Drink of the Week: Finnriver Bloom Cider

Cider as a category is often unfairly relegated to the fall. But the bright and aromatic Finnriver Bloom Cider encapsulates springtime in a can. The farm-based cidery on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula crossed my radar a few months ago. For our March/April issue, we reached out to the folks behind Salt Lake City’s Scion Cider Bar for some spring season recommendations. Co-founder Elisabeth Osmeloski and her husband Matthew Ostrander, a certified pommelier and owner of cider brokerage Ibantik Craft Beverages, noted that cider’s bright flavors and freshness make it an ideal all-season beverage, pointing to makers like Finnriver.

“Finnriver is well known for their expertise in blending fruits and adding botanical elements to create interesting flavor profiles,” says Ostrander. The cidery’s seasonal releases include Bloom, with added blueberries, and Blush, with black currants. “The nuance in the additions here embrace the essence of springtime.” Packaged in cans for the first time, Bloom and Blush can be shipped nationwide directly from the farm.

While I found both expressions delightful, as a lover of blueberries, the Finnriver Bloom is right up my alley. Made with a blend of three high-acid varieties of organic Washington apples, the cider is balanced with an infusion of organic blueberries. The vibrantly purple cider is tart, juicy, and fragrant with notes of apple blossom and fresh berries—a perfect herald of the new season. $24.99/4-pack of 16 oz. cans, finnriver.com