CiderCon Chicagoland Tour
Featuring 2 Fools Cider, Peeled Cider, Eris Brewery and Ciderhouse, and Right Bee Cider.
Four cideries. One day. So much cider.
Stop One: 2 Fools Cider, with guest Peeled Cider.
The day began at 2 Fools Cider, ~45 minutes away from downtown Chicago. All 60+ cider enthusiasts poured off the bus and into the giant space 2 Fools has made into their own. With a clean, welcoming interior and Instagram-able corners of the space, it was a pleasant environment to step into. The morning, for me, kicked off with the guest-pour from Peeled Cider. 2 Fools had welcomed them into the space to get their drink into the hands of cider enthusiasts. With my first pour of Peeled Cider’s hazy blueberry, it was off to the tour. The cleanliness of the space flowed into 2 Fools production area as well - perhaps it was just for this group, but something about this experience tells me that they’re proud of a clean cider experience without the 60+ guests in their space.
To me, the most notable 2 Fools of the day was the “I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-A-Stout” cider. They created a dark, frothy cider with a heavy mouthfeel, a beer flair, and still influenced by the apple base. It was a truly unique experience, perfect for winter drinking.
Stop Two: Eris Brewery and Ciderhouse
Originally a Masonic Lodge, the Eris team took on the task of arduously converting the space into a place for socializing and production. In the main dining hall alone, the railings are created from the building’s previous radiators; the beams were stripped of their previous decor, rebuffed and finished to emphasize the original wood; and, the iconic rings above the kitchen were repurposed from a water tower found within the building. In this piece, the logo is their namesake, Eris, fror the Greek Goddess of Chaos, and even the light fixtures that illuminate this piece were repurposed from a 10-burner stove. All together, just a beautiful example of how mindfully the Eris team converted the space into their own while respecting what was already present.
Within Eris’s Main Dining Hall: Note the railings are reused furnaces in the bottom right.
Once you get settled into your seat, admire the main hall, and set your eyes on the menu - what else stands out but Malört cider! Malört is on every bar menu in Chicago, but Eris went above and beyond to create their Äpfel Ort. Created as a collaboration with CH Distillery, the cider is aged in Malört barrels to create that unique Chicago experience. For non-Chicago visitors, such as myself, I recommend a shot of Malört to be tried with the drink so you fully understand the unique characteristics of this cider.
After gushing about their space, I realized I did not take photos of the rings, see Eris’s photos here: Gallery — ERIS Brewery & Cider House (erischicago.com)
Stop Three: Right Bee Cider
If you haven’t heard of Right Bee before this blog, please take a moment to say the name out loud: Right Bee Cider. Right Bee-Cid-er.
I’ll wait.
Did you hear it? Right beside her.
This cidery starts with a classic tale. Boy meets girl. Girls likes cider. Boy has brewing experience and wants to impress girl. Boy learns how to make cider. Girl drinks cider. Girl and boy get married and start a cidery. Fast forward to 2023, the “bee” portion of the name has evolved into a new step in their tale. On top of their warehouse, they now have beehives to support the use of honey in their ciders. Their newest example is the Muzzle of Bees, created from their honey, proceeds support the Hive Supply to continue educating the public about how vital bees are to our ecosystem.
