Ok, before you ask, the name of this cider may be a teeny tiny bit misleading. No, no flamingos were harmed in the making of our newest cider, Flamingo Juice. That being said, we totally pulverized the sh*t out of some special apples for the base of this cider, and we think you’ll know why as soon as you get a glimpse of its awesome color. World, we give you Flamingo Juice.
So, let’s start at the beginning. Flamingo Juice is one of our newest cider varieties made from a combination of Otterson and crab apples. If the variety “Otterson” is not familiar to you, it’s no surprise! Otterson apples are a variety of red juiced apples that have been rediscovered and cultivated at Michigan State University (can I get a “GO GREEN”), by plant geneticist, Dr. Steve van Nocker and botanist Chris Gottschalk. Why cultivate this variety? To put it simply, Dr. van Nocker and Mr. Gottschalk have been seeking to find an apple with a high concentration of anthocyanins in the fruit’s flesh. Without getting too sciency, anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid. Beside making things red, anthocyanins are thought to have a positive impact on human health and in turn, many applications in the food and supplement industry. You can read more about the sciency stuff here.
So to make a long story even shorter, late last summer we were contacted by Dr. van Nocker and Mr. Gottschalk about pressing Otterson apples to use in an experimental cider. With the promise of an awesome color and fantastic flavor, we charged forward with pressing the apples and fermenting the cider. And thus, Flamingo Juice was born.
While we hope you’ve already had a chance to try Squishy, a dark red, semi-sweet hard cider we make from local, Northern Michigan cherries. We doubt you’ve seen a cider of this color made strictly from apples. Otterson apples are bred for the purpose of extracting the juice, priming them for cider making. They are acidic and have a tannin content that is beneficial for the production of cider. In addition to Otterson apples, Dr. van Nocker and team are working to develop new varieties of red juiced apples.
Flamingo Juice is a semi-dry hard cider made with red fleshed Otterson and crab apples. Try it on tap at our Starcut Ciders Celebration tomorrow, Saturday February 20th, at Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire, MI.
Thanksgiving Shopping List
Cranberries
Corn
Ham
Turkey
Onions
Potatoes
Green Beans
Butter
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cider !
That’s right, this year we’re adding cider to our Thanksgiving shopping list, and you should too! According to Short’s Brewing Company Head Chef, Luke Meredith (and satisfied bellies everywhere), hard ciders like Octorock and Pulsar are prime for cooking. And not just sipping while prepping, we’re talking replacing or adding cider into to cooking liquids and incorporating its fresh apple taste into sauces and marinades.
Luke took a moment to share three cider Thanksgiving recipes that are ready for the big time. Add a couple six packs of your favorite Starcut Ciders varieties to your shopping list and let the cooking (and sipping) begin!
Cider Gravy
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cider Brine for Turkey
Directions:
Hard Cider Braised Kale
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Squishy, our first ever seasonal bottle release (a semi-sweet cider made with Michigan cherries) is making its way to stores in the coming weeks alongside our flagship ciders, Pulsar and Octorock. Made with cherries from our own backyard (no seriously, these cherries are grown at King Orchards, just a short bike ride), Squishy will be reppin’ Antrim county flavors state-wide. So it only seems fitting that we talk a little more about the fruit behind the flavors right? Right!
Made with two varieties of tart cherries, Squishy’s signature flavor comes from the use of Montmorency (a traditional cooking cherry, most likely you’ll recognize this cherry from your Great Aunt Sue’s famous cherry pie) and Balaton (a Hungarian cherry that is relatively new to the Northern Michigan cherry scene) cherry juice.
We source the juice for Squishy from King Orchards, a first generation orchard and farm with its roots in Central Lake, MI. Pioneered by Jim and John King and their families, their operation includes u-pick orchards, two farm markets, and commercial fruit and cherry concentrate sales. Jack and Courtney King, members of the next generation of the King Orchards family, took us on a tour of their original M-88 orchard just outside of Central Lake on a busy Saturday at the end of cherry season where we had the opportunity to talk all things fruit and cider.
Outside of cherries, King Orchards also grows apples, apricots, pears, peaches, nectarines, and vegetables in Antrim county. Their location in the northern portion of Michigan’s famed cherry growing region is beautiful (you can see Lake Michigan from portions of their M-88 market), beneficial (the rolling hills, climate, and soil of Antrim county lend themselves to growing cherries and other stone fruit), and at times, trying. In particular the threat of late frosts and the cold and bitter winters of late have tested not only King Orchards, but many throughout the region. But when you walk up the hill at their M-88 orchard past rows of apricot, peach, and seemingly limitless lines of cherry trees and you turn around to breathtaking views of rolling hills and Lake Michigan, you really understand why it is this family chose this path.
We think King Orchards is pretty cool. And if you’ve had a squishy, you know that they mean business when it comes to growing the juiciest, tastiest cherries. When asked for the secret to their cherry juice concentrate, Jack King answered that simply leaving the fruit to ripen on the branch for as long as possible is the most important aspect. While it might not be much of a “secret,” it really speaks to the care and attention that the King family imparts in all they do. Jack’s sentiments and the goals of King Orchards really echo the commitment we’ve made to crafting a beverage we believe in that showcases the beauty of our home.
So the next time you enjoy a Squishy on tap or in our brand spankin’ new bottles, take pride in knowing that this ruby red, semi-sweet cider is made with only the choicest of cherries from our Antrim county neighbors.