COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
I was excited to compare these two drinks because these two cider makers have probably done the most interesting things with pineapple and they are currently the two most sophisticated options on the market. Due to its unique character and creamy vanilla and butterscotch flavor, I gave the nod to Wild Cider over the crowd favorite 2 Towns Pacific Pineapple in a previous Pick that Pineapple battle. But I remembered having the ¡Viva la Pineapple! in Portland a couple of years ago and recalled that it was probably the most cosmopolitan drink I had ever had with its pineapples from Costa Rica and its hibiscus from Burkina Faso and I knew it would be a worthy contender. And this head to head test did not disappoint!
Breaking down the aesthetics, the Wild Pineapple is shinier in the glass where Viva is a cloudy pale amber color. Wild Cider has a largely vanilla nose where Viva has juicy pineapple notes. Neither will overwhelm you with super sweet pineapple. With Wild Cider you get a full dose of creamy vanilla that is cut with the acidic pineapple. In the case of Rev. Nat’s you have a savory bouquet of spice notes that is pulled together by the pineapple to keep it just sweet enough to still be refreshing and keep it from being too complex that it becomes complicated. The Wild Cider is brighter, crisper, and more refreshing, it also presents more as an easy drinking cider whereas Viva is more like a finely crafted cocktail. So, if you’re looking to savor a drink on a sophisticated night in, Rev. Nat’s is your drink, but both are outstanding and, along with Schilling’s Passport, are at the pinnacle of the pineapple cider world.
*Caveat: This Wild Cider may have been a bad can as it was slightly soft and flatter than I remember*