Last Thursday we celebrated a dinner paired with ciders from four continents at Aho-Mihi restaurant. A unique opportunity to taste ciders from Abel (New Zealand), Sxollie (South Africa), BFiver (Brazil) and Decideret (Denmark), as well as a pommeau from South Hill (United States). All made with 100% fresh pressed apple or pear juice. The work of the kitchen team was amazing, with dishes designed specifically for each cider.
The event was attended by 20 people from the cider, beer, wine and food industries, including a Norwegian wine importer who was spending a few business days in the city of Donostia-San Sebastian (Basque Country). The first thing he told me was: “We are not used to pair cider with food in Norway.” I asked him about what kind of cider he was used to and he replied that “it was better not to know”, referring to some Nordic alco-pops that call themselves cider. I took the opportunity to remind that an excellent quality cider is made in Hardanger and Sogne.
His response somehow summarizes the objective of World Cider Tour. With this events we intend to broaden the vision that the consumer has about cider. Either because they come from an area where cider is traditionally produced and the only know a single style, or because they are used to a certain type of industrial (so-called) “cider”. The goal is to surprise.
During the dinner the assistants could listen and learn about each cider maker, the production processes and the context. They could also share their opinion on each cider and filled out an evaluation form. But above all, they were able to taste some ciders with which we tried to surprise them, and they lived a different experience.
My most sincere thanks to all who attended the event and to the cider brands that participated in this first session. We are already working on the next event, which will set around traditional European ciders. World Cider Tour is an itinerant pop-up event that aspires to be celebrated anywhere in the world where they want to learn about the global reality of cider. Anyone interested in hosting one of these events or in showcasing their ciders will find more information in this link.
