Snow was falling in big, fluffy tufts by the time I made my way to Citizen Cider last Friday, intent on finally hitting up their weekly shindig.
Finding this place inside the maze of Fort Ethan Allen isn’t a snap, but it seems like half of Chittenden Country does just that every Friday night — at least judging from the parade of raucous photos on the Citizen Cider Facebook page. I’d been meaning to attend for months, but have an allergy to Route 15 during rush hour.
My loss. The traffic wasn’t as bad as I imagined, and Citizen Cider’s founders — Kris Nelson, Justin Heilenbach and Bryan Holmes — tip off passerby with a roadside placard. Just beyond, the parking lot was already full with cars, and the Hindquarter, Cloud 9 caterers’ red ‘mobile canteen,’ was parked outside and taking orders.
I opened the door and stepped into a room that smelled faintly of yeast and fruit, with pom-poms hanging from the ceiling. The place seemed to have a split personality: On the left, bright lights illuminated tanks filled with fermenting cider; on the other, people jockeyed for space around a long, wooden bar. Music (was it bluegrass?) blasted from somewhere, but was barely audible above the din. It had the feel of a cider-fueled speakeasy.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
