PORT TOWNSEND — Cider is making a comeback, as evidenced by the inaugural Summer Cider Day at Fort Worden State Park today.
The event, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the park’s commons area, will feature more than 10 Northwest cider makers — including Port Townsend’s Alpenfire Organic Hard Cider and Eaglemount Wine and Cider and Chimacum’s Finn River Farm & Cidery — and also will provide attendees the opportunity to taste more exotic varieties from all over the country.
“People will be able to sample our local product, but they will also be able to taste more than 50 varieties of cider made on the East Coast that will never be distributed here,” said Nancy Bishop, Alpenfire owner.
Tickets to the event hosted by the Northwest Cider Association are $25 for general admission, $20 for association members.
Each ticket pays for 10 tastes and a five-ounce souvenir Northwest Cider Association glass.
Additional taste tickets will be available for purchase.
Cider vendors will serve more than 30 varieties and styles of cider.
Bishop said she hopes the gathering, which occurs simultaneously with the ending of Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, will become an annual event.
Summer Cider Day offers the experienced cider enthusiast — as well as the casually curious — a chance to sample a complete range of cider styles and flavors, according to its organizers.
Bishop said cider has become more popular in recent years after a long period of being ignored.
“A hundred years ago, cider was very popular,” she said. “It was what people drank when they got together. But when the prohibition happened, all of the cider makers were put out of business, and they are just now coming back.”
Winemakers often can’t use their own grapes and must import juice from other locations, Bishop noted.
“We can grow apples here, so our cider can be completely local,” she said. “Everything we sell comes from our farm.”
Trudy Davis of Eaglemount said that “a lot of people don’t know what cider is. I’m hoping that we can educate them on Saturday.”
Eaglemount makes several different ciders using pear, ginger and quince as accents, but apples must always provide the base for the beverage in order to be called cider, Davis said.
Cider has a clean, clear taste which can contrast it with beer and wine, Davis said.
Along with cider, today’s event will provide the opportunity for cheese/cider pairings with cheese from the Mt. Townsend Creamery and several food booths on site.
While Fiddle Tunes is in walking distance, Summer Cider Day will have its own live music schedule:
■ Noon — Clay Bartlett, country folk and roots music.
■ 1 p.m. — Daniel Macke, 12-string acoustic guitar music.
■ 2 p.m. — George Rezendes, country blues, ragtime, folk and roots-rock.
■ 3 p.m. — Abby Mae and the Homeschool Boys, ol’ timey music with Gaelic, blues and gospel influences.
■ 5:30 p.m. — The Morels, electric rock ‘n roll and blues.
Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/180886.
In Port Townsend, they also can be purchased at Alpenfire, 220 Pocket Lane; Eaglemount, 2350 Eaglemount Road; or The Food Co-op, 414 Kearney St.
They also are available at Finnriver Farm at 62 Barn Swallow Road in Chimacum.
For more information, visit www.nwcider.com/summer-cider-day.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.