A catch-all for ciders and perries that don’t fit a defined style — wood- or barrel-aged, spiced, hopped, ice ciders, or other non-standard ingredients and processes. The unifying trait is a recognizable cider or perry base carrying some distinctive twist; strength and character vary widely.
In the glass
Origin
As craft cidermaking has grown, producers have borrowed freely from brewing and winemaking — barrel aging, spicing, hopping, freeze-concentration — producing ciders and perries that fall outside the traditional regional molds. Ice cider (cidre de glace), the best-documented of these, originated in Québec around 1990 and was first sold under that name in 1999. This category gives such ciders and perries a home.
Notes
Use this when a cider or perry is built around an unusual ingredient or process and matches none of the defined styles. The base must still read as cider or perry.
Defining examples
(varies — wood-aged, spiced, ice, or other non-standard cider/perry)