In the rolling farmland of Chimacum Valley along a salmon stream just south of Port Townsend, the Finnriver Farm & Cidery orchards stretch across 80 acres using more than 20 different varieties of apple tree. Their mission is to reconnect people to the land that sustains us and to grow community. They seek to create deep-rooted and fruitful connections at their farm-based taproom and rural gathering space. Finnriver’s farm and orchard is Certified Organic and Salmon Safe, and the company is a Certified B Corporation, seeking to make business a force for good. Finnriver also makes exceptional cider, thanks to head cidermaker Andrew Byers. Byers, a botanist, wordsmith, and Le Cordon Bleu chef turned cidermaker, has been managing microbial populations at Finnriver for almost 10 years; before that he helped produce estate-grown sparkling cider in cider orchards of upstate New York. He mastered an academic emphasis in fungal ecology and systems thinking/design to the forefront of his home cider production, as well as a deep knowledge of tree fruit. Bring your dictionary on Byers-led tours of the farm. Today, Peaks & Pints offers an all-day flight of Finnriver cider in a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Monday Cider Flight: Finnriver Cider.
Peaks and Pints Monday Cider Flight: Finnriver Cider
Finnriver Pear Cider
6.5% ABV
Finnriver’s small batch Pear Cider features cider fermented on the farm using 100 percent organic apple juice pressed from Washington apples. Finnriver ferments the apple juice and then sweetens it with organic pear for additional depth, sweetness, and flavor, although apples rule the nose here. There’s a certain bitterness grounding the pear flavor, pulling it out of the realm of single-note sweetness.
Finnriver Tideline
6.5% ABV
This cider is a thoughtful infusion of the Hama Hama hillsides and coastlines. A taste of two communities, trees and cider, flowers, and fruit. This is a botany of Hama Hama immersed in the fermentation of Finnriver. Made with organic golden russet apples, nootka rosehips, and Grand fir tips for smells of pine resin and earth, followed by crisp edgy citrus peel and a grounding, slightly nutty finish from the rose hips.
Finnriver Cranberry Rosehip
6.5% ABV
Finnriver’s Cranberry Rosehip version is a small batch seasonal cider fermented to dry and then blended with the juice of transitional and organic cranberries from the Washington coast’s Starvation Alley Farm. Head Cidermaker Andrew Byers then adds an infusion of wild rosehips gathered from woods and hedges around the Olympic Peninsula. Sweetened with unrefined organic cane sugar for added depth and balance, this holiday cider is lightly carbonated.
Finnriver Black Currant
6.5% ABV
Finnriver makes small batches of Black Currant cider year-round, featuring cider fermented on the farm using 100 percent organic apple juice pressed from Washington apples. They ferment the apple juice in stainless steel tanks and then blend with black currant and unrefined organic cane sugar for additional depth, sweetness, and flavor. Expect bright apple fruit balanced by berry complexity, sweet and sour notes, with a light sparkle and purple blush.
Finnriver Habanero
6.5% ABV
Made with organic Washington dessert apples, featuring seasonal varieties such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn and Gala, fermented to dry, and then steep with organic Habanero chilies for several days until the ideal balance of heat and depth is achieved. A combination of chili heat and tart apple, mellowed by a dash of sweet, makes for a cider that is both fruity and spicy with a fun, peppery tickle on the nose.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
