The first day of October was a bit hectic this year, what with the government shutdown and the launch of healthcare marketplaces. Why not unwind at Little Bird Bistro, where October 1st marks the beginning of a month-long cider celebration? 

Throughout the month, Little Bird will shine a spotlight on cider, featuring local brews and hard-to-find imports by the bottle, by the glass, on draught, and in handcrafted cocktails. 

We caught up with Juliana Santos, Little Bird’s beverage director and general manager, for details on the cider-centric festivities:

What led you to create the month-long cider spotlight?

We first talked about doing cider cocktail or a cider and food pairing but we ended up extending to a full month event. I felt it would be a great way to celebrate fall and harvest, to learn a bit more about this type of beverage and get our staff and guests engaged. We will be offering a cider cocktail, two ciders by the glass—one local and one French. By the bottle, we have a pear cider from Eric Bordelet from Normandy plus couple flavored ones (the Honey Meadow from Finnriver is awesome)!

As a sommelier, how do you think about cider differently than wine?

My background is in wine, I must admit that when come to beer I prefer the refreshing not hoppy ones, so it was interesting to see the range of ciders produced. Some are made like beer and some like wine (more specifically like Champagne). We wanted to put together a small list that showcased its versatility. Most ciders we picked for the list range around 6% alc/vol which I think make them more food friendly than (most) cocktails and even certain wines. 

Which ciders are your favorites?

I tend to gravitate towards the Champagne method ciders. The Dupont Reserve from Normandy is one of the most interesting ones we have on the list. Dupont is a Calvados producer and this cider is matured for six months in used Calvados casks which give the final product  more complexity of flavors and hints of spices. We also brought in few hopped ciders, which I didn't even know existed. Dan Neely, who is a manager at Little Bird and in charged of our beer selections, brought in a keg of Anthem Hops from Salem. It is super refreshing!

Little Bird Bistro
219 SW 6th Ave
503-688-5952