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Eater
09-07-2025
- Eater
How to Road-Trip Your Way Around Puget Sound's Many, Many Cideries
Washington gets bushels of praise for its wines — and rightly so, seeing as the Columbia Valley's producing some of the best on the planet these days. But as anyone who grew up in Washington State knows, apples did it first. The Evergreen State is easily the highest-yielding apple region in the world, harvesting a staggering 10 billion apples per year, mostly for export — but it turns out they're being put to good use here at home, too. There are just over 100 operating cideries in Washington, and many are estate cideries, meaning they're built on or alongside the same orchards that supply the juice. Better yet, some come equipped with taprooms for curious visitors to sample the goods on site. Now that the weather is all golden delicious, it's the perfect time of year to spend a day or two wandering around some orchards and getting apple-cheeked on fermented fruit. Actually, why not pick a bunch and make a road trip out of them? Here's a route option for the cider tourist whose HQ is the Seattle area. A note about this guide: It takes about three hours to drive between Seattle and Port Townsend each way without stopping, if you take the southern route around the Sound. Although you could probably visit all of these cideries in a day — and we've got those nice, late, 9 p.m. sunsets starting in June, too — you may be pressed for time and could cost yourself some fun if you hurry. Consider this guide merely a list of options — or, if you're a completist, perhaps make it a two-day trip, staying the night on the peninsula and saving a few cideries for the journey back home. 708 North 34th Street, in Fremont, Seattle The Schilling Cider House is a convenient spot for Seattleites, Meg van Huygen Schilling's a major player in the local cider theater as well as the national one, but don't write it off as mainstream. Founder Colin Schilling has been pushing boundaries since opening up shop in Auburn in 2012, not only with inventive ciders but also packaging; in a world where cider pretty exclusively came in bottles, his cidery made production more sustainable and accessible by putting it in cans. In 2014, Schilling's first cider house opened in Fremont with 32 taps — holding the world record for cider taps in a single taproom at the time. Today, Schilling's creative, highly carbonated ciders — many of which can't be found on draught anywhere else — are featured in this urban cider house, alongside dozens of bottled varieties from across the globe. Although it's not a cidery itself, it's a historic place for Pacific Northwest ciders and an exciting way to kick off the trip. House taps change often but have included Excelsior Day-Glo made with red-fleshed Lucy Glo apples, the magenta-hued Moon Berries, and Polar Plunge made with apples, plums, pomegranates, and pears. Some of the usual characters in the coolers are Greenwood Cider Company (Seattle), Bauman's (Portland, Oregon), and Begiris (Zaragoza, Spain), and Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C.) — along with bottles from most of the cideries listed in this guide. The taproom's cozy, communal vibe is complemented by board games, and patrons can curate their own 'You Call It' tasting flights, opt for pours on draught, or grab bottles to enjoy on site or to go. P.S. Schilling's Excelsior Ground Control Cherry cider, a slightly scrumpy nonalcoholic cover, is fantastic — and under four bucks! 924 South 3rd Street, in Renton Puget Sound Cider Company is known around the region for its small-batch, award-winning ciders sourced from the heritage cidery's Ellensburg orchard — and also for having a taproom in the back of an antique store. Founded in 2017 by Nick Hill and Holly Coleman, PSCC began as a passion project after the pair came across an antique cider press at Renton's Antique 4U, which they co-own. The store has since been outfitted with taps and antique tables. The couple's dedication to reviving centuries-old cider-making techniques means they use heirloom apples like Kingston Blacks and Harrisons, along with fruity additions like blackberries, strawberries, rhubarb, and pears. These lightly carbonated ciders offer drier, more refined profiles that're similar to traditional French and English styles, and they've earned PSCC more than 80 awards so far. If you're not on board for the road trip to Renton, you can also pick up PSCC's ciders at Pike Place Market, where it operates a booth Thursday through Sunday. But it's way more fun to drink them among the stained glass windows and card catalog cabinets. 6613 114th Avenue Ct E, in Puyallup A scene at Cockrell. Meg van Huygen You'd never know this Impressionist painting of an estate cidery was hiding a few blocks from downtown Puyallup. Perched on the Puyallup River on a historic 7-acre farm, Cockrell is about as picturesque as it gets. Turning off the main drag and into the orchard is like stepping into the watercolor pages of a Victorian children's book. Founded by brothers Richard and John Cockrell, the farm produces small-batch, handcrafted ciders using its own apples, including traditional cider varieties like American Heirloom, Gravenstein, and Roxbury Russet. There's music and local food trucks on Thursday nights, and it's an all-inclusive atmosphere, with both cowboy hats and cat-eared hoodies representing. The cider's pretty great too, available in a dozen varieties at the teeny taproom, in flights or pints on the spot, in bottles or growlers to go. The pineapple-apple and valley raspberry ciders were just a few of the stars. The orchard is the real centerpiece at Cockrell, though, delicious cider notwithstanding. The tree boughs are trained in the espalier style, an ancient horticultural technique that turns plants into living, fruiting fences, and it's a total dream sequence to walk between the parallel rows of 2D apple trees, sandwiched between the walls of blossoms and fruit. The memory of sitting orchardside on the deck at Cockrell, sipping a pineapple-crabapple cider as the cidery's chickens run underfoot, and seeing Elwood, the resident black lab, moseying around, is already one of my best summertime memories of the year. 40709 264th Avenue Southeast, in Enumclaw Out on the sweeping Enumclaw Plateau, in the shadow of Tahoma, this family-owned farm has been crafting cider since 1982. In 2017, Jason Devela and Misty Frantz took over from Jason's aunt and uncle, continuing Rockridge's legacy of award-winning sweet (aka nonalcoholic) and hard ciders in varieties like ginger and blackberry cobbler, sourced from their family's orchard. Hiding through the side door of the Rockridge Country Store, a mini taproom offers 43 draught ciders and beers from various producers, in the form of either growler fills or flights (no pints, but they're pending!), while the store's coolers hold a huge, diverse selection of local beers, wines, and ciders. Seattleites can pick up Rockridge's ciders at the University District and West Seattle farmers markets if they want to try before they drive. Out front, a farm stand rounds out the experience with local produce, fresh flowers, and unusual handmade pantry items like candied jalapeños, chow chow pickles, mayhaw jelly (from the fruit of the hawthorn tree), and 'Rocksalmic' apple cider vinegar aged in French oak barrels. Take a peek at the old orchard out back, pick up some veggie starts for the garden on your way out, and say hi to Lucy the black cat. 3207 57th Street Ct, in Gig Harbor Sure, Locust has taprooms all over, but if you're crossing the Narrows Bridge anyway, you might as well stop by its flagship location. This taproom is all-ages and offers 14 original hard ciders on tap.. These skew sweet, but they're all lovely; flavors include dark cherry, honey pear, and vanilla bean, along with seasonal and experimental blends like mojito and lavender lemon. The taproom has both indoor seating and a covered, heated patio for temperamental Pacific Northwest summer days, and there's a full food menu provided by next-door neighbor, Under the Tower Beer. There's also plenty of family fun happening here: weekly trivia nights, bingo, live music, and themed evenings like Cider & Salsa. 201 NW Beaver Ridge, in Poulsbo A scene at Bushel and Barrel. Meg van Huygen When you spot the sign for Bushel & Barrel on State Route 3, don't be alarmed by the other sign beneath it that says 'ZOO.' It's so much cuter than the janky roadside zoo you're imagining. Alongside its English-style farmhouse ciders in both traditional and unique flavors, Bushel & Barrel offers a big field full of friendly goats, alpacas, donkeys, a miniature horse, and a Scottish Highland cow replete with an emo haircut, all vying for your alfalfa pellets (25 cent per handful). The animals are part of Beaver Bend Farm next door, and they're essentially pets who are as happy to see you as you are to see them. Founded by Melissa Kittrell, a former Navy nuclear machinist mate who studied cidermaking in the U.K., Bushel & Barrel Ciderhouse keeps it simple, comprising a couple little prefab outbuildings filled with hand-carved art, like the sprawling tree sculpture in the taproom. Ciders are unfiltered, full-bodied, and slightly off-dry, and they come in flavors like taro, vanilla malt, blackberry sage, and cotton candy as well as the appley standards. The cidery's slogan, 'Micro Cidery, Macro Cause,' refers to its commitment to social responsibility: A portion of the profits from select cider series supports charitable causes like landmine removal in Cambodia or trail maintenance in Kitsap County. 10764 Northeast Berry Street, in Kingston Dave McIlvena has a deep love for trees and ecology, and he employed it in spades when building this cidery near the ferry dock. August's distinctive, terroir-driven ciders are made from the exceptional fruit grown in the on-site orchard, where soil health and biodiversity are McIlvena's first concern. Each cider is handcrafted in small batches using wild yeast fermentations and slow aging methods, resulting in a range of styles from dry to off-dry, still to pétillant, clear to lightly hazy. If you're not quite ready to head home, the cidery also offers a unique farmstay experience. The cozy, well-appointed cottage offers two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and views of both the green landscape as well as the ferries oscillating across the Sound beyond. 921 Hildebrand Lane, on Bainbridge Island The setting's a little less rural than some others, but this family-run cidery is no less charming, blending craftsmanship, community, and wacky whimsy. Founded by sisters Randi Brown and Caron Anderson, Sisters' Cider House began as a hobby inspired by their father's brewing expertise. The cidery is known on the island for its all-ages atmosphere, with classic arcade consuls and a Nintendo gaming station, along with a rotating selection of punnily named ciders, like Sweet Ass Bourbon, Strawbanero, and Gourd-geous Pi. No food here, but guests are invited to bring their own. (Say, fish and chips from Proper Fish or wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza from Bruciato, both just down the street). 124 Center Road, in Chimacum The scene at FinnRiver. Meg van Huygen This family-owned cidery and orchard is more of a compound than a farm. Surrounded by rolling farmland and landscaped with native plants, the grounds contain multitudes: pear and apple orchards, a full organic kitchen, several additional indie food stands and trucks, a taproom, a cider garden, tasting tours, a big wild field for kids and dogs to get their yayas out, and a loaded calendar of live music on the weekends. It's kind of like a cider theme park, if theme parks were super chill and full of indigenous flowers and dogs and gorgeous, impeccably sourced food. The taproom typically features two craft beers and 12 of Finnriver's ciders, and it's mostly stuff you can't normally get in stores, like the Saffron Solstice with Oregon-grown saffron, fennel, and anise, or the Tideline, made from golden russet apples, Nootka rose hips, and Grand fir tips (in partnership with Hama Hama Oyster Company). There's a bottle shop too, so you can take your faves home, including brandywines, special release bottles like the ruby-red Cherry Bough with cedar accents, and Cidermaker Series bottles, such as the keeved, hay-scented Quimper, made with bittersharp apples. If you're road-tripping back to the city, don't miss the Chimacum Corner Farmstead across the street for heirloom veggie and flower starts, organic groceries, beverages, sandwiches, and grab-and-go snacks for the road. 220 Pocket Lane, in Port Townsend It's just a 15-minute drive from Finniver to Alpenfire, through some stunning scenery, and you'll probably live to regret it if you don't hit both Finnriver and Alpenfire — especially when you're back at Schilling in Seattle later on, sampling a bottle of Alpenfire's stuff, and you see what they can really do. A little out of the way, but you're already out there anyhow. If Finniver is the mother ship of cideries, Alpenfire is a first-class ship of the line, the regal HMS Victory of Washington State cider. The grandest, the most regal, the highest level. That's thanks in part to its wonderfully remote geography — in the heavily forested unincorporated community of Cape George, on the east side of Discovery Bay — and in part to the singular handcrafted ciders you'll find there. The state's first certified organic cidery, established in 2003 by Nancy and Steve 'Bear' Bishop, is home to more than 800 heirloom apple trees, spanning American, English, and French cider varieties and with a focus on early- and late-season bittersharps and bittersweets. It's also home to the Bishops, who live and work on the property. Alpenfire's ciders are specifically engineered to showcase the unique flavors of each variety of apple, resulting in distinctive small-batch ciders. Its catalogue covers the spectrum, though, and some standouts are the scrumpy Pirate's Plank Bone Dry, the limited-release Burnt Branch Reserve, and the rosé-style Discovery Trail — a portion of the proceeds from which supports maintenance on the Olympic Discovery Trail. There's also a series of intense smoked ciders. Alpenfire's garage-like tasting room does flights and by-the-glass selections, which you can sip either indoors or out in the serene orchard, among the fruit and the flowers. There's a small menu of organic snacks here, and guests are also invited to bring their own picnic lunch (the Chimacum Corner Farmstand is a great spot for this) and dine alfresco in the wild, woodsy estate. A truly beautiful place. 18201 107th Avenue Southwest, on Vashon There's no cideries in Point Ruston (although enterprising ciderheads could swing by Cider & Cedar, a prettily designed cider bar in nearby downtown Tacoma), but Dragon's Head Cider Orchard compensates for the dearth, promise. Established in 2010 by Wes and Laura Cherry, Dragon's Head's massive 8-acre orchard encompasses more than 4,000 apple and pear trees, growing mostly English and French fruit like Dabinett, Reine de Pomme, and Medaille d'Or. It's a farm-to-glass adventure out here, with all the labor — from the pressing and slow fermentation to the blending, conditioning, and bottling — done right on the property. These folks are pretty neeky about cidermaking, and the apple rabbit hole goes real deep out here in the countryside. The cidery name is an allusion to Ladon, the 100-headed dragon who guarded Hera's golden apple orchard in Greek mythology. The bittersweet cider entails a blend of more than 20 English and French apple varieties, and the sparkling perry is fermented with the labor-intensive Méthode Traditionelle process normally used for sparkling wines, which makes for a crisp, dry perry with persistent Champagne-like bubbles and a citrus-cucumber finish. They also do a pét-nat cider AND a wild fermented cider from Dabinett apples, and they make pommeau, an apple-based dessert wine made from brandy and young cider. This place has everything. Well, except food, but Dragon Head's orchard provides picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and hammocks for guests to bring their own picnic or go get takeout from Dragon Head's tasting room, just a mile into town. Before you leave, make sure to take the tour of the acreage, including the ciderworks; it's a fascinating chance to get educated on the scrumptious science behind the process, then enjoy the results right in the field. If this place doesn't make you some golden summertime memories, nothing will. …And More A whole different cider trip could be mapped out using a destination like, say, Lake Chelan (Rootwood, Endless Orchard, Chelan Craft Cider), Spokane (Outwest, Inland, Liberty), or along the southern route of the Columbia River (Bauman's, Runcible, Fox-Tail, Son of Man), just to name a few. With more than 75 varieties of apples growing in Washington State alone, thousands more delicious cider permutations could evolve out of this prompt, to say nothing of the road maps. 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Edmonton Journal
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Demetrios Nicolaides: Alberta investing in education to meet booming enrolment
Alberta's government and the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) share the same goal: providing a world-class education to Alberta's next generation. It's a goal I am proud to work on alongside the ATA. Article content Yet in a recent op-ed, ATA president Jason Schilling says he believes Alberta's government is 'playing politics with education rather than focusing on what matters.' I strongly disagree with that characterization, as I believe our investments into Alberta's education system present a much different reality. Article content Article content Article content Many of the challenges our education system is facing today stem directly from the dramatic increase of people who moved to Alberta in recent years. In 2020-21, Alberta had roughly 735,000 students, and some school boards were even looking at closing schools due to lack of enrolment. As of today, there are nearly 826,000 students and counting. Article content Article content Our solutions: $8.6 billion to build and renovate more than 130 schools, creating 200,000 more student spaces. Thirty-three of those school construction projects have been sped up through our new innovative funding model. This is on top of the millions we have invested to build prefabricated classrooms to address the need for more classroom space now. I find it hard to characterize these investments as a 'failure to fund public education for growth,' as Mr. Schilling put it. I have heard loud and clear that something needs to be done to ensure the growing needs of students are met in classrooms, such as tailored programing for students with increased learning needs or supports for students that are learning English as a second language. My response: an historic $9.9 billion for Alberta's education system. This generational investment includes $1.6 billion for schools to address increasingly complex classrooms and will help ensure each student is supported as they engage with Alberta's world-class education system. Article content Article content Alberta's government is making significant investments in education to support student success. We're expanding school spaces and addressing the complex learning needs of students. To reduce distractions, we've banned cellphones in classrooms. We're also responding to the concerns of parents and protecting young students by ensuring they aren't exposed to inappropriate sexual content in school libraries. Article content Our updated funding model ensures school boards receive the resources they need, and we're refocusing the curriculum on essential skills like reading, writing, and financial literacy. But rather than just talk about it — let's have the results speak for themselves Article content In a recent Programme for International Student Assessment report, Alberta's students excelled in all areas of testing in math, reading, science and creative thinking. In Canada, Alberta ranked first in reading and science, and second in math. Internationally, Alberta ranked second in reading and science, and seventh in math. In financial literacy, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada and internationally. In creative thinking, Alberta students received the highest score in Canada. Internationally, Canada was only outperformed by Singapore.
Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Alberta Teachers' Association says class sizes, supports are priorities in negotiations
The president of the Alberta Teachers' Association says while wages are important, teachers' top concerns in negotiations with the provincial government are growing class sizes and a lack of support for increasing classroom complexities. Article content 'We've been the least-funded school jurisdiction in terms of student expenditure for a while,' Jason Schilling said. 'The cracks in the system are wide open, and teachers are worried about kids falling through.' Article content Article content Article content Earlier this month, 95 per cent of Alberta teachers voted in favour of strike action. The vote followed a recommendation from a mediator in early May, which 62 per cent of teachers voted to reject. Article content Article content 'We need more teachers in the system,' he said. 'We need more education assistants. We need to reduce class sizes so that teachers have more one-on-one time with their students to address their needs.' Article content Schilling said supports for students with special needs and English language learners are also lacking, as well as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, teacher-librarians and counsellors. Article content 'There's a variety of ways that we can look at supporting our classrooms,' Schilling said, 'but it really boils down to funding, and the fact that we don't see the Government of Alberta making education a priority.' Article content Article content 'Next year, the government was only looking to put in $125 million into a system that has been starved billions of dollars for well over a decade,' Schilling said. 'Teachers saw that as a very small drop in an ocean of need.' Article content The mediator's recommendation included a 12 per cent wage increase and $405 million for classroom improvements over the course of the collective agreement. Article content 'Alberta's government has tremendous respect for teachers, principals, system leaders and school divisions for their ongoing hard work inspiring and guiding students,' Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner said in a statement. Article content 'This was a fair deal, made in good faith, and I am disappointed that the Alberta Teachers' Association members did not accept the mediator's recommendation for a four-year agreement,' Horner said.
Fox Sports
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Coastal Carolina coach says CWS ejection was unwarranted and he was wrongly accused of bumping ump
Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall, tossed from the game along with first base coach Matt Schilling in the first inning of the College World Series finals Sunday, said his ejection wasn't justified and he was wrongly accused of bumping an umpire. Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him. The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing. The Tigers won 5-3 for their second national championship in three years. When Schnall was arguing with Campos, one of the base umpires ran toward the confrontation and fell on his back. 'If you guys watch the video, there was a guy who came in extremely aggressively, tripped over Campos' foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000, and goes 'two-game suspension' and says 'bumping the umpire,' Schnall said. 'There was no bump. I shouldn't be held accountable for a grown man's athleticism. Now it's excessive because I was trying to say I didn't bump him. 'It is what it is. If that warranted an ejection, there would be a lot of ejections. As umpires, it's your job to manage the game with some poise and calmness and a little bit of tolerance.' A spokesman said the NCAA stands by its original statement on the incident when asked for comment on Schnall's remarks about bumping an umpire. The NCAA in its initial statement on the incident said Schnall and Schilling engaged in 'prolonged arguing,' which is to result in a two-game suspension. Schnall would miss the first two games of the 2026 season. Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing, the NCAA said. If an assistant is ejected, he automatically also is suspended for one game. Schilling also got an additional two-game suspension under the 'prolonged arguing' rule, the NCAA said. That means he will miss the first three games next year. Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall's duties. Schnall said he couldn't hear Campos' initial warning when he was arguing balls and strikes from the dugout. 'As a head coach, it's your right to get an explanation for why we got warned,' Schnall said. 'I'm 48 years old and I shouldn't get shooed by another grown man. When I came out, I got told it was a warning issued for arguing balls and strikes, and I said it was because you missed three. At that point, ejected. If that warrants an ejection, I'm the first one to stand here like a man and apologize.' That wasn't going to happen. 'I'm not sorry for what happened,' he said. 'I'm sorry for this being over. I'm sorry for how it ended.' ___ AP college sports: recommended in this topic
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Coastal Carolina coach ejected from CWS game for 'prolonged arguing,' assistant tossed for comments
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling were ejected in the bottom of the first inning in Game 2 of the College World Series finals against LSU on Sunday. HT Image Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him. The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing. 'NCAA Playing Rule 3-6-f-Note 1 states that balls, strikes, half swings or decisions about hit-by-pitch situations are not to be argued,' the NCAA said in a statement. 'After a warning, any player or coach who continues to argue balls, strikes, half swings or a hit-by-pitch situation shall be ejected from the game.' The NCAA said 'prolonged arguing' results in a two-game suspension, so Schnall would miss a possible Game 3 on Monday and next season's opening game. Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing. If an assistant is ejected, he automatically also is suspended for one game. Schilling also gets an additional two-game suspension under the 'prolonged arguing' rule, the NCAA said. That means he could miss the first two or three games in 2026. Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall's duties. Coastal Carolina needs a victory to stay alive in the best-of-three series, which LSU leads 1-0. ___ AP college sports:
