Avid Cider of Bend celebrates 10 years with new flavor

Published 11:30 am Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Central Oregon’s oldest cider maker, Avid Cider Co., celebrates a decade of crafting hard cider this year. Known for its fruit-forward ciders, such as Blackberry, Dragonfruit and Watermelon Rhubarb, Avid is currently the second largest producer of cider in Oregon.

Ten years ago, things looked a bit different. The company was originally named Atlas, and it had a small tasting room at its production facility on Wilson Avenue. Atlas debuted with four ciders packaged in 22-ounce bottles: Hard Apple, Pom-Cherry, Apricot, and Blackberry.

Blackberry quickly became the company’s top seller, and in just a few years, Atlas grew to the top-selling cider brand in Oregon at one point. The Taproom in the Box Factory on Industrial Way opened in 2015, and in 2018, the company changed its name to Avid due to trademark issues.

Last year, the company was acquired by Blake’s Hard Cider of Michigan, as reported by The Bulletin. Avid continues to distribute in the Pacific Northwest under its own name, while Blake’s is found in 22 states, mostly in the East and Midwest.

New packaging and cider

As part of its milestone anniversary this year, the company is introducing a brand refresh along with a new cider. I reached out to Avid to find out more about the updates.

“It was a perfect time to push our packaging to the next level,” said CEO and owner Sam Roberts. “We always want Avid to be a reflection of authenticity and our packaging is no different. Our Avid fans have always been drawn to the artwork of our cans so we decided to lean further into that while making the look more cohesive.”

According to Finn Leahy, the company’s marketing manager, the creative direction was developed internally. Then, he said, “We worked with our talented freelance graphic designer, Jana Rogers, who was able to bring these ideas to life in a meaningful and impactful way.”

For the flagship Blackberry, the new design features a pair of ravens holding berry stems. The new year-round cider introduced for the anniversary, Royal Apricot, catches the eye with a large colorful monarch butterfly.

Royal Apricot joins Golden Delish in the cidery’s Imperial Series, with 8.5% alcohol by volume (contrasted to the regular lineup of about 6% ABV). The company describes it as having “refreshing flavors of pressed golden apricots” for a tart character. It’s an imperial twist on an old favorite.

“Our classic Apricot cider, which was produced for years, was always an employee and fan favorite,” said Roberts. “We decided to take that recipe and make the imperialized Royal Apricot version to keep up with consumer demand.”

How they taste

The company provided me with samples of Royal Apricot and Blackberry to review.

I started with the flagship. Blackberry is crafted with blackberry and currant juice in addition to the base of fresh-pressed apple juice, and is 6.2% alcohol by volume. It’s paler in color than I remember, presenting a pink-gold that is reminiscent of rosé wine. The aroma is bright and pungent with ripe berry notes and some currant and apple skin earthiness.

It’s semi-sweet with fresh-pressed apple juice character, a hint of acidity, and a jammy blackberry flavor that’s a bit candy-like. It’s sweetly drinkable, with a bit of dryness in the finish and a bit of blackberry jam in the aftertaste.

Royal Apricot pours a crystal clear, bright golden yellow, similar to a bold white wine in appearance. It smells a bit like apricot hard candy to me, with some green apple, dried apricots, apricot jam, and a hint of the underlying apple juice.

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I found it crisp with a bit of tartness that pops on the tongue, with a balance between sweet and dry. Flavors of tart fresh apricot, apple butter, and a touch of citrus contrast with a subtle candy-like note. It’s bright with a nice amount of tang and apricot character.

Both ciders are flavorful, easy to drink and, of course, gluten-free.

I asked if there are more ciders planned for the Imperial Series.

“We are excited to continue to expand upon our Imperial Series this fall with a refreshing twist on an Avid Cider classic,” Leahy said, though he didn’t specify what that might be.

Royal Apricot and cans with the new branding are out now, and you can find the full lineup of Avid’s ciders at its Taproom, including some unusual taproom-only specials.

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