Cider is built for drinking on its own, but it is also made for enjoying with food. “We are big believers in cider at the table,” Hall says. That penchant for pairing reaches back to Hall’s Goose Island days, when chef Paul Kahan opened a conversation about the potential for beers that played well with food – not the big hoppy IPAs, which are “kind of like smoking a cigar before dinner.” That’s more meal-hostile than friendly. “What you need is more balance and more acid and less assertiveness.”

Just like wine: good for sipping on an autumn evening, packing for a picnic or enjoying with a fine meal. As a partnership, cider with a cheese plate is hard to beat.

Photo via Virtue Cider

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