Cider is fermented from apples so it should be gold in color, right? Wrong. Rosé ciders pour pink and are made with crab apples. This sounds so ridiculous that we may need to buy a few cases.
Most ciders are fermented from apples with light, pale flesh that give them their golden hue. Rosé ciders, however, are fermented from apples with red flesh, such as a crab apple. Usually super sweet or overbearingly tart, these apples are often inedible, but, lucky for us, they make great cider due to their acidity and high supply of tannins.
For years, rosé ciders have been popular through the UK and the U.S. is finally catching on. Here’s a few we’ll be sipping on:
- Alpenfire Glow Rosé Cider: This cider also uses the Hidden Rose apple with a mix of raspberry and strawberry flavors.
- Redfield West Country Cider: Fermented in Massachusetts, this rosé cider gets it color from the Redfield apple.
- Uncle John’s Rosé Cider: This rosy cider is the first ever to be fermented from the Malus Niedwetzkyana apple. Don’t ask us how to pronounce that one.
If you can find these rosé ciders around you, try it. Don’t be turned off by the pink color (guys, cough cough), that’s part of what makes them so good.
What rosé ciders have you tried?