Cider enthusiasts and curious drinkers came together for the 12th annual Cider Summit festival at Navy Pier on Saturday. The event brought over three dozen cider producers and more than 125 unique cider products to share with attendees. Each guest received 16 tickets to sample the ciders, with additional snacks available to cleanse palates.
The festival's founder, Alan Shapiro, notes that attendees often express amazement at the sophisticated flavors and nuances found in some of the offerings. "Cider is apple juice's cooler, older cousin – made from fermented apples and usually lightly fizzy," Shapiro explains. Ciders have been around since European colonizers introduced them to America, and their popularity has seen a resurgence among Millennials seeking alternative beverages.
Chicago Cider Week founder Ambrosia Borowski attends the summit every year and finds it invaluable for networking with vendors, restaurants, and cider producers. "I love watching consumers really become elevated and knowledgeable about cider and bringing everybody else into this happiness that we've all found in cider," she said.
Borowski got her start with wine but has since discovered the world of cider. A portion of ticket sales from this year's summit will be donated to Evolved Network, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization offering experiential programming for children through culinary arts and gardening. Owner Sebastian White is grateful for the Cider Summit's support, stating that it keeps his organization "alive in the work we're trying to do."
Saturday was cider fan Deborah Mathis' fifth time attending the summit. She appreciated the relatively low crowd, which allowed her to fully enjoy the event. Despite this, she hopes more people become aware of the festival and its rich history as a Chicago tradition.
The festival's founder, Alan Shapiro, notes that attendees often express amazement at the sophisticated flavors and nuances found in some of the offerings. "Cider is apple juice's cooler, older cousin – made from fermented apples and usually lightly fizzy," Shapiro explains. Ciders have been around since European colonizers introduced them to America, and their popularity has seen a resurgence among Millennials seeking alternative beverages.
Chicago Cider Week founder Ambrosia Borowski attends the summit every year and finds it invaluable for networking with vendors, restaurants, and cider producers. "I love watching consumers really become elevated and knowledgeable about cider and bringing everybody else into this happiness that we've all found in cider," she said.
Borowski got her start with wine but has since discovered the world of cider. A portion of ticket sales from this year's summit will be donated to Evolved Network, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization offering experiential programming for children through culinary arts and gardening. Owner Sebastian White is grateful for the Cider Summit's support, stating that it keeps his organization "alive in the work we're trying to do."
Saturday was cider fan Deborah Mathis' fifth time attending the summit. She appreciated the relatively low crowd, which allowed her to fully enjoy the event. Despite this, she hopes more people become aware of the festival and its rich history as a Chicago tradition.
Life is what happens to us while we're busy making other plans. ~ John Lennon
it's amazing how something like cider can bring ppl together & create these awesome connections! i've been to Navy Pier a few times but never knew about the Cider Summit, guess ill have to check it out next year 
i love how Ambrosia's all about spreading the love of cider & elevating people's knowledge about it, its so cool to see ppl passionate about something they care about 
i went last year and was blown away by all the different flavors they had on offer 
from sweet and tangy to dry and funky, there's something for every palate 
. and its so cool that its bringing people together who are passionate about cider in the first place 
i mean, deborah mathis has been going for 5 years and still can't get enough of it 
cant wait to try some new ciders this year and support a good cause 
. Like, don't get me wrong, cider sounds cool and all, but who can afford $10 a ticket? 
It's just another excuse for people to drink some $8 apple juice on the beach and call it "cider". The fact that they're donating to some nonprofit org is great, I guess, but come on, couldn't they've done that without charging us for the privilege of drinking it? 
This just sounds like some hipster nonsense to me. I mean, I'm down to try new things and all, but this whole "cider is apple juice's cooler cousin" thing is just pretentious. Can't we just call it what it is: boring old apple juice? 
I mean idk what ppl don't know about ciders yet? they're like apple juice's cooler cousin or something but on steroids 
. I mean, who knew apple juice could be so fancy? 
. I wish more people knew about Cider Week and its history in Chicago, it's definitely an underrated gem 
. Plus, it's great to see someone like Sebastian White keep his non-profit organization alive through events like this 
.
so many cool ciders to try, really interesting story about how cider has been around for centuries... sounds like it's still got a special place in american culture 
and the fact that they're supporting that Evolved Network nonprofit is awesome 
gotta love cider season tho! 
but seriously, ciders are lowkey amazing and i'm so glad they're making a comeback 
maybe next year they can have a cider-pairing workshop for millennials on budget 
. And don't even get me started on the prices - $10 a glass for apple juice?! It's just ridiculous 
. I guess some folks might enjoy it, but for me, I'll stick to my usual cola or energy drink, thank you very much 
I wish more ppl knew about cider they really have some awesome stuff going on here 3 dozen+ ciders? that's insane lol! i mean who doesn't love apple juice but cooler older cousin is a great way to put it 
i'm gonna have to look into Chicago Cider Week ASAP 
what's with the donation tho? sounds like a really cool org 
! I was wondering how they manage to get so many unique cider products from over 3 dozen producers... like, isn't that crazy? 
I've been meaning to try more ciders, but the thing is, don't they all taste kinda similar? 
is it just me or do people really experience these amazing flavors and nuances in ciders? 