AS SUMMER’S UNOFFICIAL WINE, rosé has grown steadily in popularity. Its fans include Angry Orchard head cider maker Ryan Burk and his team, who experimented for years with elements of the wine’s flavor profile in a cider recipe.
It wasn’t until they came across rare, red-fleshed apples called Amour Rouge (Red Love) in the French region of Brittany that they were satisfied they had the key to Angry Orchard Rosé Hard Cider. The colorful flesh of the French apples that gives the cider its rosy hue is blended with six other apple varieties (including Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith), along with a hint of hibiscus, to make the unique, aromatic cider.
“We’re always playing around with recipes here at the cidery in Walden—Angry Orchard Rosé is an expression of the high-quality ingredient experimentation we do here,” Burk says.
Although the rosé cider can be enjoyed on its own, it pairs well with cheeses such as gouda and feta, as well as hearty, flavorful cured meats like ham and prosciutto. Sprout Creek Farm’s Toussaint, a complex and peppery raw cows’ milk cheese, is a perfect mate for the sweeter notes of the rosé cider.
Angry Orchard Rosé Cider is available at the orchard tasting room and at many wine and spirits outlets throughout the Hudson Valley and nationwide.