Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Tap into Maple Syrup Season with Angry Orchard Tapped Maple

By

Naturally-sweet maple syrup is used to balance a dry cider in this new seasonal release.

Angry Orchard cider makers are literally “tapping” into the flavors of the season with the release of two new ciders, Tapped Maple and Spiced Apple.

Recommended Videos

Maple trees in Vermont are tapped in late winter to extract the highly-anticipated maple syrup. The Angry Orchard brewers in the nearby Hudson Valley of New York were inspired to honor syrup season by incorporating the flavors into their cider recipes.

Angry Orchard Tapped Maple
Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Like apples, not all maple syrup is created equal. The flavors can vary significantly from season to season and depending on production techniques,” said Ryan Burk, Head Cider Maker at Angry Orchard. “My team and I visited maple farmers from across the Northeast to dive deeper into the qualities that make maple syrup unique, then took those findings back to our Cider House to incorporate this natural sweetener into a dry cider we’d been working on. Ultimately, we found a nice combination with Tapped Maple.”

The base cider for Tapped Maple is made from culinary apple juice from the Pacific Northwest region including Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala and Pink Lady apples. These apples are high in acidity, yielding a fairly dry base cider. But the addition of naturally sweet maple syrup provides a balance, along with a strong maple aroma and full, round mouthfeel. If you’re looking for a taste contrast, Angry Orchard recommends pairing Tapped Maple with dishes like fried chicken or pork tacos. Or try the cider as a complement to sweeter tastes like banana pudding.

As the cider makers were experimenting with various seasonal tastes, they also developed another new limited release cider for their Angry Orchard’s Winter Orchard Sampler Variety Pack – the Angry Orchard Spiced Apple.

The recipe for Spiced Apple yields a flavor reminiscent of baked apple pie, with the taste of fresh apple infused with seasonal spices.

Tapped Maple is available in 6-packs nationwide through April 2017. Spiced Apple is available as a limited release in the Winter Orchard Sampler Variety Pack through April 2017.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
Starbucks Barista-favorite Guatemala Casi Cielo is back
Starbucks Guatemala Casi Cielo

No one knows great coffee better than Starbucks baristas, who have voted the Guatemala Casi Cielo whole bean coffee as one of their favorite roasts. Each week, Starbucks partners (employees) can select a bag of whole bean coffee for free, and last year, Starbucks partners used this benefit on Guatemala Casi Cielo more than any other seasonal whole-bean coffee offered by the brand. This partner and customer-favorite has been popular for nearly two decades, featuring elegant floral aromatics and notes of citrus and dark cocoa.

Beginnings of the Guatemala Casi Cielo Roast

Read more
Stone Brewing drops a big beer for a big anniversary
Stone Brewing 29th Anniversary Double IPA.

It's official, you can now get Stone Brewing's 29th Anniversary Double IPA. The big beer celebrates nearly three decades in the craft beer sector. The west coast brewery, founded in California, has long been known for its high-octane brews.

The beer comes in at 8.5% ABV and is made with a slew of New Zealand Hops. The full-bodied beer shows dank elements, red berries, and tropical fruit. The finish is lasting and there's a hit of bitterness to the tune of 55 IBUs.

Read more
Crisp days call for crisp beers — here are the best craft lagers for fall
Fall is a a great time for craft lagers
Zero Gravity

To say that the craft beer world in the U.S. has exploded in the last few decades is a bit of an understatement. Back in 1995, there were only around two hundred craft breweries in the entire country. Today, we’re nearing 10,000 breweries in the U.S. These breweries are producing hazy IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, and a surprising number of classic, crisp lagers.

The latter just might be the perfect style to bridge the gap between summer and fall. This is because the styles range from crushable, crispy boys perfect for unseasonably hot days to dark, malty lagers well-suited for unseasonably cool autumn evenings.

Read more