With Labor Day already fading from our memories, autumn is upon us! Leaves are changing, the fall semester is already underway and those special, seasonal flavors have started popping out of hibernation, the most notorious (and "basic") of which is, of course, is pumpkin spice.
If your friends are like my friends, then your social media feeds are probably bleeding pumpkin spice. Mine are practically oozing with the stuff. Joyous posts about autumn and the return of pumpkin spice drinks, candles and desserts distract me from the world's current events, and I enjoy the first few lazy days of the season, maybe even indulging in a little pumpkin treat, here or there.
But, to be honest, it's not the flavor I'm really craving. Let me assure you that I'm not a pumpkin spice hater. I'm not judging you for your flavor preference. But to me, apple cider is king, and there's nobody who can convince me otherwise.
Now, I know that apple cider comes in many varieties, and it's not just any apple cider that I'm talking about. When I say apple cider, I mean the good stuff. I don't mean the pale, stale apple juice-looking variety; I'm talking about the dark, brown not-messing-around fresh-pressed cider that you pay a little more for: the sweet, tangy full-bodied stuff - real apple cider.
Hot or cold, it's one of the best things you can sip on, and certainly my drink preference when it's time for blankets and sweaters and bonfire nights. Curled up with a good book? Have a nice warm mug with cinnamon. Parched from raking all of those fallen leaves? A refreshing, cool glass of apple cider will do the trick!
Near my hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, one of the neighboring communities holds an apple festival where you can buy the finest, freshest of ciders I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. People wait in droves to buy enough cider to last the season, because the Delmont Apple 'n Arts Festival has an antique cider press (from 1907!) that only runs once a year, during the festival.
Producing hundreds of gallons of cider each year over the appointed weekend, the large machine swallows apples by the bushel. While I have no estimate as to how many hundreds of gallons are sold, I can say that very few people in line exit the queue without buying at least one. Smart shoppers dump their children from little red wagons and strollers and fill the empty space with as many jugs as they can. My personal record was buying either four or six gallons (literally as many as I could carry), and walking nearly a mile back to my car with purple fingertips from the weight of the load (alas, I had no children, wagon or stroller to help me). It was totally worth it.
This year, the 2016 Delmont Apple 'n Arts Festival is October 1st and 2nd. So, wake me up when September ends, because I'm thirsty!
