We dry-hopped this cider with hops from the North Carolina Hop Research Station in WNC. But when we blind tasted it with the crew, no one picked it out as a hopped cider.

And that’s when we knew we had something different.

Cider Darling? doesn’t wear hops on its sleeve. It leans into soft aromatics — grassy, citrusy, high-toned — like a Sauv Blanc from the orchard. There’s no bitterness. No IPA energy. Just a clean, subtle nod to the hop cone. It’s a cider that resists labels and rewards attention.

Drink it with: fresh chèvre, grilled greens, citrus-dressed salads, or herby white pizza.