During a career in biomedical science and healthcare, Levi Danielson walked away to pursue cidermaking professionally in 2018. After a short stint working for cidermakers in Portland, Oregon, he moved to France for a season to work on an organic farm producing cider. Producing French cider and visiting some of the best cidermakers (and some winemakers) in the world has shaped his perspective and approach to cidermaking. He launched RAW Cider Company in McMinnville, Oregon, distributing large format 750ml bottles focused on cider and perry specific fruit, both family farmed and foraged in Oregon and Washington. Danielson practices traditional methods, mostly French, with a contemporary approach to attain clean, balanced, and interesting products. A light-handed approach guided by a solid understanding of biology and chemistry allows him to follow the fruit’s fermentation naturally and with little interference. On this Labor Day, Peaks & Pints presents an in-house flight of RAW Cider — a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Monday Cider Flight: RAW Cider.

Peaks and Pints Monday Cider Flight: RAW Cider

RAW Semi Dry

6.9% ABV

Traditional method sparkling cider made from a blend of Airlie Red and Karmijn de Sonneville apples sourced from family farms in the Willamette Valley and Kings Valley in Oregon. Bottled in May 2021 and disgorged in March 2022, this cider is semi-dry with a sweetness coming from Airlie Red apple juice added back in after disgorgement.

RAW Brut Nature

7.5% ABV

Traditional method sparkling cider made from a blend of Airlie Red and Karmijn de Sonneville apples sourced from family farms in the Willamette Valley and Kings Valley in Oregon. Bottled in May 2021 and disgorged in March 2022, this cider is completely dry with fine silky bubbles.

RAW Perry

7.2% ABV

RAW made their Perry from a blend of Anjou pears and wild foraged forest pears. The anjou pears are sourced from 50-plus-year-old dry farmed trees in White Salmon, Washington. The other part of the blend is sourced from wild seedling pears from secret places deep in the woods of both Washington and Oregon. Produced traditional method, with an in bottle fermentation producing fine silky bubbles, expect aromas of honeysuckle, white flowers, and biscuit, followed by notes of honey, red clover, and a hint of strawberry before a dry finish.

RAW Frequin Rouge 2022

8.1% ABV

A selection of RAW’s favorite French bittersweet apples, Frequin Rouge and Kermerrien, from Idyll Acres, in the Willamette Valley, blended with the red fruit character and acid of Airlie Red, a red flesh apple discovered in Oregon. This semi-dry cider offers residual sweetness from the Airlie Red balancing out the deep tannins of the French bittersweet apples, plus rich red fruit flavors followed by a mid-palate tannin with a smooth finish

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