Sweet, easy-drinking, and naturally gluten-free, ciders are so hip right now. In an era where “gluten” is seen as only slightly less sinister than Satan himself, their sales have skyrocketed, making it one of the fastest growing segments of alcoholic drinks in the country. American craft cider has been enjoying something of a Renaissance these days — a market once dominated by UK imports like Magners and Strongbow now has plenty of stateside competition. It was only a matter of time before someone dreamed up a weekly flight devoted entirely to cider, and now it’s a reality: Peaks and Pints Monday Cider Flight: May 7 Edition.

Ferme De Beau Soleil Cidre Fermier Bio

5% ABV

Since 2002, Thomas Renouard has been growing apples on his family’s 8 hectares in Matignon, in western France. The orchards are full of traditional apple varieties, many of which were planted by Thomas’ grandfather. In 2005, he began the process of converting his orchards from standard to organic. ECOCERT awarded the Renouard orchards organic status in 2008. Today, Thomas Renouard runs a one-person operation under the Beau Soleil label (he’s the delivery driver, the cider maker and the sales staff all wrapped in one). Cidre Fermier Bio is big, earthy semi-sweet cider with a solid load of tannins that balance nicely with the acidity and apple fruitiness.

Schilling Grapefruit and Chill

6% ABV

In 1881, Colin Schilling’s great-great-grandfather, August, founded the Schilling Spice Company in San Francisco, with a goal of bringing pure, natural spices to everyone at a fair price. Today, at Schilling Cider, August’s core values are carried forward and paired with innovative cider-making techniques to produce quality and complex hard ciders that, according to media hype, is the number on selling craft cider with three taprooms — Auburn, Seattle and a 50-tap cider house in Portland — and retail in 20 states. Think about all that plus the fact that Schilling uses only 100 percent fresh pressed apples, locally sourced non-GMO ingredients, and individually hand-selected yeast strains with beer yeast rather than wine yeast (Schilling likes beer yeast rather than wine yeast for the malt flavor) as you enjoy this light, semi-sweet, smooth cider made with fresh-pressed apple juice, Non-GMO sugar and essential oils of lime, grapefruit, citric acid and hibiscus.

Portland Cider Fever Bark Tonic

6.3% ABV

Part of Portland Cider’s cocktail cider series Fever Bark Tonic, the cidery’s first one-off cider, returns whole Juniper Berries and Cinchona Bark to make a powerful tea that will cure what ails you, then blended in their classic dry Northwest apple cider. Zest lemon and lime his the palate, giving away to a tannic complexity with a slight juniper finish, reminiscent of a classic Gin & Tonic.

Tieton Cider Lavender Honey

6.5% ABV

In 2008, Craig Campbell and his wife, Sharon, began experimenting with making cider from dessert apples grown in their 400-acre commercial fruit orchards. Despite naysayers who warned that cider apples required a maritime climate, Craig also planted a two-acre test orchard with 25 varieties of cider apples. Today, their two-acre experiment expanded into Cider View, a 30-acre “high-density” cider orchard. In their commercial cidery, Tieton Cider Works, they blend American heritage, English and French cider varietals with dessert apples to capture the best of what each variety brings to the bottle: sweetness, acidity, tannin and aroma. Their spring-seasonal, Lavender Honey Cider, is a first in a series of selections that will be part of Tieton Cider Works’ seasonal draft offerings. Lavender Honey is made with locally sourced honey and whole lavender buds. The lavender in this cider is slight but it’s there and the honey gives it a great mouthfeel and balance.

Finnriver Sidra

6.5% ABV

Finnriver Farm & Cidery made a Spanish style cider fermented with open head space in the tank allowing exposure to oxygen, which promotes the wild vinegar bacteria that provide the pungent acetic nose these ciders are famous for. This cider carries acidity from tart culinary apples and a finishing astringency from a touch of oak. Fermented with oak and lightly sweetened with organic cane sugar. This cider begins with aromas of unripened olives up front, offers slightly briny notes on the mid palate and then finishes with gentle nuances of bitter oak and pine needles. Cloudy in the bottle and the keg, the Spanish generally take their cider un-carbonated and at room temperature; Finnriver bends a little and gives this a gentle bubble while allowing the lees to persist and deepen the nutty bitterness.