Spanish Cider from American Soil
DRAFT Magazine|March-April 2017

With the release of first-of-their-kind Spanish cider apple varieties into the U.S., American cider makers have an entirely new set of tools at their fingertips.That’s good news for small cider houses looking to make their mark with funky,tart interpretations of Spanish cider—grown here.

Kate Bernot
Spanish Cider from American Soil

GENEVA, NEW YORK, IS HOME TO the United States Department of Agriculture’s Plant Genetics Resource Unit (PGRU). It’s a compound of 80 acres of plant fields and orchards, plus buildings that house both freezer seed storage (-20 degrees Celsius) and liquid nitrogen seed storage (-198 degrees Celsius, a temperature at which, theoretically, plant material could be stored forever without degrading).

C. Thomas Chao, curator of apples, grapes and tart cherries at PGRU, says the USDA National Germoplasm System maintains, catalogues and preserves seeds from basically every vegetable crop grown in the U.S. The PGRU houses 6,000 types of tomatoes, for example. Essentially, he says, “If someone can’t find a seed in our collection, they’re not going to find it.”

PGRU is also one site where apple budwood and seeds imported from abroad are released from their initial quarantine at a USDA site in Beltsville, Maryland. One reason customs officials ask whether you’ve handled livestock, plants, soil or snails abroad is because these foreign species can carry potentially devastating pathogens capable of wiping out economically and ecologically crucial American crops, not to sound alarmist. There exists an entire quarantine process for importing international crops, and it generally takes at least five years to introduce a new plant to U.S. soil. One case in point: After longer than a decade, the USDA is in the process of releasing more than a dozen species that are incredibly tantalizing to U.S. cider makers—Spanish cider apple varieties never before available in America.

Esta historia es de la edición March-April 2017 de DRAFT Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March-April 2017 de DRAFT Magazine.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE DRAFT MAGAZINEVer todo
Irish Moonshine
DRAFT Magazine

Irish Moonshine

A tradition of illicit whiskey isn’t unique to the States. 

time-read
3 minutos  |
September - October 2016; 10 Year Anniversiary Issue
Ditching The Regular Grind
DRAFT Magazine

Ditching The Regular Grind

Why coffee beers are about to get weird—and delicious.

time-read
6 minutos  |
September - October 2016; 10 Year Anniversiary Issue
Hip Hops
DRAFT Magazine

Hip Hops

Having ridden freight trains and managed a record label, Brooklyn’s spirited Jesse Ferguson faces his newest adventure: running NYC’s next great brewery and distillery.

time-read
7 minutos  |
January-February 2017
The Incredible Edible IPA
DRAFT Magazine

The Incredible Edible IPA

From tacos to milkshakes, food flavors are being cooked into an unlikely beer style: the India pale ale.

time-read
7 minutos  |
January-February 2017
Alaska Beer In The Last Frontier
DRAFT Magazine

Alaska Beer In The Last Frontier

It’s known as the land of the midnight sun, the 49th state and even Seward’s Folly. But one thing we know for sure—Alaska is not only filled with incredible natural beauty, the last frontier has a taste for beer.

time-read
7 minutos  |
January-February 2017
Spanish Cider from American Soil
DRAFT Magazine

Spanish Cider from American Soil

With the release of first-of-their-kind Spanish cider apple varieties into the U.S., American cider makers have an entirely new set of tools at their fingertips.That’s good news for small cider houses looking to make their mark with funky,tart interpretations of Spanish cider—grown here.

time-read
5 minutos  |
March-April 2017
The Next Round
DRAFT Magazine

The Next Round

Much has been made of the creative, bold and entrepreneurial spirit that’s energized the beer industry, but the most seismic shifts in beer may come down to good, old-fashioned science. These technological innovations will undoubtedly shape what—and how—we drink in the future.

time-read
7 minutos  |
January-February 2017
Single Malt Whisky Crosses The Channel
DRAFT Magazine

Single Malt Whisky Crosses The Channel

French spirit, Scottish soul.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November - December 2016
Top 25 Beers Of The Year
DRAFT Magazine

Top 25 Beers Of The Year

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE’VE WITNESSED AN EXPLOSION of new beer styles.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November - December 2016
An American Beer Style In London
DRAFT Magazine

An American Beer Style In London

The most popular beers in the United Kingdom are starting to look, smell and taste a lot like the most popular beers in the U.S.

time-read
7 minutos  |
September - October 2016; 10 Year Anniversiary Issue