Ash and Elm Cider Co.: Apple Sauced
Hard ciders get a bad rap. The fizzy, sweet stuff made from fermented fruit garners no respect from wine snobs, and the craft-beer revolution mostly passed it by. But Indy’s Ash and Elm Cider Co., which is opening the city’s first cider-exclusive production facility and tasting room this spring, might be the one good apple to unspoil the bunch. Husband-and-wife owners Aaron and Andrea Homoya are big fans of traditional styles popular in Ireland and England (generally a drier breed with flavor profiles, like oak and berry, similar to wines). Look for their creations on draft at local restaurants, or sip them by the 12-ounce pour beneath the exposed-brick arches of Ash and Elm’s East Washington Street tasting room. Eventually, the Homoyas will roll out more complex hopped and barrel-aged renditions, ultra-traditional styles that require longer fermentation, and bottle-conditioned sippers that taste more like champagne. “Those will be some of our high-end ciders,” Andrea says. “Real cider fans will get excited about those.” 2104 E. Washington St.
