COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
Here’s my dirty little secret, my favorite dish at Thanksgiving is the cranberry sauce—not the fancy homemade sauce that comes with little bits in it that my mom makes for the other guests, but the stuff that comes straight out of the can with that gross slurping noise when it plops out. In fact, you can keep the rest of it, the turkey, my uncle’s pecan pie, I just want a spoon and the 98¢ can from Ocean Spray.
Last holiday season it felt like every cider maker and their mom were introducing a cran-cider, so I thought I’d line a few up for this holiday season in case you were wanting to serve one with a Christmas meal. Two are newer to the scene: Old Mine’s Crandlebar and Austin Eastciders’ Cranberry Cider. Because I have made a habit of doing side-by-side comparisons with the two biggest cider producers in Texas, I also decided to include Bishop’s mainstay, Crackberry. Finally, we have the recent re-introduction of Downeast’s Cranberry. This used to be in their lineup but they pulled it and gave a scolding letter to their fans for requesting it, but not buying it. I am unsure what the change of heart was after all these years, but it’s back . . . to my pleasure. Having lived in southeastern Mass, just down the road from Downeast and in a house that backed up to a bog, I admit I expect big things from this major producer from New England. I still have great memories scooping cranberries with my kids in Carver and I’ve got pretty high expectations. But time to break it down.
Old Mine has the most cranberry color, Austin is salmon, Downeast is neon watermelon and Bishop has a brownish hue. In reverse order, Bishop’s nose is the least cranberry as the blackberry smell is most prominent, Downeast has a subtly sweet crisp nose, Austin is the most acidic, and Old Mine has deep fruity cherry notes in the nose. Crackberry from Bishop brings a more earthy acidic character to it with the blackberries. It has a smoother mouthfeel and is easier to drink than Downeast or Austin. It falls more or less in the center of the sweetness scale though possibly inching towards dry. Downeast is the brightest and tartest of the four, as well as the fleshiest. Its mouthfeel is fuller and softer and feels the most like fresh squeezed juice. It has an abruptly tart flavor towards the finish and is not easily quaffable. Wow, the Austin Eastcider is pretty tart! It is, however, dryer than the other three. However, the mouthfeel is thin and left me wanting more. Lastly, the Old Mine is the most drinkable and very smooth. It is very bold and the flavors are all cranked up to ten, but at least they are balanced. This also has savory spice notes as well which are absent from the other three.
So how to choose? First, we can cross the Austin Eastciders off the list. It is just uninspired. Too acidic, with a weak mouthfeel. It just doesn’t cut it. For me, the next two that are very close in score are the older two—the Crackberry and the Downeast Cranberry. Clearly the Crackberry is the best cran cider in Texas, but how does it compare to a cider that hails from the cranberry capital of the world? (Go ahead, Michigan, take offense, it is not you) I will say that Downeast has a more authentic fruit juice feel, but that tartness in the finish is so arresting! Though I really like both, I give a slight nod to Crackberry because of its drinkability, though it too is tart, and may have less of that fresh and juicy cran feel, but I do think the blackberries provide a different acidic profile to make things interesting. That leaves the Old Mine. I know it’s been a long time since I have gone with the sweetest option in a comparative review, but Old Mine is my choice because it is the biggest, boldest, brightest and most festive of the four cran ciders. I see this as a sidekick to your neighbor’s Christmas Party as it pairs perfect with finger foods, fireplaces and the festive fat guy in the corner still rocking the red turtleneck with blazer. No matter how awkward it gets at the party, you could drink these all night and still be jolly. I know it’s sweet, and if that scares you, grab one of the two dryer options from Texas, but otherwise it is time to celebrate, so grab a glass or two of the scrumptious Old Mine Crandlebar!