In The Glass: A New Kind of Red in My Glass – Anthem Cherry Cider

Every once in a while , a wine gal just has to have a cider, especially when the word “cherry” is attached to it.  Even more so when it comes from my home state of Oregon.

Enjoying Anthem’s Cherry Cider on one of The Barn Light’s outdoor picnic tables on a sunny afternoon in downtown Eugene

Based out of Oregon’s Capital City of Salem (no, Portland is not the Capital), Anthem’s (also known as Wandering Aengus Ciderworks) motto is “True to Form, True to Character,” and this makes me like this beverage even before taking a first sip.  It’s pretty simple: they take fresh-picked apples (some of my favorites like Honeycrisp and Fuji), press them and ferment them.  And what I love is that they go with the flow of each harvest, just like winemakers must do in the Pacific Northwest – each and every year brings us unpredictable and often insane weather patterns.  The Cider Masters (is that what they’re called?) take into consideration the variety of apple used, the terroir and climate of where it was grown and accent those characteristics to make a cider beverage that is True to Form, True to Character. 

The menu board at The Barn Light

Since my Anthem Cherry Cider came from a tap from downtown Eugene’s eclectic and unique food and drink joint named The Barn Light, I’m not sure what apples were used and where they came from; although, I know they came from either Oregon or Washington because that’s where they source all of their apples from.  I do know that it was one of the tastiest (and most beautifully cherry red) ciders I’ve ever had.  An apple-tart entrance simply explodes with cherry nuances about mid-palate, and those cherry flavors last through to a long finish that’s highlighted by fall spice characteristics.  Zippy natural acidity rounds out the cherry flavors, so it’s a really well balanced, palate-pleasing craft beverage.

Anthem’s Cherry Cider = Yum

This stunningly delicious Oregon craft cider is exactly why I’m in the process of building another website, one that focuses on the craft beverage movement in Oregon: oregoncraftbeverage.com.  Coming soon!

When in Eugene, The Barn Light is a must-visit. Great atmosphere, food, craft cocktails, beer, wine, and you guessed it – cider.