fruit! Presently, we are in the middle of shipping our Spring 2021 release of three tasty ciders, including two of our new micro-batch Scrappy Dog ciders, which we make very little of (see Preston, the scrappy dog in the picture above). There's still plenty of time to jump in now. Here are some of the benefits of joining the cider club: * Receive a quarterly shipment of three of our favorite small-batch, "Members Only," experimental, or otherwise interesting New York Cider Company very dry hard ciders. (Generally, Club Members get to try our new ciders before anyone else.) * Enjoy our quarterly Club Members' newsletter about the ciders in each release and food to pair with them, plus an in-cider's view of life at New York Cider Company. * Receive DISCOUNTS ON ALL CIDER PURCHASES; invitations to exclusive cider events and online tastings; chances to win complementary cider, and a free gift for joining the club. * Early into the Coronavirus pandemic, we announced that NEW YORK CIDER COMPANY WOULD BE PICKING UP THE TAB FOR SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF SIX BOTTLES OR MORE.. We figured it would make people’s quarantine a bit more bearable, and we also figured correctly that it would help us move a lot of good cider that we were having trouble getting to market (as a result of the pandemic). Thankfully, business has picked up, but for now, we are still offering everyone this benefit. (And if you live in the New York City or Ithaca area, you may have the opportunity to avoid shipping charges entirely, by picking up your club release at local farmers markets or at the cidery itself.) * With each quarterly club release, you have the opportunity to add additional cider bottles to your club shipment. This will this enable you to get larger quantities of cider when club shipments go out, and you will be able to avail yourself of the aforementioned free shipping offer on 6 bottles or more! Please consider joining at nyciderco.com. Click on "Cider Club." And feel free to send your questions to the email below. Thanks so much! Joseph Steuer (and Steve Daughhetee) Cider Makers New York Cider Company Ithaca, NY [email protected] nyciderco.com (http://www.nyciderco.com)

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CIDER DIARY, PART 2: Yesterday, we told you about having to cease and desist from using the name Press Run for New York Cider Company’s micro-batch series of hard ciders. Francis Coppola Winery, owned by the Oscar-wining director, has the trademark on that name, and told us so (nicely). Steve and I (Joseph) needed to come up with a differentfunconcept: We think we’ve succeeded! Introducing Scrappy Dog, our new line of limited-release ciders. The name was inspired by Pre...ston, our own scrappy dog, who was rescued at the Mexican border and brought to NY for adoption. Aside from having a name that sounds coincidentally like Press Run, we thought Preston was a good mascot because we believe in rescuesof dogs and of abandoned apple trees and orchards. He’s also small, like the size of these releases (often only a barrel or two), and he has a LOT of character, like the ciders themselves. For the label art, we wanted something original, but not completely off-brand, so we commissioned the very talented Elizabeth Andrews @elizabethandrewsstudio to create this irresistible etching of Preston. Andrews, in addition to being an artist in her own right, also happens to be the print maker for the estate of Edward Gorey, who died in 2000, leaving behind hundreds of etched plates and collographs of his quirky, endearingly dark, images. Scrappy Dog #1 and #2 will be released to our club members this week, and then to our online and market customersfor as long as they last. We plan on releasing many of the often experimental Scrappy Dog ciders, as we develop them. So stay tuned. #dogrescue #thegodfather #edwardgorey #humansofny #drycider #followus #Ithaca #nyc

This is Margot @voilaitsmargot. She had a successful day of dog training class in Ft. Greene Park in BKLYN, and her owners stopped by to pick up a well deserved bottle of Moses Snook. #frenchy #ftgreenepark #hardcider

Who knew Mother Nature was such a Rubens fan? (Scroll to see what I mean, if you don’t already.) Anyway, Steve sliced these carrots up, tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and (a revelation to me) fennel and roasted them at 400 degrees until they were getting brown in his nifty new mini convection oven. Amazing. We thought the sweetness of the carrots paired sublimely with the dryness of our Moses Snook blend. #peterpaulrubens #rubens #FlemishArt #MotherNature #artandnature #carrots #nytimescooking #nyciderco #ithacafarmersmarket #grownyc #drycider

My new friends Alyssa and Jordan stopped by the McCarren Park Greenmarket in Brooklyn to pick up some @nyciderco dry hard cider for a dinner party they were hosting for a mother, a brother, and a cousin. I suggested our new gently funky Barn Swallow #2 and fruit-forward Smokehouse #2 to serve with chicken curry and couscous with pomegranates. Yum. When I met these two at the market a few weeks ago, we discovered we all went to Vassar College. (Go Brewers!) My excitement in me...eting them was only slightly tempered by the fact that we graduated nearly 30 years apart. I’m getting old. Here’s a fun fact (considering we are in the alcohol biz): Vassar students and the school’s sports teams are nicknamed the Brewers, because Matthew Vassar, who founded the Poughkeepsie, NY college in 1861, was a successful beer maker. Steve and I (Joseph) can’t wait to endow a college one day. Go Cider Makers! (Buy lots of cider y’all!) #schoolmascot #cidermakers #ithaca #buylotsofcider #McCarrenPark #GrowNYC #IthacaFarmersMarket #smallbusiness #drinklocal #endowcolleges

April Somboun, who is running to be the first woman and working mom to represent District 33 on the City Council of NYC, stopped by to pick up some @nyciderco hard cider during a long day of canvassing in McCarren Park, Brooklyn. I do not know April and didn’t know she was running for office until she tagged me with this photo. Though I (Joseph) do not vote in NYC, I’m a compulsive reporter (vestiges of Career 1 in journalism), so I googled April. Turns out, she has an inspir...ing story: a Lao immigrant; born to a single teenage mom in a Thai refugee camp; came to America as a child; grew up on food stamps in Section 8 housing; went to college; got good jobs; worked hard; presently married; raising young kids in Brooklyn; wants to give back to the community particularly now as she witnesses people (particularly immigrants) struggling to live the American Dream she has. Cheers April! Good luckand thanks for giving a damn. #givingback #community #nyc #bklyn #communitypolitics #grownyc #ithacafarmersmarket See more

It’s a great day for very dry hard cider! Pick up cool ones at the Grand Army Plaza, McCarren Park, and Fort Greene Greenmarkets in Brooklyn. Or stop by the Ithaca Farmers’ Market in the Finger Lakes. And please follow us @nyciderco

Regulars Matt, Taylor, and wee Sydney stopped by the McCarren Park Greenmarket in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and picked up 2 advance bottles of @nyciderco dry, gently funky Barn Swallow #2. We will be selling it widely in a couple of weeks. If you get to market early enough you may be able to pick some up now, however. #funkycider #hardcider #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #nyc #bklyn

We orchardists in the Finger Lakes are hugging our apple trees this weekafter temperatures dipped into the mid-20s. A late spring freeze could literally nip a year’s fruit prospects in the bud. No apples, no hard cider. Thankfully, the buds on trees in the ancient orchard out back appear to be on their way to a bloom. Thank you, Mother Nature. (And thanks, Leah, for this picture, which is much cheerier than the bleak one we posted a few days ago.) #springfreeze #ithaca #fingerlakes #mothernature #appletrees #humansofny #appletreesofny

Ventured to Memphis (my home town) to see family, most of whom I haven’t seen since Christmas 2019. My sister, Kathy, a club member, has been keen on creating a cocktail using @nyciderco cider, which is very dry and sparkling. I (Joseph) am usually a traditionalist when it comes to cider. I don’t tend to mix it with anything but good company (or at least that was the pre-Covid m.o.). But Kathy has succeeded with her riff on the French 75, a 1920s tipple containing gin, lemon... juice, simple syrup, and topped with champagne. Kathy’s cocktail, which she dubs the American 75, contains 2 ounces rye; 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice; and 3/4 ounce maple syrup (or to taste). Shake that with ice; strain into your favorite glass; top with 2-3 ounces of New York Cider Company hard cider; and garnish with a lemon twist. As you can see, the American 75 is refreshing on a cool southern night by a fire pit. And family helps. So do friends. Just remember to socially distance. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. #cidercocktail #hardcider #Memphis #Ithaca #ny #socialdistance #drycider #family #friends

The chickens love apples too! #chickensofinstagram #harvest #appleorchard #humansofny #grownyc #ithacafarmersmarket

Ah, nature. Need I say more? Actually, I do have something to add. Steve and I are grateful to our @nyciderco club members and new friends, Elena ( @noirliske ) and George, who drove up from Brooklyn for a few days to help us gather apples during the (busy as always) harvest. They got to spend needed getaway time in nature, and we got fellowship and excellent company. We also had fun introducing them to some of our experimental and upcoming dry hard ciders. Thanks for this picture, Elena! Cheers to you both. #nature #mothernature #harvest #ithacafarmersmarket #grownyc #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #hardcider #hardwork

Thanks to my buddy and Cornell University Professor Rich Stedman, who stopped by with a woodcock that he and his faithful dog Hobbes had bagged 30 minutes before. His lovely wife Julie, who often helps us pick, said he always cooks it very quickly and simply: butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic. Whatever he did it was fantastic. This was a real treat for all of us who each got a bite on melba toast. Thanks, again, Rich. Yes, it went perfectly with our Smokehouse #2 cider. #woodcock #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #responsiblehunting #fall #grownyc #ithaca #cornell

Michelle (@mishy_mish94) is checking things off her list of fall season musts -- cider and horror movies. She plans to crack open this bottle of Smokehouse #2 while watching one of the "Hellraiser" movies. and promises to report back on this particular pairing. What movie would you like to watch with @nyciderco very dry artisanal cider? #grandarmyplazagreenmarket #grownyc #bklyn #ciderpairing #horrormovies #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #nyciderco

Sarah's (@sk_doyle) boyfriend instructed her to pick up **at least** 2 bottles of cider from us at Grand Army Plaza, but when I (Tricia) told her we had 3 last bottles of Firefly in the cooler, she was so excited to see an old friend, she decided to pick up one of those too. #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #firefly #thanks

Tien @raulaven, Andrew, and little JoJo visit me every weekend at McCarren Park in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Andrew says they often drink our cider with farmers' market duck; however, Tien is making Asian dumplings with pork and chives today, so that's what they will be drinking it with tonight. Not sure whether they will have the Mullein or the Press Run #2 (which they bought). Both will go great with that dinner! #dumplings #duck #nycider #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #lovelyfamily

Wanted you to see the wide array of wild and cultivated apples, we've been gathering at Empire Haven Nudist Park in Moravia, NY. And these are just a few of them! As I mentioned in my last post, there's no telling where you'll find good apples! Given the fun location of the trees, a lot of you suggested that we have a contest to name a blend of hard cider that might feature these apples. We think that's a paramount idea! Please send your suggestions! A prize (maybe a bottle o...f cider?) to the best name(s). And if we use the name, maybe an extra special prize! To make things a bit more interesting, please avoid the word, "naked." Another beverage company uses the word, and we do not want to risk getting another one of those fun "Cease and Desist" letters. (Don't ask.) Please send in your name suggestions! #contest #cidercontest #nyciderco #nyapples #local #wildapples #nycider #humansofnewyork See more

No telling where you'll find good apples. Here's a fine example: One of our customers finally convinced us to drive up to Moravia, NY to check out the numerous old apple trees at Empire Haven Nudist Park. Truly. Turns out that sometime before it was established in 1959, the 97-acre site was a large orchard. Thankfully, a good number of the original trees dot the property along with an amazing collection of ancient wild apple trees that have sprung up over the years. We have b...een gathering fruit there over the last couple of weeks and haven't made a dent. Yes, we were clothed. Though I love the whole Adam/Eve/forbidden fruit imagery, rooting around naked on hands and knees gathering apples seemed fraught. However, we're told nude gardening is quite common at Empire. Steve and I (Joseph) are very excited about the fruit we've been gathering--particularly the bittersweets and bittersharps. (These add a lot of complexity to a lot of European--and our-- ciders.) Thanks, Empire, for making us so welcome in your beautiful Eden! #nyciderco #nudist #oldappletrees #mothernature #Fall See more

Airing your dirty laundry in public is never a good thing. Airing your clean laundry, however, can be glorious. When I pulled into Steve and Leah's property yesterday (home of @nyciderco) after a drive from Long Island, I was greeted with this happy sight. Put me in the perfect state of mind to head out to the orchard to gather early ripening apples today! #cleanlaundry #nyciderco #humansofnewyork #grownyc #ithacafarmersmarket #cider #ithaca #upstateny #farmcidery

Harvest season has officially begun! Steve was just out mowing the underbrush in preparation. This makes gathering the fruit from these ancient trees so much easier. It also keeps those pesky vines at bay. And, the cuttings will eventually break down and provide the tree with nutrients. We had our best sales weekend ever down at the NYC Greenmarkets (which is saying a lot given we are in the middle of a pandemic and that giving tastes is no longer permitted), so I (Joseph) will be happy to head to Ithaca tomorrow to pick up more cider and to begin gathering apples. It's hard work, but so rewarding to spend hours crawling around in orchards, pastures, and hedgerows and filling bin after bin with apples! #appleharvest #ithaca #escapethecity #bklyn #ithacafarmersmarket #grownyc #humansofnewyork #appletreesofny #nyciderco

We are forever on a mission to find ancient apple trees that might contribute to our very dry artisanal hard ciders. @nyciderco is located in apple country, and we've been able to build quite a database of lost (and found) heirloom and wild trees. Often we get to save forgotten pre-Prohibition trees that are strangled by vines. And people call us all the time in the hope that their trees can be put to work doing more than just feeding the local deer or rotting on the ground. ...We are glad to oblige by gathering the fruit--and to leave enough for the Bambi family. If you are in upstate NY and have an old apple tree that needs to be rescued or you have a lot of apples that are going to waste, let us know! @davidvalesente , one of our customers from @ithacafarmersmarket , convinced us to check out this very happy old, old tree in his yard in nearby Lansing, NY. Have you ever seen such a grand old apple tree? And with such a massive trunk?! If so, tell us about it. Or send pics! And, David, thanks for the apples. Can't wait for you to try the fruit of our labor and of your tree! #grownyc #ithacafarmersmarket #lansingny #ithaca #humansofny #humansofnyciderco #appletreesofny #oldappletree #hardcider See more

High drama today! Preston (next frame) chased this adolescent raccoon (who is about his size) up our tree. Boy was Preston proud of himself. He was not the least bit happy when I (Joseph) took him inside so the critter could make its escape. What does this have to do with cider making? Um, nothing. Let's just call it another day in the life of a cider maker and his dog! #raccoon #dog #dogsofny #dogsofnyciderco #smallbusiness #humansofny #grownyc #ithacafarmersmarket #ciderlife #mothernature

Steve captured this amazing shot moments ago, while setting up his Saturday booth at the Ithaca Farmers' Market, which is right on the shores of Cayuga Lake upstate. Just thought you'd want to see it! #ithaca #eagle #humansofnewyork #ny #ithacafarmersmarket #mothernature #grownyc #cider #local