“You get a lot of feedback: what they like, what they don’t like,” said Wilklow. “You put a bad taste in their mouth and that’s the last time you do that. You have to explain to customers that it’s not sweet, it’s not supposed to be sweet, and there can be variation. A lot of people appreciate that it is a little bit different because it’s a small batch.”
A new addition to the arsenal – a 400-gallon tank for blended batches – should contribute to consistency, but part of the fun of farmhouse cider are the subtle variations that remind us that the product is only a few steps removed from the orchard. There are good fruit years, and a varietal may shine in any given season. This year, the ciders were made from sturdy local staples including Empires, Ever Reds and Stamens. “It’s my mission to prove you don’t need a fancy heirloom apple to make a good cider,” said Wilklow.
Production is poised to boom at the end of this month, when early tart varieties will bend the boughs. Most Bad Seed ciders require at least a month of aging; those made with white wine yeasts can be bottled after three months. Belgian-style ciders require four to five months before they’re drinkable. Britton and Wilklow plan to age some batches in red or white wine casks, as well as bourbon barrels for a full-bodied sipping cider. Their ciders range from 5-6 percent ABV, with a 1.5-percent variance allowance (up to 7 percent). They are bottle conditioned and relatively temperature stable, holding cold for most of the greenmarket day when packed in cardboard boxes. These are the ingredients of a pretty perfect picnic potable.
Alas, we’re running short on picnic season for 2012 and Bad Seed ciders are not yet available to Hudson Valley customers. But by next spring, the ciders will sell to a few local restaurants and distributors. Look for the bottles with the black-and-white labels, marked with the ominous apple core. What’s inside ain’t sweet – but it’s the real deal.
“We really want to make ciders that don’t have a reference point,” said Britton. “Something you just have to try.”
Bad Seed Dry and Belgians are available in 22 oz. bottles, $8 each. Flavored ciders are available in 750-mL bottles for $12 each. Visit the Bad Seed Cider Company booth through November at the Fort Green Greenmarket on Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket on Saturdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit the company Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Badseedcider.
