Vermont's Citizen Cider Serves Up First-Class Concoctions

Shane Carley

Cidery Name: Citizen Cider 
Type of Cidery: Brewpub

Location: Burlington, VT

Website: https://www.citizencider.com/
Facebook: Citizen Cider
Twitter: @citizencider
Instagram: @citizencider

Background: Citizen Cider is one of the most popular hard cider makers in New England. Located in Burlington, VT, the cidery has become known for producing a wide range of high-quality products. They’ve experimented with dry-hopped ciders, herbed ciders, sweet ciders, and dry ciders, and their distinctive cans and bottles have made it into bottle shops all over the region. I’ve dragged Alex, my poor fiancée, to brewery after brewery despite her gluten allergy, so when we realized we were just a few blocks from one of her favorite cideries, I was only too happy to pay Citizen Cider a visit.

Growlers: No, but both cans and bottles are readily available in the taproom. ​

The Ciders: Citizen Cider has a regular rotation of beers that includes a standard dry cider, a ginger cider, and even a cider made to resemble a witbier. Since Alex and I were well acquainted with this core series of ciders, we opted instead to focus on the more interesting, uncommon offerings in the taproom. These included:

• Golden Wit - Made with Belgian candi syrup and aged in French oak barrels, this cider picks up a surprising amount of Belgian character. Like a sweet, fruity interpretation of a witbier, this is a cider that will delight those who love Belgian beer. Although Belgians aren’t my personal favorite style, it’s hard not to respect how successful Citizen Cider was in achieving exactly the flavor profile the concept promises.
  
  
• Cash on the Barrel Head - I really enjoyed this cider. Designed to mimic white wine, it picks up a huge amount of sauvignon blanc character, giving it a grapey profile that plays really well. Although I sometimes struggle with wine-barrel-aged beers, the addition of wine elements to cider tend to work really well. Cash on the Barrel Head is no exception.
  
  
• The Full Nelson - The Full Nelson is, as its name suggests, a cider dry-hopped with copious amounts of Nelson hops. Like Cash on the Barrel Head, The Full Nelson turned my expectations upside down: while I’m not normally a fan of the famously tropical Nelson hop, I found that it complemented the cider really well. This might be my favorite cider we sampled.
  
  
• Tree Tapper - Made with maple syrup and fermented with red wine yeast, Tree Tapper is a fascinating combination of flavors. Infused with oak chips and Belgian candi syrup while aging, this is a cider that barely tastes like cider at all. I’m not sure it works--the maple syrup gets muddied a bit amidst the cacophony of other flavors swirling around here, but I respect the hell out of Citizen Cider for really going for it.
  
  
• The Lake Hopper - A recent addition to Citizen Cider’s series of core offerings, The Lake Hopper is a love letter to locally sourced ingredients. Made with apples and hops from both sides of Lake Champlain, The Lake Hopper brings a refreshing Macintosh apple tartness to the tongue before tempering it with a straightforward and refreshing finish. It’s a cider you’ll reach for over and over again, and a welcome addition to the core series.
  
  
• Disco Inferno - Another fascinating combination of flavors, Disco Inferno crosses sour cherry elements with spices including cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla bean. A hint of honey at the end adds just a touch of sweetness, giving the cider an extra layer of flavor. I’ve always been a fan of sour cherry in both beer and cider, but the vanilla is what really shines here, giving it a warm, rounded flavor element that permeates the beer.
  
  
• Tulsi - Citizen Cider isn’t afraid to really go all-in with their ciders, and Tulsi is perhaps the finest example of that. Tulsi, also known as “Holy Basil,” is an herb typically found on the Indian subcontinent. Citizen Cider was able to secure some locally grown tulsi and decided to experiment with the idea of a basil cider. And you know what? It works! The tulsi is just subtle enough that it doesn’t dominate the flavor profile, instead adding an herbal, earthy element that makes Tulsi a pleasure to drink.

Vibe: Citizen Cider is a really cool place. Just a really cool place. The taproom has a great vibe, and while I can imagine it being a little claustrophobic during the winter, with the doors open and the deck full display, it was a beautiful sight to see.

A mix of long tables and high-tops greets you when you walk in, along with a lengthy wooden bar for those just stopping in for a pint. The walls are adorned with all manner of photographs and artwork, and the industrial-style vibe of the space gives it an open, spacious feel. Exposed lights dangle from fixtures hanging from the ceiling, which I imagine must look very cool in the evening.

Service was great--even though we moved around a bit to catch the sun, they never lost track of us. The staff was friendly, and both food and cider made their way to our table faster than I ever expected. The murmur of conversation that always seems to fill the space settles over you like a blanket, providing a warm, comforting sense of belonging. With dozens of people there enjoying a refreshing cider on a beautiful day, Citizen Cider can’t help but feel friendly and welcoming.

Dogs: Yes! We saw more than half a dozen dogs traipsing through the taproom while we were there. We were lucky enough to visit on a beautiful spring day, so many people were out and about with their furry friends.

Price ($ to $$$$$): $$. If you’re just stopping in for a flight or a pint, Citizen Cider definitely isn’t going to break the bank. Even their takeaway cans and bottles are very reasonably priced, considering how expensive craft beer and cider has gotten. But be warned--you may find yourself unable to resist their amazing food.

Food: Yes. Oh, yes. Citizen Cider has a full food menu, and you would be doing yourself a disservice to not at least sample some of what they have on offer. From starters and sandwiches to entree-sized meals, Citizen Cider offers a ton of different options to choose from. We only snacked on a couple of (delicious) sides during our time there, but the entire taproom was filled with the smell of delicious food that left us wishing we had stopped by earlier for lunch.

Final Thoughts: If you love cider, you owe it to yourself to pay Citizen Cider a visit. Their impressively broad array of ciders ensures that there’s something for everyone, and even those who don’t typically gravitate toward cider will likely find something that appeals to their palate here. Whether you love cherries, basil, ginger, maple syrup, or a variety of different hops, Citizen Cider stands ready to satisfy. 

-- Shane

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