wandering aengus ciderworks

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Offers Delicious Ciders

A colonial-era drink for modern locavores.

Cider may not yet have mead's Renaissance Faire fan base, nor the backing of America's beer geeks. Yet a new generation of producers like Wandering Aengus Ciderworks forge on nonetheless, applying a modern locavore's passion to Colonial America's favorite drink.

Not only have the Salem, Oregon, ciderworks' products been appearing in more local markets of late, they're among the best offerings at  Upcider , Ozzie Gundogdu and Omer Cengiz's new bar, which carries 40 varieties of cider made in Europe and the States.

Wandering Aengus's Nick Gunn and James Kohn pick heirloom apples such as Golden Russets and Newtown Pippins from 80 acres of organically farmed trees and ferment the juice with Champagne yeast.

Their  Bloom and Wanderlust ($7.50 for 500 ml at Falletti Foods) both have a complex nose that hints at earth and Gorgonzola but lets the fruit shine through.

The medium-sweet Bloom, whose sugars come from a late addition of fresh juice, ends in a clean, apple-y finish that would pair well with Thai food. Semidry, the Wanderlust finishes more like a Kabinett Riesling, tart and crisp, perfect for autumn's game and squash dishes.

Better still: You need not wear a bodice to drink them.

Upcider, 1160 Polk St., 2nd Floor (at Sutter St.), 415-931-1797 or upcidersf.com ; Falletti Foods, 308 Broderick St. (at Oak St.), 415-626-4400 or fallettifoods.com

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Under New Ownership

Salem, Oregon-based Wandering Aengus , producer of the Anthem  as well as Wandering Aengus line of ciders, is now under new management with the purchase of an interest by the Hood River, Oregon-based Hood River Juice Company . David Ryan, president of Hood River Juice Co., joins James Kohn as owner and manager.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Wandering Aengus Ciderworks to partner with David Ryan. David has been a great supporter and supplier to both us and the cider industry for over seven years. The new partnership will provide our company access to resources and expertise to further refine our quality and expand sales of both of our Wandering Aengus and Anthem brands in existing markets and new ones, too,” says James Kohn, co-owner of Wandering Aengus Ciderworks.

Wandering Aengus was started in 2005 by James Kohn and Nick Gunn. Nick has sold his ownership in Wandering Aengus to pursue his passion for cider education and outreach. He is currently serving as the president of  The Northwest Cider Association  as well as president of the Cider Institute of North America ; he also has formed BenchGraft  to offer consulting to start-up cider companies and teaches cider-making classes through the Oregon State Extension Office and various other organizations.

Wandering Aengus and Anthem Ciders are distributed in 15 states. Wandering Aengus Ciders are vintaged and crafted from rare locally grown heirloom cider-specific apples. Anthem Cider is made from well-known regionally grown eating apple varieties and finished with a range of other fruits and hops.

• Photo : Wandering Aengus

Cider Made: Wandering Aengus Ciderworks

by Morgen Schuler | Jan 23, 2015

The Salem, Oregon cidery waxes poetically about brand names and apple identities. 

Once you’ve made the decision to open a cidery, the next big step is what to call it. And this is an important step that should not be overlooked because if your cider starts doing well, you might be stuck with a troublesome name. One cidery has been poetically pondering if a rose by any other name smells as sweet.

James Kohn, the co-owner of Salem, Oregon’s Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (in addition to being the owner of its sister cidery Anthem Cider and founder of the annual CiderCon event) has somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the title on his ciders. “The name Wandering Aengus is good to roll with, it’s just technically it has some issues with it,” Kohn says.

An idea from co-founder Mimi Casteel, Wandering Aengus was derived from an 1899 William Butler Yeats poem titled “ The Song of Wandering Aengus ,” which references apples several times throughout.

And the Yeats ties don’t stop there, they continue in the branding and labeling of most of their products. For example, Wandering Aengus’ cider variety called Bloom features a woman with apple blossoms in her hair on the label. This image and the title of the cider were derived from a stanza of this poem, and the stanza itself is present on the label.

This is all fine and well with Kohn, but there’s one minor detail about the name that sometimes causes issues for the brand. “When you say Wandering Aengus or you have to give your email address, people still don’t know how to spell it quite right,” Kohn says. “So you always have to correct people and we actually get a lot of missed emails because it wasn’t spelled right.” Who knew an extra letter “e” could be so pesky?

While it might make communication difficult here and there, it doesn’t get in the way of Kohn and his passion for apples and the endless possibilities he sees within the industry. “There’s a lot of imagination and experimentation that you can do with cider that has yet to be understood by the general public,” he says.

Kohn first tried cider from Poverty Lane Orchards at a farmer’s market in New Hampshire in the early 2000s. At the time, he wasn’t a big fan of drinking wine or beer, but he ended up really liking what he was tasting and seeing in cider—all of the aspects he liked about beer and wine, but none of the aspects he didn’t like about them, or “the best of both worlds,” as Kohn describes it.

As a graduate of Rutger’s agricultural department, Kohn was also drawn to the massive variety of apples in the cider world similar to variety of grapes in the wine world. And when compared to beer, the world of cider was similarly full of experimentation, but lacked the strict definitions of different beer styles like IPAs and Porters, allowing for a greater range of creative freedom.

It’s this mentality that establishes Wandering Aengus’ business model. Compared to its sister label Anthem, which uses mostly eating apple varieties you might be able to find at the store, they use heirloom apple varieties from a combined 80 acres of orchard space from different locations across Oregon.

While they offer some single-variety ciders like the Golden Russet and Wickson, they take great care in their blended ciders and print exactly what percentage of apples made it into their bottles to let the drinker know they’re getting 100 percent apples. “We don’t even add any sugar—everything is apple for Wandering Aengus. Even if there’s a sweeter cider, that sweetness comes from apples,” Kohn says.

When Kohn isn’t busting his hump on his cider empire and trying to expand the Wandering Aengus brand, he can be seen in the background of his older son’s school plays like his recent appearance in Dr. Doolittle. “It was my first acting bit—I was just in an ensemble—singing and dancing and embarrassing myself.”

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Wandering Aengus Ciderworks

Cider - Traditional / Apfelwein

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Sweet sweet Tree Top. Not at all even close to what it used to be.

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Semi-sweet, crisp with mildly tart apple 🍏 forward!! The best cider I’ve had so far! 🍺🇺🇸

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Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, OR, US

Wandering aengus ciderworks, oregon, united states.

Semi-sweet, smooth tasting, and strong fruit taste.

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Wandering Aengus Ciderworks

Salem, Oregon, United States

🏆 Best in Class: 1 🥇 Gold: 10 🥈 Silver: 17 🥉 Bronze: 10 Total: 38

First Medal: 2006 Last Medal: 2016 Years: 7 Status: Inactive

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Wandering Aengus Ciderworks: Ancient Apple Wizardry in The Modern Age

Apples, pressing, fermentation. The holy trinity of cider making, and to the apple fermentation guru’s at Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, the only three elements required to forge a great cider.

In fact this same guiding principle is emblematic throughout their process and represented proudly by the Celtic trinity knot found in the center of their brand logo. So when there are only three components to the equation, where do you make your mark? Apples, wisdom, and a love of cider of course.

The fruity MVP in Wandering Aengus Ciderwork’s “Golden Russet Single Varietal Dry Cider.”

Wandering Aengus was started in Culver, OR in the far away time of 1999 with the goal of creating great ciders with traditional fermentation techniques. That means fresh pressed apples, and a technique modeled after the great European cider trends of old.

Many of these apples are cider specific apples originating from France, England and Pre-prohibition America, but are now grown right here in Oregon.

There are in fact 20 different apple varietals that are pressed and blended in order to craft these time honored ciders.

Since 99’ W.A. has forged ahead with strong representations such as the Bloom, Dry, and Wanderlust, evolving over the years into mainstays in the rotation. Although an experimental cider has been known to appear from time to time, consistency seems to been the theme.

Consistency and integrity often go hand in hand and the Wandering Aengus brand is about tradition. At the heart of that tradition is the rare, very traditional heirloom apples that are used for their ciders.

Heirloom cider apples are on average no bigger than a 50 cent piece and yet are packed dense with key elements that help produce these great ciders. They have a distinct complex biting flavor, and are often high in tannins, high in sugar, and usually not regarded as great eating apples. (Also known as “Dessert Apples”)

Maybe not “tasty” to the untrained, these apples are highly prized, and in the hands of true apple wizards their fruity potential is realized in it’s greatest final form… apple pie! Just kidding. It’s small batch traditional European and American ciders made right here in the PNW.

“2 degrees of separation, is all that separate Wandering Aengus Ciders from their only ingredient – Oregon grown heirloom Cider Apples. Two steps. Two degrees of separating. Cider at it’s finest.”

In 2010 Wandering Aengus Ciderworks decided it was time to bring that same passion to a bigger market and debuted their Anthem Cider brand to a cider hungry market, quickly capturing the hearts of many casual cider drinkers.

Utilizing the same process, but more readily accessible culinary apples, slow fermentation and traditional champagne yeast, they could produce many more batches and experiment with a whole new palette of flavors, such as cherry, pear, and hopped versions.

These flavors joined the Anthem Classic Cider recently and have been cropping up on shelves ever since.

There has even been some talk of some new seasonal flavors. New fruits? New apple varieties? New variety can packs?

Regardless of the cider line you choose to sample from all ciders are and have remained addition-less with no added sugars, colors, flavors, malic acids, etc since their inception.

Not to mention each cider batch has full apple traceability from grower to cider, an undoubtedly cool feature for those who appreciate knowing exactly where their apples come from.

Look for Wandering Aengus and Anthem ciders in stores and make sure to give them a try, because in this new age of ciders, not all are created equal.

– Keegan Cantrell

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire a-flame, But something rustled on the floor, And someone called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done, The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.

-W.B. Yeats (1865–1939).

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Our dry cider is crafted from heirloom apple varieties that are renowened for their rich tannins and spicy aromas. This cider is fermented and aged in untoasted Oregon white oak barrels to creat a full-bodied dry cider with nice balance and complexity. This sophisticated cider will compliment a multitude of dishes.

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Email newsletter, explore the hard cideries of the salem region.

Discover Hard Cider at these 7 Salem Area Cideries.

Updated 10/8/2021

During Colonial Times, hard cider (fermented apple juice) was the most commonly consumed beverage in America. Its popularity began to dwindle in the late 1800s, and the onset of Prohibition in the 1920’s ended its reign. Recent years, however, have seen a resurgence in hard cider production and consumption. Today, Oregon is home to more than 60 cideries, with retail sales of local and regional brands topping $17 million in 2017 – making Oregon the only state where local independent brands beat out national names.

In the Mid-Willamette Valley – already known for producing world-class wines and craft beers - cider makers have joined the artisan beverage movement, using the bountiful ingredients found in this rich agricultural region to produce premium products. Make plans to visit these Salem area cider makers soon:

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (Salem)

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks was one of the first craft cideries established in Oregon and helped to spearhead the re-birth of cider in the nation. The company focuses on semi-dry and dry ciders, as well as fruit ciders and sweet ciders. They use fresh pressed common dessert apple varieties from Oregon and Washington for their Anthem Ciders. For the dry Wandering Aengus ciders, they use specialty bittersweet apple varieties grown by Salem's E.Z. Orchards.

"Our ciders are made the way people expect cider to be made: fermentation of fresh pressed apples, other fresh fruit and spices. We do not add sugar, acids or flavors," says owner James Kohn.

While their Southeast Salem tasting room is currently under construction, you can find their Wandering Aengus and Anthem Ciders in dozens of retail locations throughout Oregon including Roth’s Fresh Markets in Salem.

1859 Cider Co. (Salem)

After spending about 5 years making ultra-premium wines in the Willamette Valley, Patricia and Dan Fox decided to transition to hard cider. In 2015, they established the 1859 Cider Co. tasting room and production facility in downtown Salem. Dan and Patricia focus on ciders that are acidic and tannic, age well and often wild fermented. They use locally sourced fruit and like to "see what each vintage brings and tastes like before we decide what we'll source that year," says Patricia.

"Our ciders are made with integrity... and true to the land where the fruit was picked. We don't use sugar, syrups, concentrates or purees. We simply let the fruit shine,” she adds. 1859 ciders are available in the tasting room and taphouse in downtown Salem and at area restaurants and taphouses (on a rotating basis).

1859 ciders are currently available at Divine Distillers – Salem’s first distillery - who acquired the cider brand in 2021 and will continue the 1859 Cider Co. legacy of making high quality hard cider.

Ten Towers Cider (Salem)

With a passion for homebrewing, John Kruger thought he'd eventually open a brewery, but in 2012, after spending 3 1/2 years in the Middle East working with the Department of Justice, he returned to find that there were more than 250 breweries in Oregon. So, instead of making beer, he began experimenting with different varietals of apples. In 2017, John entered his cider in the GLINTCAP (Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition) as a new cidery, where he received a bronze medal. "My fate was sealed when I won a bronze medal," says John.

Ten Towers uses mostly dessert apples and pears from Hood River and Yakima Valley, with a small amount of heirloom apples to balance out acidity and tannin and give the ciders a complex flavor. While Ten Towers does not have a tasting room (yet), bottled ciders can be found in Roth's Fresh Food Markets and on tap at local taphouses including The Yard Food Park and Westside Taphouse (on a rotating basis).

La Familia Hard Cider (Salem)

The newest addition to the Salem area’s esteemed group of artisan cider producers is La Familia Hard Cider , owned and operated by the Gonzales family. The family settled in the Willamette Valley in the 1970’s. Food and drink have always been an important part of their culture and family gatherings, but they couldn’t find locally-produced alcoholic beverages that incorporated some of their favorite flavors – like Tamarind and Hibiscus - found in traditional Mexican agua frescas. So, the family started crafting ciders using original recipes from their mother, Lourdes Gonzalez. La Familia ciders are made using 100% Northwest apple juice and no artificial flavors. La Familia’s ciderhouse opened in June 2020 in downtown Salem, adjacent to Azuls Taco House .

E.Z. Orchards Hard Cidre (Salem)

While E. Z. Orchards Farm Market is regionally famous for producing and selling quality produce and baked goods (i.e. mouthwatering shortcake and freshly baked donuts), they have also made a name for themselves recently with their line of hard cidre. Kevin Zielenski has mastered the French method for making cidre. He crushes fruit grown in his family orchard and lets naturally-occurring yeast ferment the juice until it's finished, which requires months of maturation and precise knowledge of when to harvest and bottle. The award-winning cidre is available at EZ Orchards, which is open year-round, Monday through Saturday.

Bauman’s Cider Company (Gervais)

As early as 1910, Stephen Bauman was making cider using apples grown on the Bauman family farm. Many years later, while enjoying a hard cider in Alaska during a family fishing trip, Stephen's great grandaughter Christine Walter was struck with the thought "why aren't we fermenting our apple juice?"

Thus, in 2015, Bauman's Cider Company was born. At Bauman's, they use as much of their own produce as possible, including apples for the base cider, as well as peaches, pears and berries that they blend into different flavors.

The bulk of Bauman's ciders are considered modern ciders. "This means they are very approachable, easy to drink and quite tasty," says Christine.

Bauman’s offer a full spectrum of dry to sweet and enjoy blending in other fruits to make interesting combinations. They are also working to develop small batches of single varietal ciders, wild ferments and barrel aged ciders. Bauman's Cider is available on tap at the growler fill station located inside Bauman's Farm & Garden, as well as area taphouses (on a rotating basis).

Salt Creek Cider House (Dallas)

In 2017, during the Great American Solar Eclipse, Lindy and Carter Rickert opened their Dallas-based farm for camping with an added bonus: free cider tasting. Lindy and Carter reasoned that if complete strangers liked the hard cider they were producing as much as their family and friends praised it, maybe they could make a business out of it. The cider reviews came back really positive, so the family converted an old cattle barn on the property into a processing and tasting room.

Salt Creek Cider House opened in August of 2019. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic, walk around the orchards and watch the birds and other wildlife that flock to the property from nearby Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge .

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