Bantam Cider Taproom Opening

If one thing has been made abundantly clean in this blog I've been writing is that I love when something wonderful is made locally. So when I read in the Weekly Dig (the only good local weekly left) about a Cambridge couple were making cider, naturally I wanted to try it. So I found co-founder Dana Masterpolo's email address and asked if they'd be distributing to West Concord. In short, they told me no, so the next obvious step was asking if I could just come and pick some up. So the next thing I know, I am on the street in Cambridge loading cases of cider into my truck. With it came a lovely sample bottle that I took home for the lady and myself to try.

Bantam Cider pours a pale straw color and is clearly very effervescent based on a nice head that dissipates quickly. The apple tastes up front are super light on the tongue, with notes of grapefruit and a dry grassy finish. Immediately I realize it's unlike any other hard cider I've ever tasted. Like an amazing Sauvingon Blanc made with apples. It was instantaneously the lady's favorite alcoholic beverage, and her obsession began. 

That takes us to last Saturday night, March 8th, Bantam Cider's Taproom Opening party. I had heard about it but had no idea when it was opening. An email to Dana goes unanswered, for good reason. Apparently it was opening that weekend and it was completely sold out. An email to a friend who might be able to help me out leads to another dead end as he tells me what I already know. It is sold out. Then, on Saturday afternoon, an email from Dana asking if I was still looking for tickets and that two people dropped out, so if I wanted in, I was in. So then there the I was, with the lady, in Bantam's brand new taproom. Bantam's taproom has an industrial feel to it, with stockpiles of barrels with aging cider, and a center bar with eight draft lines pouring 6 different ciders. The night had some food accompaniment with Union Square Donuts and some amazing chili served in a bag of Fritos, a take on the classic Frito Pie. And to finish off the atmosphere for the night they had a looped video of the making of the taproom, from bringing in tanks to laying floor tile on a giant projection screen. 

Bantam is making some amazing ciders in a variety of ways with wild yeast strains, barrel aged, blended with other ciders, with persian spices, and who knows what else. They're pushing the boundaries of what cider is, and they're doing it in my backyard. And while I'm pretty sure I'll always be a beer guy, Bantam is making drinking cider an equally exciting experience. I can't wait to go to the tap room and get a pint of something amazing and interesting once it finally opens to the public.