New England Cider Company’s Blackcurrant Hard Cider and Lorna Doones

The Beer: This is a hard cider, and while technically not a beer I feel like Hard Cider is a friendly cozy cousin of beer and we are very accepting of wonderful beverages. Especially from New England Cider Company, who we love, we’ve visited them many times and their fresh blend helped us duel it out over the potato chip cookie a while back.

This time around we are trying the Blackcurrant cider which touts a super dark color, mild dryness, a little tartness, and an excellent fruit profile. At the suggestion of the wise bartender from the cider company we played around with blending some Fresh blend with the blackcurrant which was really fun and sweetened it up a bit. Mixing and experimenting made this a very rewarding drink. I can’t get enough NECC.

The Cookie:   Lorna Doones are an after school snack for many but they also fit the bill for a versatile beer partner. They are little biscuit-y shortbread cookies that have a hard sweet crunch. The satisfying crumble perfectly swept away by a bubbly beverage.  

The pairing: I really ejoyed this cider and these cookies are a natural beverage cookie. This feels like a grownup version of a snack from grammar school, cookies and apple juice. It’s just as good as you remember.