Why can’t I find hard cider in Southwestern Virginia? (I’m not talking about regular apple cider, but the kind with alcohol.) Is it illegal here? Whenever I ask in a store about it the people there seem rather clueless, as if they have never heard of it. They often refer me to the juice aisle.
If it is illegal to sell it here, would it be illegal to bring some from North Carolina for my private consumption? Note: I am not asking how to do this or saying I would like to do it if it is illegal.
Go to an apple orchard. Buy a gallon of fresh cider, specifying Red Delicious apples, if available. Be sure to tell the cider salesman, that if you can’t have any very fresh cider, several gallons of less fresh cider will do. Put the cider in your basement, in a cool corner. Leave the top loosened, but not off. Wait a week, and have a look. When there is a band of clear cider between two layers of very cloudy or foamy cider, get a small rubber hose, and siphon out the clear stuff without disturbing the cloudy stuff. Put it in the refrigerator.
Using the foam to alter a batch of brewed malted barley wort is illegal, of course, and cannot be recommended. (But if the wart is too hot, the yeast will die.)
Isn’t any alcoholic beverage carry out, except beer & wine, only distributed via ABC stores in VA? I remember having to make runs to the ABC store in Abingdon when I was growing up in that area.
I’m originally from southwest VA, and visit there often. In fact, I was there just a week ago and some friends were drinking cider, so I’m sure you can buy it there. I would expect it to be in the beer/wine section of your local grocery store.
I’ve never looked for cider there, but it certainly seems like Wytheville oughtta have something there for ya.
I’m originally from Radford, by the way. Not terribly far, but probably too far to drive for just a six pack of cider. (I’m assuming you can buy the cider in grocery stores around Radford–you can certainly buy it somewhere in Radford, I’m just not absolutely certain that it’s at your typical grocery store).
Also, for what it’s worth, if you like beer or wine, easily the best beer/wine store in southwest VA is Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg (a store is opening soon in Radford, as well). They have a great selection of beer (and wine too, I’d assume, though I’ve never paid much attention, not being much of a wine drinker). That may be too far to go to just shop for beer/wine/cider, but just in case you’re in the area in the near future… (I don’t know that Vintage Cellar sells cider, but I wouldn’t be surprised).
Why is this illegal? It sounds like you are describing homebrewing. As far as I know that is legal in all 50 states. Home distilling, now, THAT’S illegal.
In the US the word “cider” usually refers to unfermented apple juice. We usually say “hard cider” when we mean the alcoholic stuff.
I think Cecil did a column on the difference between cider and apple juice a long time ago. In my mind if it is unfiltered it is cider, if it is filtered it is apple juice, but that could just be me.
Why can’t I find hard cider in Southwestern Virginia? (I’m not talking about regular apple cider, but the kind with alcohol.) Is it illegal here? Whenever I ask in a store about it the people there seem rather clueless, as if they have never heard of it. They often refer me to the juice aisle.