NW Ciderfest Offers Hundreds of Ciders
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Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Jack Rushall, GoLocalPDX Contributor
NW Ciderfest wants you to know that fall has arrived.
Portland’s second official NW Ciderfest arrives this weekend from October 10th through the 11th and is taking place at Pioneer Courthouse Square. NW Ciderfest offers over 30 cideries, food trucks, and live music. Each individual cider vendor will have 2-4 options for attendees to try.
GoLocalPDX spoke to the Director of NW Ciderfest, Colleen King-Showalter. According to King-Showalter, the timing of the event is crucial.
“A lot of the seasonals that are only available at this time of year are going to be sampled at the event,” King-Showalter said. “It’s perfect for fall."
One major difference between this year and last year: the duration of the festival.
“This year it’s two days and last year it was one day,” King-Showalter continued. “We took the best of what happened last year and vamped up the VIP area. We also have more varieties this year, and we are even getting a custom bar built for us."
Additionally, King-Showalter had plenty to say about the advantages of purchasing a VIP ticket to the event. There will be exclusive ciders not available to other patrons of the festival as well as cider and whiskey cocktails.
“We even have trees being dropped off so there’s this whole fall vibe in the VIP area,” said King-Showalter, commenting on the VIP ambiance.
All visitors to NW Ciderfest will take solace in the retail store on site that will carry all of the ciders from the festival. “You can buy whichever ciders you like on the spot,” said King-Showalter.
If you are interested in purchasing tickets to the festival, look HERE.
Related Slideshow: 15 Places to Drink Cider
Move over, beer. There's a new sheriff in town.
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Bushwhacker Cider
A premiere entrepreneur of the Portland cider trend, Bushwhacker Cider offers great deals and lots of space. One of Bushwhacker’s specialties is its $4 flight special (e.g. four flavor tasters). Bushwhacker is exclusively a cider bar, which should place it on the top of your list of potential stops on your personal Portland cider tour. Bonus points: this bar also includes a patio and if you go on a weekday evening, the atmosphere is generally lonely, which is inviting by Portland standards considering the competitive bar scene!
1212 D SE Powell Blvd.
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Portland Cider House
Giving Bushwhacker a run for its money is this new SE cider bar, which has quickly become a staple. Ideally located on the Hawthorne strip, take a breather from all of your vintage shopping and stop by to test one (or five) ciders. Indeed, a “tasting tray” allows you to taste 5 diverse ciders for only 7 bucks. All-in-all, there are about 28 choices! Additionally, Portland Cider House will fill up your growlers too so you can take your cider on the go (as long as you don’t drink publically, of course).
3638 SE Hawthorne Ave.
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Portland Cider Co.
This one’s a bit of a drive. But in Oregon, many people are already on the go with day trips as a hot weekend activity. In Oregon City, one of Oregon’s best cider bars lives and breathes: Portland Cider Co. Located very strangely in a business park, Portland Cider Co. is still very amenable: its tasting room is open at 10 PM on Saturdays. Portland Cider Co. is the perfect joint to pitch your weekend tent and chill: there are many board games and card games for you to play while you sip, and bartenders allow food from the outside world. Have an indoor picnic?
275 S Beavercreek Rd, Ste 149 Oregon City, OR 97045
Photo by: grantmott.com
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1856
A bar and also a shop, at 1856 Beer Cider Wine you can take your cider “for here or to go.” Yes, 1856 is living the American dream: there are options, people. You can pick up specialty bottles for the road or sit and have a drink. 1856 is not exclusively cider as it is also a beer and wine bar, but there are plenty of pickings in all three categories. The ambiance is quaint and cozy and the staff (e.g. onsite professionals) will hold your hand through the cider selection process.
1465 NE Prescott St., Suite A
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Tug Boat Brewing
This joint is on the list for one reason: they permanently possess perhaps one of the greatest Oregon ciders on tap. Year round. That’s right, folks: Bend’s Atlas Cider Company’s blackberry cider is the staple cider on tap at Tug Boat. Drink two and you’ll be feeling pretty warm during the winter months. Not to mention Tug Boat is essentially a living room with many books, board games, and toys for mature adults to explore. Acquiesce your inner child here.
711 SW Ankeny St.
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The Growler Guys
With a fulfilling cider selection and a fairly small clientele, The Growler Guys is just low-key enough to be a highlighted member on this list. The Growler Guys will let you sample pretty much anything before you actually pay for it, and tasters are only $10. For your taster, try mixing and matching beers and ciders. But remember, you’re there for the cider.
816 SE 8th Ave, Suite 109
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Hawthorne Hophouse
Because what Pacific Northwesterner doesn’t love a combination of cider and poutine? Also a grade A restaurant (e.g. try the wasabi deviled eggs), the Hawthorne Hophouse has a solid selection of ciders. Make sure to visit Hawthorne Hophouse in April as that is their cider month, where you can test drive 8 ciders for 10 bucks.
4111 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
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The Civic Taproom
The Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop is a great place to drop by for a pint and sit back and enjoy the Timbers game. In other words, this place is one big couch. The Civic Taproom holds a whopping six ciders on tap as well as twice as many beers. For a place that is not specifically a cider bar, Civic Taproom has an impressive selection. Indeed, there’s a little something for everybody.
621 SW 19th Ave.
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Bushwhacker Cider Woodlaw
Woodlawn’s new NE cidery Bushwhacker Cider Woodlawn is the latest example of the burgeoning Portland cider trend. Expect an affordable taster tray of six ciders (at $12) as well as an impressive rotating selection. However, what sets this place apart is the food. Come here for dinner too, or at least an afternoon snack, and make sure you try the curried deviled egg (just $4 for two halves).
901 NE Oneonta St.
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Untapped
With a happy hour from 3-6, which provides $1 off all pints, Untapped is definitely worth a look-see. A neighborhood favorite, Untapped provides great deals on beers as well – especially past seasonal flavors. Want something affordable, comfortable, and tasty, cider fans? Check this place out! Now!
4320 N Interstate Ave
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Bailey’s Taproom
Bailey’s Taproom is a state of the art beer and cider bar that captures Portland's beer culture right in the middle of downtown PDX. There is a wide selection of beers and cider here and the best part: you can order Mexican food from Santeria across the street so you can mix beer with burrito.
213 SW Broadway
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Laurelhurst Theater
Cider and a movie, anyone? The Laurelhurst Theater dutifully carries cider on tap and has reasonable film prices to boot. This place is perfect for a date night for two cider fans: you’ll want to capitalize on the common interest! Yes, cider and a movie are still possible on a first date without you having to bring a stranger to your apartment. And this old-fashioned theater is much more memorable than Netflix on your Macbook.
2735 E Burnside St.
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Loyal Legion
With 99 beers, you would expect a place like Loyal Legion to carry a few ciders, too. The selection here makes Loyal Legion a beer and cider emporium. A couple of notes: all pints are $6 until 10 PM when they then convert into $7. Also, disclaimer: this place is CASH ONLY. And definitely check out the food, the folks on Yelp can’t seem to get enough of it.
705 SE 6th St.
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Paymaster Lounge
Can’t decide between cider or a cocktail? How do you feel about cider-based cocktails? Paymaster Lounge is an experimental bar with all of the Portland necessities: a nice outdoor patio, cool bartenders, and a “trying too hard” ambiance. Fairly spacious, you can spread out here too: there are multiple rooms to choose from so that you can drink according to your own backdrop.
1020 NW 17th Ave.
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Sweet Hereafter
Ok, so Sweet Hereafter only has 1-2 ciders on tap. But Sweet Hereafter is a Portland favorite and the ciders that are selected are always chosen with care and precision. Also, the cider is constantly rotating so don’t get too attached. However, the thing to write home about with Sweet Hereafter is really what you can mix and match with your cider. The menu is all vegan and extremely likely to hit the spot.
3326 SE Belmont St.
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