Kopperberg's Pear Cider is great. Always one of the first things I buy to have as my pre-dinner drink when I visit the in-laws in the summers. I wish I could find palatable ciders here in local liquor stores.

The snakebite at one of my local watering holes is half cider and half Guinness. Makes for a nice summer drink.

Best ciders are from eric bordelet
 

Eric Bordelet

Eric Bordelet, former sommelier at the three-star restaurant Arpège, may be the ultimate example of how a wine-based approach to cider rules the roost in France. Many sommeliers aspire to eventually become winemakers; encouraged by the late renowned Loire Valley winemaker Didier Dagueneau, Bordelet turned his sommelier’s eye instead on the ciders of his native Normandy. All of the trappings of classical winemaking make their way into his ciders: old trees, low yields, and terroir all mean as much in the orchard as they do in the vineyard. He produces ciders at three levels of sweetness, all with a light mousse and apple, floral, and spicy notes. However, the highpoints of his portfolio are the “reserve” cuvées Sydre Argelette and Poiré Granite; the latter is made from 300-year-old pear trees. The Argelette is crisp and elegant, with an aroma and flavor of poached apples leavened by citrus and spice. The Poiré Granite is very Champagne-like and dry; the pear aromas are subtly balanced by citrus, flowers, and earth, and the finish is long and complex.

I love this thread! A couple of years ago, we spent a few weeks in Normandy, and had amazing ciders. Our favorite producer was probably Domaine Duclos-Fougeray (76440 Saint-Michel-d'Halescourt), an artisanal producer with several Medailles d'Or to their credit. Both the apple and pear ciders were terrific, and they also make an excellent calvados. Unfortunately, we can't get their produce here in the States. Here, we do enjoy the Bordelet ciders which are pretty easy to find, at least in the Bay Area.

A really excellent cider here in the States is JK Scrumpy. It's an organic cider made entirely on a single family orchard in Michigan. Normally I prefer drier booze, but this is somewhere in the middle between sweet and dry. It has more complexity than, say, a Woodchuck or Strongbow, but not as much as the great Normandy ciders. You can find it in Chicago at Binnys or Whole Foods for aout $6 per 22 oz bottle.

Else, Strongbow is my go-to mass market cider. I love Strongbow!

Woodchuck is what I drank in college before I acquired a taste for beer. Tried one recently. Gross!

A while back I tried Bulmer's Woodpecker Cider at a wine bar in New York City - very very good! ^

I developed a taste for Kopparberg Pear whilst in Dublin this year, but I can't find it anywhere in the states. :( Does anyone know of a place on the web that will ship??

Looks like you can have it delivered worldwide by this British place:

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/p...11203&curr=usd

I also found some discussion board chatter saying a couple bars in NYC have it.

I'm not a beer drinker either, but enjoyed quite a bit of cider when i was in Ireland a couple months ago.

I've made it a point to keep some in my fridge ever since.

I think my last round was Wyders Pear

I'm actually going to be in NYC the weekend of the 20th. Now I have a mission. :)

(And I'll have to just keep trying lots of bars until I find it. ;) )

http://www.halftimebeverage.com/brow...oz/4,1897.html

Check this out to help narrow your search:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...arbergs-2.html

@Missydarlin - THANK YOU!

@gfunkdave - you want me to narrow my search? What's the fun in that? :) I figure I'll start at Pony Bar and work my way out from there.

(Seriously - thank you!)

I've always had a fondness for Zeigler's. I guess it's a coincidence that it's made about five miles from where I grew up.

Crisp and clean, no caffeine. (Well, at least that is how I describe Wyder's Pear.) Refreshing but not too interesting. So, I like it ;)