Asheville Area Cider is "Hard" to Resist

This post submitted by the Asheville Travel Blog

Did you know that North Carolina produces 80 million bushels of apples each year? (That's more than 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools full!)

Now, three new local companies are using an old recipe to turn some of those apples into Asheville's next hot beverage--hard cider.

Noble Cider was the first on the scene this past summer. They have already increased their production capacity tenfold and can be found on tap at several area restaurants.

Urban Orchard Cider Company followed up with a taproom opening in hip West Asheville this fall, and Black Mountain Ciderworks is close behind, with one variety on tap locally and work on their own taproom moving along nicely.

Dry or sweet, hot or cold, cider is a festive holiday treat. Mix up a pitcher of this fruity sangria for your next gathering, or sample some of Noble Cider's handiwork at their Wassailing Party on December 14. Cheers!

Hard Cider Sangria
Delicious, light holiday punch. Adapted by Joanna Baker of Noble Cider from Food & Wine magazine, October 2012

• 1 cup quartered and thinly sliced unpeeled green, yellow and red apples
• 1 navel orange—quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup apple juice, chilled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apple brandy
• One 22-ounce bottle (or a little less than one full 750 ml bottle) hard apple cider, dry variety, chilled
• Ice

In a pitcher or punch bowl, combine fruit with apple juice, lemon juice and brandy. Let sit covered for at least one hour and up to overnight. Just before serving, mix in the hard cider. Serve in tall glasses over ice.