News

11/19/2019

Republic of Cider opens its doors at South Seattle's budding craft beverage destination SODO Gateway. Located on 4th Ave, it's also home to Fall Line Winery, T2 Cellars, Elsom Cellars, and 2 Bars Distillery. Over a year in the making, we have diligently transformed a former auto repair shop into a cidery and winery. Republic of Cider has been delivering kegs to local breweries and venues in Seattle since this summer, and now our tasting room is officially open to the public.

The Pacific Northwest has seen a boom in craft beverage producers. But as diverse as the region may be, many communities have not been part of the craft beverage movement. Republic of Cider was born out of the idea to bring diversity and new ideas to the industry, and Washington State, synonymous with apples, is a natural for a flourishing cider industry. By offering ciders with flavors pulled from diverse cultures prominent on the pacific coast, we are built on bridging communities. We promote diversity in our people and develop our product lines with the ideas that they bring. We are majority women/minority owned, and our award-winning Cidermaker-in-Chief is a talented woman of color. We communicate to our fans and followers in Chinese, English, and Spanish, and engage these communities directly, because we are a part of them.

Our first wave of offerings are inspired by the cultures of Taiwan and Mexico, as well as Pacific Northwest brewers. Fresh-pressed cider is our base, and we flavor using real fruit, lightly added so as to not mask the flavors of the fresh-pressed, Pacific Northwest apples. We believe that good fruit deserves to be respected, and that a cider should first taste like a cider. Other fruits and flavors build on and complement the taste of fresh pressed apples, not cover it.

Republic of Cider

Hibiscus Rose Julep is our answer to a fresh hop cider when your fresh hops do not arrive in time. We blended hibiscus from Taiwan and Mexico with a hint of rose and a touch of fresh squeezed citrus. We then added a touch of agave to enhance the flavor profile.

Sun WuKong

Winter Melon is a Formosan delight, used in Taiwan to flavor thing anything from soups to bubble tea. We've introduced it in a cider and make versions that range from absolutely dry to semi sweet. Mei Mei, the little sister, adds caramelized pineapple to our Winter Melon. For this one, we strain the chunked pineapple and roast it until the sugars turn brown, then add back the juice and blend it into the Winter Melon cider to further caramelize. Di Di, the little brother, adds ginger to the Winter Melon cider during cooking, adding the first layer of flavor. Fresh ginger is then is added at the end of the process, adding sharpness and heat to the final product.

Sidra de los Muertos

Roasted Hatch Chili is the first of our Latin inspired line. It's a beverage, not a challenge. We want you to enjoy it on its own, or with food, so it won't overwhelm you. The cider is fermented dry, then the chilies are added. We lightly sweeten the finished product with agave: just enough sugar to coat the lips and tongue and let the heat and flavor build. You'll notice the full flavor and warmth by about the third sip.

Brewery Method Ciders

If we were to follow the recipe for a Belgian Ale, but use apples instead of grains, what would we get? Or first foray into beer-inspired ciders is George's Washington Cider. Except for the hops, we treated it as if we were brewing a Belgian Ale. Expect the hopped version next year. Slightly more delicate and floral than George's Washington Cider, SoDo Cider is the English Ale twist of the same beer-brewed ciders. Due to it's delicate nature, SoDo Cider is available only in our tasting room. We plan to continue this theme with other recipes, and in the spring will be releasing our Hefeweizen.