Hard Cider Revival: An Update

Thanks to Edible Philly for featuring us in Hard Cider Revival: An Update.

“Part of that new generation are Kerry and Risa McKenzie, who opened one of Philly’s first urban cideries, Hale & True Cider Co., in 2018. Like the Dresslers, they’ve been making cider at home for years.

They bought fresh apples from Weaver’s Orchard and had pressing parties at Kerry’s parents’ place in New Jersey. They’d drive back to the city and carry six-gallon buckets of fresh juice to their cramped, third-floor apartment in Old City and eventually, the space turned into a micro-batch cidery strewn with one-gallon jugs of fermenting experimental blends made with differing apple varieties and yeasts. Kerry took detailed notes on each batch they produced, dialing in fermentation time and temperature and getting to know the flavor and characteristics different apples impart on the final product.

‘Knowing what apples to choose from what’s seasonally available is built on those years of experimentation,’ Kerry says.

Now, they’re making cider in the city on a much bigger scale, which poses some challenges. They rent a pickup truck about every two weeks to drive out to Weaver’s Orchard and fetch more than a ton of fresh juice. Parked outside the cidery on Bainbridge Street, they run a hose through the window to pump the juice into the tanks inside.

It’s not the easiest setup, but making and selling cider in the same place ties into their mission. ‘Part of the reason we have this customer-facing storefront as the first step of our business is because we want to create an environment that’s comfortable for people to try out cider and learn about cider,’ Risa says.

At the taproom you can try modern ciders like The Standard, a bone-dry cider with apple aroma that tricks you into thinking it’s sweet; Lil’ Sunshine, to which orange peel and local honey are added post-fermentation; and a hopped, citrusy cider called Hail to the Hop.

‘Essentially our mission is exposing people to and educating them about the potential and diversity of cider,’ Risa says.”