The Rain Can’t Beat Pour the Core Long Island

The third annual Pour the Core Long Island was held at Peconic Bay Winery on Saturday, October 4, and despite the rain, there was a great crowd ready to taste all sorts of hard ciders.

The event was smaller than this past summer’s North Fork Craft Beer Festival, held at the same location, but quality trumped quantity. Ciders were available from all over the country, including some from Long Island.

Cutchogue’s Lieb Cellars was on-hand to promote its brand-new Rumor Mill Hard Cider. The pale cider is crisp and dry, tasting of apple and a hint of lemon. This local cider is available at Lieb Cellars’ two North Fork locations. And make sure to check out the label, which has local rumors in tiny text. Woodside Orchards, with locations in Aquebogue and Jamesport, had a variety of ciders to try. People particularly enjoyed their Cinnamon Apple, which was just the right amount of sweet and dry.

There were other Long Island purveyors, as well, including B.E.E.R. (Brewers East End Revival), a local brewing community group and Long Island Girls’ Pint Out, which brings together women who are into the beer scene.

Festivalgoers seemed happy, despite the poor weather. “I think they were actually well prepared for the rain. There was room in all the tents,” says Michael Weissman, a fan of craft beer and cider. Weissman enjoyed the event but has some constructive criticism for next year. “Some of the pourers were very knowledgeable and excited about cider. Others…were just pouring and couldn’t tell you much about the product.”

Another festival attendee, Matthew Eisenberg, appreciated the diverse offerings. “I think that when most people think of cider, they think ‘sweet’ and ‘apple,’” he says. “But this festival showcased other tastes, such as pear, berry, cinnamon, ginger and other dry tastes.”

Both Eisenberg and Weissman agreed that next year’s event should showcase some more local fare, but Weissman noted that cider is not yet as popular as wine and craft beer, so hopefully there will be more to choose from in the coming years.