How to Host a Cider Tasting, From Prep to Pour
The holidays are a great excuse for a gathering, but it can be a little nerve-wracking to overlap your social circles, family members, and roomies in one place. You want to make sure everyone has a good time and finds common ground to spark conversation. We can say, from experience, that a cider tasting party is a fantastic ice-breaker for all the (21+) revelers in your life—and we happen to have a convenient kit to help you out.
Our Cider Club subscription boxes give you twelve Proper Pints of Portland Cider delivered to your door four times a year. But right now, you can also buy a single box (or two!) without the full subscription commitment. This will set you up perfectly for a festive tasting session with your guests—but the clock is ticking, so let’s get started!
PARTY PREP
Order your Portland Cider Winter Gift Box by December 8, 2021. Each box contains a 12-pack of 19.2-ounce cans, which is ideal for a tasting party with about eight people.
Print out our handy Tasting Notes sheets and Flavor/Aroma wheels. Each guest will have up to nine different ciders to try, so make sure you print plenty of Tasting Notes!
For added fun, make it a “blind” tasting by putting sacks around your cans of cider before your guests arrive. And then make them guess what cider it is based on their tasting notes!
Finger food is your friend. People will need snacks to cleanse their palates.
Welcome your guests in! Take their coats, ask them how things are going, try to remember their pets’ names...then pivot to CIDER.
LET’S DO THIS
You can guide your guests through the tasting experience with a few easy tips. Pour 2-3 ounces of each cider per guest, and you’ll still have a little leftover at the end.
Take a small sip, slurping just a bit to aerate and release the flavors.
Take a bigger sip, and swirl the cider around to cover your entire tongue. Notice the feel of the cider in your mouth; there really is a difference among ciders!
Compare your senses to the words on the wheel, make some notes, taste it again, and discuss! Judge to your heart’s content, make a guess on what cider it is, or just drink cider. It’s up to you!
Repeat with other flavors and consider the similarities and differences between them. Keep track of your favorites, so you can revisit them later.
Now you and your guests have bonded over this shared experience, and you’re ready to settle in with a Proper Pint all to yourself. If you had a great time, maybe you should gift yourself a year-round subscription to the Portland Cider Club, with all the perks of membership—you deserve it!
