McKenzie's Hard Cider Seasonal Reserve

Greeting readers! The fall season in Chicago has been lovely this year, but one thing has been missing: the perfect seasonal cider. Look no further, because Bailey and Hawke have found it! We were browsing our local Binny's store when we came across McKenzie's Hard Cider Seasonal Reserve and Bailey was curious, so she purchased it. She had never heard of this company before and was very excited for a chance to try  something completely new to her palate. This cider boasts a mulled spiciness for the fall season. Flavors include nutmeg, cinnamon, and apple goodness, Oh My! This cider has a 5% ABV and is sold in six pack bottles. It is bottled in Seneca, NY, but doesn't specify where the apples are grown or what variety they are. We are going to assume they are also grown in New York. On with the review!

Color:

Bailey thought this cider had a nice light gold hue and was very clear. It also had a few bubbles, but was otherwise unblemished. She rates it with a 5/5 apples. 

Hawke agreed that it was a brilliant gold and was very clear. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.

Smell:

Bailey took one whiff of this cider and summed it up in one word: Spices! This cider will make you think that your Grandmother is in the immediate area baking pumpkin pies. She easily detected the cloves at the forefront, then the nutmeg with its' somewhat sweet aroma, and the cinnamon was also present. All together it was lovely and she couldn't wait to drink it. She gives it a 5/5 apples.

Hawke was very surprised by the spiciness, but only because it was so wonderfully fragrant. He smelled mostly cinnamon with some clove, but not much apple aroma. Although the spices are very pungent, they are not overwhelming. He rates it with a 5/5 apples as well. 

Taste / Complexity:

Bailey eagerly took a sip and instantly started daydreaming about sitting in front of a fireplace with some nice fuzzy slippers on. There is some sweet apple flavor that complements the spices very well and keeps them from being too much, but definitely takes the back seat. All the spices are perfectly blended and it is deliciously smooth. She quickly rates this cider with a 5/5 apples.

Hawke thought that the cinnamon was the strongest flavor but the clove and apple were also there. He agreed that this cider was incredibly smooth and that the quality was very high. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.

Aftertaste:

Bailey found that the spices lighten up a bit in the aftertaste, but still hang around. She also tasted a bit of sour apple on the back of her tongue that went quite nicely with the spices. The aftertaste definitely left her wanting another drink. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.

Hawke tasted mostly the nutmeg with a good transition to a little apple flavor. He also commented that the aftertaste lingers for a decent amount of time before diminishing. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.

Price:

$8-10

Bailey was very please with this price as it was sold in a six pack of bottles. She thought that the quality of this cider was amazing and that is was totally worth it. She is planning on going back and getting a few more six packs to save for Christmas time. She rates it with a 5/5 apples for the price. 

Hawke also thought this was a very fair price especially because it is a seasonal limited release. This price is competitive with most other brands that are sold in six packs. He also gives it a 5/5 apples. 

Overall:

Bailey thinks that this cider will really please anyone who loves mulled cider in the fall, but it will also be perfect for whiskey drinkers. It has a "darker" smooth flavor that will quench the palate of a bourbon lover. The spices in this cider blend very well and the quality is fantastic. Overall she rates this cider with 25/25 apples, or a green apple!

Hawke thought that this is a cider that is more about tasting the season and not having the apples at the forefront, but he very much enjoyed it. This is the first variety of cider we have tried from this company and it was so good he can't wait to try more.  He also rates it with a perfect 25/25 apples, or a green apple!

And there you have it! The first perfect score of the fall season. We were very impressed with this cider and we hope you will be too. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy your cider!

Food Review: Chicken and Waffles of Evanston

Unfortunately, Hawke and Bailey don't spend all of their days sitting around drinking cider. They occasionally sample food as well. This time they were invited to Chicken and Waffles a restaurant that specializes in chicken, waffles, catfish and other southern home style recipes.

The Evanston location is their newest location (there are two more Chicago locations in Oak Park and the South Side) and the building itself is beautiful. Inside and out is covered with gorgeous brickwork that both Hawke and Bailey loved. Inside the restaurant there is a soft lighting and rich color. Live jazz plays on Thursday nights, but the house music was also soft and really helped complete the dinning experience.

Hawke and Bailey were promptly seated and a very friendly waitress came over. Looking over the menu, the waitress pointed out some of the popular items: The Saint which is a quarter of white or dark meat fried chicken with 2 waffles and Tonya's choice, which is 3 wings and a choice of one waffle, potato salad, or fries. Hawke opted to try The Saint with dark meat, while Bailey ordered Kisha's Creation. This is 2 fried or grilled catfish filets with a choice of waffle, grits, or rice, as well as 2 eggs done in any style. Bailey chose the fried catfish, scrambled eggs and a buckwheat waffle. She also opted to get a side of gravy.

Food arriving quickly, they surveyed the meals. Hawke's was served up with two large traditional waffles and two pieces of chicken, all on one plate with a heap of butter and two containers of syrup. Baileys was served on three plates with surprisingly large pieces of catfish and a large thick buckwheat waffle. A large portion of rice and eggs were also given, and the gravy was separate. The portions here are definitely worth the money.

The Saint

Digging into the meal Hawke found the waffles were sweet but not overwhelmingly so. They were crispy without being overdone and were not soggy at all. It went well with the syrup provided, which had a very nice maple flavor. The chicken was also very good, cooked just right. It is a traditional pairing of chicken and waffles, so it can come as no surprise that the syrup goes well on the chicken, but hot sauce is also an option. Surprisingly, there was no grease or oil that was on the chicken, despite being fried. Both the meat and the skin were done just right. Reaching over he did dip some of the chicken in the gravy that Bailey had gotten and found that the pairing was delicious. There are many different cider pairings that can be done with this meal. It is very earthy and one may want to stick with that. Hawke decided that the Grasshopp-ah Cider from the Colorado Cider Works would be a good pairing. As well, the Tieton Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider would also be good cider to try with this meal. 

Kishas' Creation

Sides

Baileys' meal was almost overwhelming in the amount of food that was presented. She first tried the eggs, which she really liked. They were cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasoning to them. The waffle was also quite good. It was very thick which Bailey almost had mistaken for two waffles, and almost had a cake-like texture to it. Despite its' size, the texture was very light, something she did not expect. Switching to the catfish, she found it to be crispy, with a rich buttery taste. Realizing that the crust was breadcrumbs and not flour, she also discovered that the catfish was not greasy at all. She was also quite a fan of the gravy. The gravy is homemade from their chicken. It is not greasy, but thick and creamy. It had a sweet peppery flavor to it. It pretty much went well with everything that was on the table. The rice was moist with a bit of stickiness to it that made it easy to dip in the gravy.

An ideal cider pairing for this meal would probably be the Woodchuck Amber or  Woodpecker Cider. Both are very standard ciders, and do not offer a lot of complex flavors. Covering up or worse, clashing flavors with a meal like this, especially the gravy, might confuse your pallet. 

Peach Cobbler

Lastly, dessert came around. This was a peach cobbler. Bailey and Hawke both found this to be delicious. It was not overly sweet as many cobblers can be. Instead it had an effective balance between sweet and tart, and was eaten very quickly.

Chicken and Waffles Restaurant offers a variety of different options while sticking to their roots. You can tell that the owners care about what comes out of the kitchen, and serving food that everyone can eat. The waitress told us that they focus on not over-seasoning or making things too greasy so that their more elderly patrons don't have to worry about diet restrictions.  Price for all the dishes was very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food served. Hawke and Bailey will definitely be eating there again, or at least getting carry out in the future. 

Food Review: Lunchtime With Takashi Yagihashi (And Cider Pairings)

Greetings readers! Summer is winding down here in Chicago, which means trying to find more indoor activities. This week, we were invited back to Macy's on State Street to review a lunch that chef Takashi created. We were so happy with the first round of lunch that we attended, we couldn't say no. For some basic info on Chef Takashi, his restaurants, and an earlier interview with him, please refer to this post: An Interview With Takashi Yagihashi All of the following recipes are in the cookbook titled "Takashi's Noodles."

For our appetizer, Chef Takashi created his version of shrimp shumai. This dish is normally enjoyed in Japanese culture as a snack or side dish. He also informed us that you can prepare shumai ahead of time and freeze them prior to cooking for a party or family gathering. They should hold up in the freezer for about a month. There are several ways to cook shumai: by frying, steaming, or baking them. These shumai were amazing! Usually when you find shumai on the menu, they come as a "envelope" with the filling concealed inside a wonton wrapper. Takashi's version is an open packet with the filling visible, which was a nice surprise. His shumai are packed with flavors of soy, ginger, and mustard. The flavors were all distinguishable and blended very well together. These shumai were cooked using a stove-top steamer set on top of a pan with boiling water and cooked very quickly. He served them with steamed bok choy.

Next up was the Chicken Yakitori. This is a very popular Japanese comfort food. These skewers are meant to be cooked very slowly to allow the meat and the sauce coating it to caramelize. Chef Takashi recommends making this dish for parties, picnics, or for watching football. They cook well on a stove-top grill or on an outdoor grill. You can even please the vegetarians by substituting tofu for the meat.  There are few words to describe how tender this chicken was. It literally fell off the skewer as Bailey was trying to eat it. The lemon and ginger juices that go into this sauce create a perfect flavor combination for comfort food, and the shiitake mushrooms add a very good savory contrast to the sweet sauce. This is a great Asian version of the good old meat and veggie skewer.  

Chef Takashi saved his best for last, Chicken Tatsuta-Age. This is his version of fried chicken, and we had heard stories about how tasty it was the last time we attended his cooking demonstration. This fried chicken is first marinated with traditional Japanese flavors and served with a savory asian slaw. Because the meat is marinated, it keeps very well as leftovers. You can also cut up the leftovers and turn it into a sandwich, this dish is very versatile! The asian slaw was very crisp and refreshing and added a nice crunchy side for the chicken. This dish is definitely not your grandma's fried chicken. It's bursting with bright flavors and the potato starch coating offers a really light alternative to the traditional American heavy batters. This also means that the coating for the chicken is gluten free. 

Throughout the demonstration, Chef Takashi was very personable and informative. He took the time to pass around some of the ingredients being used in the dishes, so that the crowd could touch, smell, and sample them. He also made sure that in between each dish anyone who had a question could ask it. If you are ever in the Chicago area, I highly recommend going to Macy's on State Street if there is a cooking demo happening. The chefs on their culinary council are amazing and it is a great opportunity to get some great tips and tricks from the professionals. 

Whew! Ok, so Hawke and I wanted to make some suggestions for cider that would go with these lovely dishes. The shrimp shumai has great flavor that would demand a light and crisp cider. You wouldn't want anything to overpower this dish. We think that Citizen Cider's Unified Press would be a good choice. You could also go with Uncle John's Draught Cider for this one. Both of these ciders are very crisp and clean without bold flavors that would clash.

For the Chicken Yakitori, you will want a cider that complements the bold flavor of the ginger and lemon. We would suggest Tieton Cider Works: Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider. This cider has an earthy taste that would offer a good contrast. The fact that it is a dryer cider could help contrast the acidity. If you wanted to add to the bold flavors, you could go with Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White. This cider has some hoppy-ness to it with a great burst of orange flavor. This cider is also only available in summer when all those great outdoor cookouts are happening.

Finally, for the Chicken Tatsuta-Age, you could go with a great ginger cider to really complement the great Asian flavors. We suggest Angry Orchard's Apple Ginger or Fox Barrel's Ginger and Black Currant Pear Cider.


Disclosure: I am a member of Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with the compensation for this post about Macy's Culinary Council. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

Bar on Buena/Uncle John's Cider

This being summer time in Chicago, it is a good time to get out and explore what the city has to offer. After being couped up for awhile due to an injury, Bailey and Hawke decided to go down to an eatery that they had both heard about. That night was also important because Uncle John's Cider was also there with some of their signature ciders. For this event Hawke and Bailey elected to try a different cider each and give a review on that one.

The Bar On Buena is a small eatery just off of Broadway that offers a fine selection of foods. If you are just going for an appetizer and a beer, their bruschesta is highly recommended by both Hawke and Bailey. Their burgers are also worth the trip. But, that's not why were here, on to the ciders!

Uncle John's Cider Mill is a cidery out of St. Johns Michigan that offers several different types of cider to choose from. Seasonal ciders include a Cinnamon Apple, Cranberry Apple, and Apple Blueberry, as well as several others.

Bailey elected to get a Apple Apricot cider. It comes in at 6.7% ABV.

Color: Bailey found this cider to have a dark gold with some carbonation, which she liked. Not exactly what she was expected though, but very pleasing to the eye.  Bailey: 5/5

Smell: Bringing it to her nose she detected a mostly overwhelmingly sweet smell which seemed to cover most of the other smells. She also detected some apple, but even less apricot. Bailey: 4/5

Taste: Bailey said the flavor of this cider was that of sweet alcohol, which again seemed to overwhelm the other flavors that were in the cider. She said that apricot is a background flavor in this cider, while the apple was a little heavier. Bailey: 3/5

Aftertaste: The aftertaste on this cider mostly consisted of a sour apple flavor. Bailey found this to be a good aftertaste as she found it to be boldly sour, while not being overwhelmingly sour as we've seen with other cider brands. Bailey: 4/5

Overall: Bailey found this to be a good cider, as the flavors were present while not being overwhelming. She does wish that the apricot flavor was more at the forefront of the cider rather than a background player.
Bailey's total: 17/20 or a green apple.

Hawke opted to try Uncle John's Apple Cranberry Cider.

Color: Hawke was pleased to find that this cider comes out a deep red, with little or no carbonation present. Hawke: 5/5

Smell: Upon smelling, Hawke detected a little alcohol smell that was at the front of the cider, beyond that, there was some cranberry and some very slight apple smell present. 4/5

Taste: The initial taste was very sharp and sour, as expected with a cranberry cider, but the cranberry flavor was very light. There was some apple flavor as well, but it was almost undetectable. Hawke: 4/5

Aftertaste: The final lingering flavors were subtle, with nothing particularly overwhelming. The main flavor that stuck around was the sour flavor, with the cranberry and apple almost nonexistent. Hawke: 3/5

Overall: This cider was about what Hawke expected it to be. It was decent, but lacking a little in the flavors of apple and cranberry. Hawke's Total: 16/20 or a green apple.

Note: As Hawke and Bailey were at a bar, they did not take price into consideration. A Search at their local liquor store puts the prices between 10-13 dollars which they both found a little high. 

25 Degrees Restaurant: A Drink Review

25 Degrees Restaurant, 

731 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL  

http://25degreesrestaurant.com/chicago/

Here at Cider Press we mainly like to keep our focus on cider, however an offer came by from Brandy, of the Bunny and Brandy Blog, to come along to a redone menu at 25 Degrees we had to go. Unfortunately, Bailey had fallen ill with the flu, so it was up to Hawke to go for both of them. Just off of the Chicago and State Red Line Stop, Hawke met with Bunny and Brandy  and they entered into a restaurant that was slightly dark, with wood paneling and red fabric along the walls.

This being Chicago Summer, the place was also open to the street with cafe dining on the sidewalk. Opting to eat inside, they were quickly given a table and a waitress came by to get their orders. Bunny and Brandy both opted to start with spiked lemonade drinks. Bunny got a traditional lemonade made with vodka, while Brandy opted for the summer blend, also mixed with vodka. After receiving their drinks, they sampled each others and decided to switch. Claiming that the lemonade was a little too tart for Bunny, whereas the Summer Blend was a little sweet for Brandy. The Summer Blend is actually watermelon, but it was not posted on the sign on the table. There was also a pomegranate drink, but Hawke did not wish to try it, citing a previous bad experience with pomegranate juice. Both Bunny and Brandy really enjoyed their drinks.

Initially, Hawke could not decide on a drink to get, as the list of drinks was quite extensive. After placing their initial order of food, which is detailed at Bunny and Brandys blog, Hawke decided on a drink called the Beam and Beer. A classic root beer float with a twist. The base of the drink was made with Jim Beam whiskey, with vanilla ice cream, then IBC root beer was poured over the top. Served on a hot Chicago day, the ice cream began to melt quickly, this was not a disappointment however as it served to better mix the float. Upon consuming the float, Hawke quickly discovered that the bottom of the float was mostly Jim Beam. The flavors do mesh well together, and provided relief from the hot Chicago weather.

Brandy, after having eaten her fill of food, had opted to try a Salty Caramel. Made with Maker's Mark, vanilla ice cream, mixed with butterscotch and topped Hawaiian red sea salt. This was a drink that made Brandy's eyes light up. Salted caramel is one of, if not her favorite treats. Upon tasting she quickly commented that the bottom of the drink was pure Maker's Mark. This did not dissuade her, and she eagerly consumed the entire drink.

Overall, 25 Degrees boasts an excellent drink variety, for a reasonable price for Chicago. If you are in the area, it is worth while to check out and see if you can find a new favorite drink on their menu.  

*Cider Press Blog was given their meal and drinks free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

CiderBoys: Peach Country

Greetings readers! We hope that you have been enjoying your summer and taking advantage of all the festivals this year. Bailey and Hawke headed up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Summerfest this past weekend and decided to make a special stop to pick up CiderBoys hard cider. We have heard a lot of good things about this cider, but we have not been able to purchase it in the Chicago area yet. Slowly but surely it seems to be trickling down to some places in the Illinois market now.

This cider is produced locally in Wisconsin and mixes the flavors of apple with peach! It has a ABV of 5% and comes in a six pack of bottles. You can find all of their exciting varieties here: http://www.ciderboys.com/

Color:
Bailey liked the golden yellow coloration of this cider and thought it was very clear with slight carbonation. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.
Hawke also liked the light yellow hue of this cider and thought that it was very well filtered with some bubbles. He also gives it 5/5 apples.

Smell:
Bailey fell in love with the great peach smell of this cider. The aroma was a very powerful sweet peach with the slightest hint of apple. Just smelling this cider made Bailey want to buy some peaches to bite into. She easily gives this cider a 5/5 for smell.
Hawke was a little apprehensive after taking a whiff. He couldn't deny the sweet peach smell, but was afraid that the taste would be way too sweet for him. He rates the smell with a 4/5 apples.

Taste / Complexity:
Bailey thought the flavor of this cider was amazing! The powerful sweet peach flavor was not too overwhelming for her, and the overall mouth feel was very light. She also felt a slight fizzy feeling on her tongue after taking a sip. This cider was very crisp and refreshing. Usually, Bailey would have been disappointed with the lack of apple flavor, but the quality of the peach flavor was so good, she can't say anything bad about it. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.
Hawke also enjoyed the strong peach flavor and was surprised that it was not too sweet for his liking. He also commented on the lack of apple flavor, but agreed that the quality was very good. He also rates this cider with 5/5 apples for flavor.

Aftertaste:
Bailiey detected that the sweet peach flavor lingered, but not very long. It was hard to discern if there was any apple flavor in the aftertaste because it could have mixed in with the sweetness. Bailey gives this cider a 4/5 apples for aftertaste.
Hawke agreed that he tasted the sweet peach flavor but not for very long. There was also a lasting sweetness, but he couldn't detect the apple flavor either. He also rates it with a 4/5 apples.

Price:
$7-10 for a six pack of bottles. This cider is currently mostly available in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin and northern Illinois areas. With the quality of this cider, Bailey feels this price is very reasonable and hopes that CiderBoys will spread to the rest of the country. She rates this cider with a 5/5 apples for price.
Hawke was very impressed with this cider and feels that the price is very reasonable for the six pack. He would definitely buy this cider again and gives it a 5/5 apples.

Overall:
Bailey believes that even though this cider is a little lacking in apple flavor, the quality is very good and it is delicious. Peach lovers will instantly love this cider. It is not too sweet and the alcohol doesn't even play a part in the flavor. Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 24/25 apples, or a green apple.

Hawke was very surprised at how much he liked this cider, as he is not a huge fan of peaches. He admitted that of all the fruit flavored ciders we have tried, this was probably his favorite. The quality is great, the flavor is delicious, and this cider is great for summer. Overall, Hawke rates this cider with a 23/25 apples, or a green apple. 

Keep on a lookout for our review of CiderBoys First Press hard cider. Keep enjoying your summer and thanks for reading!

Food Shout-out: Garden Grill

Greetings readers! Every once in a while we like to give a shout-out to some local Chicago restaurants, because what goes better with cider than food? Recently we were invited to the grand opening of Garden Grill to check out what they had to offer. They are located at 3129 W. Armitage Avenue in Chicago. You can find their website here: http://gardengrillmexicancuisine.com/

The Garden Grill is nestled into the back corner of a small shopping center, which adds to it's modest charm. Upon entering the restaurant, Bailey and Hawke both agreed that the layout was intelligently designed. The ordering counter is located right next to the door, along with some bench seating in case you are waiting for carry-out. There are some tables along the wall in the front area and booths towards the back of the restaurant which opens up into a larger dining area. While waiting for a table to open up, we enjoyed some margaritas and catered finger food provided for the grand opening party (not on the menu) and listened to the live Mariachi band that was singing their hearts out for all the guests.

For dinner, Hawke set his eye on a corned beef hash skillet. It arrived in an actual skillet while still sizzling. His mouth watered as he waited for it to cool down. Hawke loved this dish. The eggs were light and cooked just enough so that they weren't runny. The potatoes were soft and nicely seasoned. The corned beef and cheese brought this dish together nicely and made everything melt in his mouth. The corned beef was very juicy and was not tough at all. Hawke definitely would order this dish again. 

Bailey opted for some good old fashioned tacos. She selected from several options for meat and seasonings for the taco plates, which come with rice and re-fried beans like every taco plate should. Bailey chose the a carne asada taco and a pork taco. Each taco came with 2 flour tortillas for extra folding capacity. The meat was very tender with a good amount of spice to it. Bailey could also taste the cilantro in the tacos, which usually fades into the other flavors. All the toppings were very fresh and delicious. The re-fried beans and rice were also very good and not too dry, meaning they weren't overcooked. Bailey was also very happy with her dinner and would order it again.  

Overall, Hawke and Bailey would recommend Garden Grill for a very affordable casual meal spot. The people are very friendly and the food is very well prepared. It also allows you to see a new neighborhood if you aren't familiar with the Logan Square area. It is accessible from the Kimball bus, or it is a short walk west of some of the Logan Square blue line stops. We thank Garden Grill for the opportunity to come out and review the food, and we wish them good luck!