Rosé Ciders (Red-Fleshed)
What is a Rosé Cider?
Rosé (ROW-zay) cider includes red or pink-hued ciders that either get their color exclusively from red-fleshed apple varieties, or from the addition of other fruit such as red grape skins.
Red-Fleshed Apples
Cutting into a red-fleshed apple will surprise most folks as it's unlike any of the white or translucent flesh of the insides of an apple we've all come to know. Instead, the flesh inside these apples and the resulting fresh juice is pink or bright red. While some of this color usually drops out of the juice during fermentation, a rosé cider made with red-fleshed apples will range in color form light pink, to deep red.
Cider apple varieties most commonly used to make Rosé cider include:
- Redfield apple
- Airlie Red apple (a.k.a Mountain Rose, or Hidden Rose)
- Geneva crabapple
- Pink Pearl apple
- Niedswetzkyana apple
Most red-fleshed apples result in a cider that is tart/acidic with fruity characteristics that leave it well balanced. They often tasted like red fruits such as strawberry, cranberry, watermelon, and tart cherry.
Fruit Additions
Many other pink or red ciders exist that are co-fermented with other fruits, or are blended or flavored with other fruits and botanicals. Common additions to a cider for rosé ciders include: red currants, black currants, hibiscus flower petals, raspberry, grape skins, and even beets (yes, beets!).
See our fruit flavored cider collection or our botanical cider collection for pink colored ciders made with other ingredients or methods.