Stem Ciders Releases Apricot Haze Cider Inspired by Hazy IPA Style
Lafayette, CO (May 23) — Stem Ciders is catching the haze craze with its newest seasonal cider release, Apricot Haze. Inspired by the rise of Hazy IPAs, Apricot Haze employs an innovative hopping technique developed by Stem’s Director of Liquids, Patrick Combs, to replicate the best qualities of the popular beer style.
Featuring a bright, juicy, stone fruit profile through the use of apricot puree, along with a dank tropical hop backbone through the use of El Dorado, Sabro, and Citra hops, Apricot Haze builds on the foundation first laid in the recent release of CAPSTONE. The limited-release hoppy cider with raspberry and Meyer lemon was recently developed in partnership with local satellite development company, Advanced Space and Apricot Haze looks to build on that recent success.
In order to replicate the juicy, hoppy, hazy profile, in cider form, Combs went beyond the traditional approach of simply dry-hopping its cider and employed a hop tea extraction technique.
“I wanted to push the boundaries of hoppy cider and recreate my favorite elements of a hazy IPA,” said Combs. “I found that apricot worked really well at imparting the expected hazy orange hue, as well as recreating some of the elements of the creamy, silky mouthfeel.”
“The issue with dry-hopped ciders is that it doesn’t produce the same flavor profiles found in hoppy beers,” Combs continued. “The whirlpool hop addition (the first round of hops added after the initial boil) in beer adds certain hop characteristics that can’t be replicated by merely dry-hopping a cider.”
By using a hop tea to extract the full hop characteristics, Combs was able to replicate the controlled heating process that takes place in the whirlpool hop addition. Additionally, after first testing this process with Stem’s CAPSTONE release, Combs also discovered that a slightly longer extraction period helps to lend a greater hop profile than was found in its initial iteration. From there, the cider is conditioned on apricot puree to help complement the natural stone fruit
notes found in several traditional Hazy IPAs. The result is a hoppy apricot juice-forward cider that truly captures the hop profile of a Hazy IPA.
Apricot Haze is now available in cans from all Stem Ciders locations and ships directly from their online store to 38 states. Available through wholesale starting July.
ABOUT STEM CIDERS
Stem Ciders is a top 25 cidery in the US and the largest cidery in Colorado. Based in Lafayette, CO, Stem Ciders distributes dry-focused craft ciders to 20 US states, ships directly to consumers across 38 states, and exports to Canada and Japan. With "The World is Your Orchard" as its mantra and using fresh-pressed apple juice from the Pacific Northwest, Stem seeks to pay homage to traditional cider making while also redefining what is possible in contemporary ciders. Stem's superpower is creating completely unique ciders that capture the palates of wine drinkers, craft beer drinkers, and consumers seeking alternative beverages in the alcohol space. From the elegance of Real Dry, to spicy Chile Guava, to the compelling A Salted Cucumber, and inspiring bourbon barrel aged cider Banjo, Stem Ciders fearlessly challenges themselves to offer fans unique, craft flavors. In April 2022 Stem acquired the Howdy Beer brand, a Western-style Pilsner, to expand its beverage portfolio to a wider audience. Learn more at stemciders.com and howdybeer.com Learn more at stemciders.com and howdybeer.com
