Central Oregon may be best known for beer when considering fermented beverages, but don’t overlook cider. The region is home to four companies making hard cider, offering an interesting range of products worth exploring. Recently, I picked up a seasonal cider from Bend Cider Company to do just that.

Bend Cider opened in 2019, with a cidery and taproom located in Tumalo. The company focuses on botanical elements in its ciders, and its year-round lineup includes Huckleberry Ginger, Mandarin Juniper and Acai Berry Spearmint.

This spring, it introduced a new seasonal variety, Guava Hibiscus, a combination with tropical characteristics.

Guava is a common tropical fruit with a wide variety of culinary uses; its flavor is often described as a cross between a pear and a strawberry. Hibiscus is known for its large, colorful flowers which are often used in teas and are edible when dried. I reached out to the company to learn about the cider and how these ingredients were incorporated.

“The guava idea originally came from a regular customer that is from Hawaii. He would always talk about how guava would bring back memories of growing up and kept requesting it every time he came in,” said co-founder Tammy Roark via email.

“Kelly (Roark), the cider maker had picked up some hibiscus around this time to play around with, thinking it could add a great burst of tart and a beautiful color to any cider. It seemed to be the perfect pairing with guava being a light flavor and color and the hibiscus complementing.”

Bend Cider uses a guava puree in formulating the cider and works with dried hibiscus, which is infused post-fermentation.

“It has been pretty tricky to get the perfect infusion (of hibiscus) into each batch,” Roark said. “As you know, apple juice is a fruit, and like wine, each batch varies with sugar levels, acidity levels and so on… when infusing different elements, it can change and vary batch to batch.”

Guava Hibiscus Cider is 6.7% alcohol by volume and is described as “off-dry,” available in cans as well as on draft.

The color is gold with a pink tinge, reminiscent of rose, and it pours clear and lively with a steady stream of bubbles. The aroma is lightly tart with a tropical note that’s bright and floral, and it’s fruity with elements of crab apple, ripe apple flesh, berries and a golden fruit impression.

The flavors blend into a subtle presentation with a floral-tart character from the hibiscus and tropical fruit notes from the guava addition that remind me of pineapple rind and mango or pear skin. The descriptor of “off-dry” is accurate as it’s neither overly sweet nor particularly dry. Apple takes a bit of a background role in the flavor, but it’s present.

It finishes crisp with a touch of earthiness and a subtle acidity, and I found it mellow and interesting, with all of the flavors harmonizing well.

The label on the can of Guava Hibiscus features a stylized image of a sea turtle, and in fact, all of the company’s labels feature similar images of different animals. Bend Cider donates a portion of its sales proceeds to benefit environmental education. I asked Roark about some of the organizations to have benefitted.

“Nonprofits such as: Think Wild, Deschutes Land Trust and Seed To Table are a few of the organizations we have been working with,” she said. “We are currently working on a more extensive program that would highlight and give back monthly through our taproom as well!”

Before becoming a cider maker, co-founder Kelly Roark worked with the National Park Service rescuing sea turtles, hence the turtle on the can.

Guava Hibiscus is the company’s spring and summer seasonal; with the advent of September, it’s beginning to roll out the fall and winter cider, Blackberry Ancho. First introduced last year, it combines blackberries with ancho chilis (dried poblano peppers) into a cider with a bit of spicy heat.

I tried a glass of this year’s batch and found it semi-sweet with an almost culinary impression in the savory sweetness. The chilis adds a subtle, blooming spice at the back of the throat without being overwhelming. I suspect it would pair well with spicy Asian dishes.

Blackberry Ancho is currently on tap at the company’s Tumalo taproom and cans will be available soon. You can still find Guava Hibiscus on the shelves as well, so don’t miss out on the chance to try this tropical treat.