Woodchuck Hard Cider is a HUGE name in Vermont. It’s pretty much a household name and MANY people in my area drink Woodchuck. It’s carried at almost every restaurant and bar in our area and for some of us is just as Vermont as maple syrup! I recently had the pleasure of working with this amazing Vermont business.
Woodchuck Hard Cider all started in 1991 with Greg Failing in Proctersville, Vermont. He began experimenting with apples in his two car garage. Woodchuck Amber was the result and it would go on to reinvent a centuries-old beverage which had vanished in the wake of Prohibition. By 1992, Woodchuck had spread out of the NorthEast and they began shipping kegs to a wholesaler in Michigan. In 1998 H.P. Bulmer of England, the world’s largest cider producer, purchased Woodchuck. They are now a booming business and a nationwide name but still very popular here in Vermont where it all began. They are still located in Vermont in Middlebury.
So you might ask how is cider made? It’s actually pretty simple!
Their brews include
Amber which was the first cider produced by Woodchuck and still uses the same recipe.
Gumption celebrates the spirit of P.T. Barnum(He once said “everybody drank cider-spirits called ‘gumption’.”) and pairs common apples with dry cider apples for a unique taste.,
802 pays tribute to Vermont and uses fresh pressed apples.
Pear which contains hints of pear flavor.
Hopsation which is infused with Cascade hops.
Granny Smith which uses Granny Smith apples that are tree ripened in the Yakima Valley of Washington.
Raspberry which contains a fresh raspberry flavor.
Local Nectar which uses apples from local orchards.
Summer Time which is a seasonal flavor that has hints of blueberry.
Fall Havest which is a seasonal flavor that contains flavors of apple, cinnamon and nutmeg balanced out with a hint of American white oak.
Winter Chill which is a seasonal flavor that has hints of vanilla and oak.
Chocolate Raspberry which pairs the unique flavors of chocolate and raspberry.
Cheeky Cherry which infused with cherry flavor.
Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy which is infused with lemon and lemongrass.
Spitter Splinter which aged in American whiskey barrels.
Oopsy Daisy which infused with the actual chamomile flowers.
Hot Cha Cha Cha which is Bird’s Eye Chile Peppers.
Pink which was crafted to honor Dragonheart Vermont who offers free wellness programs to empower cancer survivors after diagnosis.
Pumpkin is rare and limited and that contains pumpkin with none of the silly spices often associated with it.
Barrel Select aged for six months in genuine white oak Kentucky Bourbon barrels.
I received Gumption and Barrel Select to review.
Review:
The first thing I noticed was the bottles! I love the attention to detail they pay to the labels and the Gumption was my favorite! Both ciders were super flavorful and unique tasting compared to other ciders I have drank in the past. Their ciders taste high quality and are very well balanced. They are not overly acidic like other ciders I have tried and also did not give me heartburn. Hard cider is actually one of my favorite things to drink and I am definitely hooked on Woodchuck Hard Cider not only because it’s a Vermont company but because they are tasty!
If you are local you can visit them at
1321 Exchange Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
Their hours are Wednesday – Friday: 11-6, Saturday & Sunday: 11-5 and Monday & Tuesday: Closed