Which foods pair well with cider?
Cider is still a new beverage for many people and when we think of pairing cider and food, many people aren’t sure the best way to approach this. Pairing, at its core, enhances the overall dining experience by choosing an appropriate cider for each course or a meal.
Often, when we think of pairings, we think of wine pairings because of the long sommelier tradition, but you can pair food with all kinds of drinks. Because cider is such a versatile drink, ranging from sweet to bitter, hoppy to fruity, and so on, experimenting with different artisanal ciders can be a great way to expand your pairings.
Why Pair Food with Cider?
When talking about food pairings with cider, most people think about cider they think about brands like Angry Orchard, not artisanal cider. Locally made, artisanal ciders, on the other hand, offer a different experience that rivals that of wine pairings.
If you’re a lover of fine cuisine, you wouldn’t pair your beef bourguignon with a $5 bottle of wine from the gas station! Artisanal cider, like fine wine, tastes different depending on the location of the orchard, the varieties of apples, and the cidery’s brewing methods.
So while you might love pairing your salmon with your Chardonnay to balance the fattiness and bring out the buttery notes in your wine, you may find that cider can even further accentuate your palette.
Where to Find a Restaurant that Serves Cider
Having said all of this, it doesn’t make a lot of sense until you use your senses. For those of you pommeliers who love food and drink pairings, you’ll want to start trying different flavors by visiting restaurants and tasting rooms with versatile, diverse, and affordable cider.
Pennsylvania is one of the budding scenes for cider revivalists, and restaurants, like Caleb’s in Peddler’s Village, Buck’s County, often host pairing events and offer guests a range of drinks to experiment with. They can also help you decide which ciders the try!
How to Do a Pairing at a Tasting Room
On the other hand, you could head to a tasting room, like Manoff Market Cidery in New Hope, with your favorite cheeses or dishes, and try out different ciders until you find your perfect pairing. Our bartenders can offer you a flight of ciders and recommend the best options for pairing your favorite foods so you can find a bottle that may be perfect for entertaining or a casual meal at home.
For the cider revivalists who want to know how to get started, here are a few ways to experiment with your next pairing:
#1: Match or Compliment Intensities
Meaning pair strong food flavors with ciders with equally strong flavors, and the same for more delicate foods and ciders. For example, Winesap is one of our more delicate cider profiles with hints of warm vanilla and oak, best paired with humble comfort food like creamy risotto and sage with fresh fava beans.
#2: Or Contrast Flavors
Similar flavors will tend to be harmonious, but you can also completely forget about that and pair opposites to find a delicious balance of flavors. For instance, chocolates like the ones from Pierre’s paired with a glass of our Barrel of Monkeys, aged in a Portuguese Sherry puncheon with hints of caramel, taste like the most luxurious adult dessert.
#3: Consider the Cut
When you’re deciding if you want to compliment or contrast your flavors, think about the heaviness of your meal. Heavy food, like a steak with creamy mashed potatoes and au ju, paired with something bright and acidic, like the Pink Lady, will balance the fattiness. On the other hand, it could also pair nicely with a delicate trout in lemon sauce to bring out the tanginess in your pairing.
#4: Match the Terroir
If it grows together it goes together. Not only the location, but also the season are key to finding complementary flavors. After we harvest our strawberries and rhubarb, this seasonal semi-sweet cider will be released for summertime sipping.
#5: Complete Your Pairing
An excellent meal usually has a balance of salt, acid, sugar, bitterness and umami. In fact, we can learn this with the help of Samin Nosrat in her book or Netflix documentary Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Focusing on the balance of flavor and the components that define a delicious meal are great starting points for developing a love for cooking and pairing instead of a recipe centered approach.
for those who love food and drinks, pairings there is a growing accessibility to cider that is versatile, diverse, affordable, and sustainable. A delicious cider pairing in New Hope to check out is Caleb’s restaurant in Peddler’s Village.
Join Us for a Pairing!
The best way to learn is to try, and to be perfectly honest, quality cider of any kind and a meal made with delicious local ingredients can’t be beat. At Manoff Market Cidery, our tasting room is always ready for cider lovers to try new combinations! To learn more about pairing ciders, join in on our next pairing where we can explore with new pairings together.
