An apple can make a cider that puckers your mouth, dries your tongue, or tastes like autumn poured into a glass. Finding the one you love starts with tasting—and asking the person who made it a few questions. On November 14, the NY Cider Festival offers that opportunity at Red Hook Cidery in Brooklyn, bringing producers from across the state together for an afternoon of sampling, conversation, and bottles to take home.
Now in its third year, the festival organized by the New York Cider Association is aiming to welcome over 25 cideries from across New York. The festival’s new home occupies a converted warehouse on the waterfront, part of the Red Hook Barrel Yards campus, with a patio overlooking the Statue of Liberty. Food and live music round out the day, but the main attraction is the chance to explore how much territory cider covers.
For Scott Ramsey, the association’s executive director, that breadth remains a revelation for many drinkers. “I love doing tasting events where you can literally see people light up,” he says. The discovery: somewhere within this expansive category is a cider that suits their palate.
Consumer knowledge is growing alongside that sense of possibility. During Ramsey’s six and a half years with the association, conversations at tastings have evolved from explaining cider itself to discussing preferences for dry or sweet. He reports that the category continues to show resilience, with growth in some areas even as the broader alcohol market faces challenges.
The association is also working to give cider a larger role at the dinner table. Its “NY Cider From Orchard to Table” restaurant pilot involves about 20 restaurants statewide, helping chefs and service staff introduce guests to cider’s range and its possibilities with food.
At the festival, two optional pairing sessions will put those possibilities into practice. A chef, cider maker, and a certified cider pommelier will guide small groups through bites and pours, exploring how acidity and tannins interact with different foods. Sessions at 12:30pm and 2pm are limited to 40 participants each and require add-on tickets.
Across the tasting floor, visitors can investigate everything from sweeter, fruit-flavored styles to dry ciders with tart acidity or pronounced tannins. Ramsey is particularly excited by the growing interest in single-variety ciders, which let individual apples—such as Golden Russet or Northern Spy—express themselves. Learning the differences can become as absorbing as developing a preference for particular wine grapes. Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote on a “People’s Choice Award” for their favorite cider at the festival.
“There’s so much of a New York story in every single glass of cider,” Ramsey says. Meeting the makers connects those flavors to the growers, orchards, and communities behind them. Purchasing bottles for Thanksgiving or another holiday gathering gives that discovery a place at your own table.
NY Cider Festival takes place November 14 at Red Hook Cidery, 185 Van Dyke Street, Brooklyn. General admission: noon–4pm; VIP entry: 11am. Food-pairing sessions require separate add-on tickets. Ages 21+.
