Apples + Pears

Psst… did you know we have been putting together a selection of crazy-good ciders and perries? They have quietly appeared on our shelves, unassuming bottles with bounties of flavor, often overlooked in a sea of wine. Some of them are made in such small quantities, you might find them in only a handful of locations within the state. Our ciders come from local small craft cider houses, international cult cider producers, and Calvados distillers -- even winemakers have dabbled with the forbidden fruit.

Apples were never specifically named in the Genesis, but simply refers to "the fruit," in Hebrew פרי (peri). So how did apples get the bad rap? Bad Roman puns. The word for "bad" and "apple" are the same in Latin: malus

Apples were first domesticated some 4000–10000 years ago in the Tian Shan mountains, brought on trade routes to Europe via the Silk Road, and later to the Americas by European colonists. In fact, the first apple orchard in North America was planted here in Boston by Reverend William Blaxton in 1625. Naturally the path of the apple was quickly followed by cider making, with each region developing its own unique style and traditions that have become an integral part of their culture.

Clockwise from upper left: Wassailing, an Anglo-Saxon tradition of cider drinking and singing which preceded caroling; a Bemble and Gerippites, the traditional jug and glass for German apfelwein popular in Frankfurt; the inventory of a Basque whaling ship always contained quantities of sagardoa, which helped prevent scurvy.

Nowadays, canning is so prevalent in the modern beverage industry, that one might find a cider bottled like a sparkling wine to be the odd one out. We get it. Cans are lightweight, conveniently portioned, and offer some of the best protection against light damage. Ah, but the glass bottle! Serious cider makers prefer glass for a number of reasons: it is time-tested and reliable, well suited for long-term storage, more resistant to temperature fluctuations, and they are able to withstand a higher amount of pressure from carbonation, allowing producers more flexibility with fermentation methods. Additionally, bottling equipment has a much lower initial cost than a canning line, and for a small cidery that has a limited production for any number of reasons (e.g. who might focus on wild foraged apples, or certain rare heirloom varieties native to their region, or certain orchards with very old trees which produce little fruit), bottling allows them flexibility to put out a variety of products and to get their unique small-batch ciders in people’s hands.

We want to share our love of fine cider with you, so from now until the end of December, buy a mix of any 6 bottled ciders (375ml or larger) and we'll knock 15% off your order. This will include bottles of pear cider and pineapple tepache. Here's what we have:

Massachusetts

West County Cider Pura Vida - $15

West County Redfield/Mac - $15

New York

East Hollow Thistle Hill - $17

Floral Terranes Harbor Hill Moraine Cider 2019 - $25

Floral Terranes Solera Cider Trees Are Filters - $38

Metal House Brut Sparkling Cider 'Ammir' 2017 - $28

Scrumpy Ewe Golden Crab Cider 2020 - $26

Texas

Argus Fermentables Vinho Pearde Perry - $9

Oregon

Reverend Nat's Tepache! Pineapple Cider - $10.75

France

Bordelet Poire Authentique - $15

Domaine Christian Drouin Poire - $12.75

Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut de Normadie 2020 - $15

Germany

Stefan Vetter Cidre Methode Rurale 2018/19 - $22

Spain

Bereziartua Basque Cider - $10

Our inventory is ever-changing! Come by the shop to see what's new, or you can view our current stock on our website. Please send an email to orders@craftandcru.com to place your orders or inquiries, and follow us on Instagram @craftandcru for posts with more in-depth information on our favorite bottles.