An Andover company took home a bronze medal at the U.S. Open Cider Championship earlier this month.
Andover Cider Co.’s dry, unfiltered ciders without added sugar, sulfites, or preservatives impressed judges from England, Canada in the U.S. and rose to the top of the more than 240 entries in the traditional category.
“Our dedication to traditional methods and pure ingredients is at the core of every bottle,” Andover Cider owner Caleb Harty said. “This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work and passion.”
Harty founded the company after being diagnosed with a gluten allergy which took beer off the menu. “I couldn’t have more than one without feeling gross after,” he wrote on the company’s Website. “In talking with other people, my experience wasn’t unique. Sometimes I wondered if I could make something better, half kidding.” After moving to a new home with a three-story barn — the perfect place to perfect and begin selling the small-batch cider.
You can try the award-winning cider for yourself at LaRosa’s and Samuel’s in Andover, as well as Wine Press in Boston in Brookline, and the Black Cow Leary’s in Newburyport, among other Massachusetts restaurants and retailers.