Our first ever Apple Brandy is bottled and ready after 2 years of aging! A portion of our apple crop has taken a different journey then ever before over the last 3 years. From our drumlin orchard soils, nutrients have traveled through xylem and phloem, forming blossoms that grew into tasty apples, which we juiced and fermented into hard cider. As Winemaker and Cidermaker I veered off the known path, and partnered with Fifth State Distillery, who distilled our hard cider to make our delicious 80 Proof Apple Brandy. What better project during COVID that is now ready to share? Our December special intro pricing is 2, 750ml bottles for $50. One for you and the other for a gift of ‘local’ to a special friend or family member.
In 2005, Bishop’s became the 16th licensed CT Farm Winery (there are over 40 in 2022), and in 2008 was also licensed to make Hard Cider. CT Farm Wineries are permitted under Ct General Statues Sec. 30-16 “the scope of operations of the holder shall be limited to wine and brandies distilled from grape products or other fruit products, including grappa and eau-de-vie.”
We assigned the distilling expertize to Distiller Robert Schulten of Fifth State Distillery for our first ever Brandy, an outcome of his distilling some of our other wines into hand saniziter during the first year of COVID to assist with the santizer shortage. So now from ‘tree to glass’ has a new meaning at Bishop’s compared to Grandpa’s making fresh apple cider in the same location over seven decades ago.
As we released our Brandy this week, we also celebrate our new Hard Ciders! We have just released two new Hard Ciders and two ‘Perry’ Pear Ciders, all made from Bishops Orchards grown fruit. Our Spiced Hard Cider is a reflection of our popular Farm House Hard Cider, infused with our mulled cider spices. A smooth finish makes this semi-sweet cider a delightful drink to enjoy during the fall and the winter months. Our Scarlet Hard Cider is a blend of our Farm House Cider and local Killingworth Cranberries. The Scarlet Knight cranberries give this cider a tangy, zesty yet semi-sweet finish rich in taste and with the cranberry hue. This cider is perfect for the holiday season, enjoyed by the fireside or at mealtime when paired with turkey, or with a snack of a Bishop’s freshly baked pie with our Ice Cream.
All our Wines, Hard Ciders and Brandy are Gluten Free. The Ciders are sold in 4 packs of 12 oz cans, as well as a mixed variety 4-pack. Save with our Special offer through New Years… buy 3, 4-packs, or any combo of our Wines and Hard Ciders, and $ave $1 off each item.
Our sparkling hard ciders are light, refreshing and fruit forward. With a crisp and clean finish, you will be pleased to experience our new blends. Be on the lookout for more varieties of Ciders out soon: Duke Hard Cider (Blueberry) and Golden Hard Cider (Golden Delicious and Russet varietals), which will join our existing line up of Farm House (our flagship cider), Crosby (Black Current blend), Lillian (Berry Blend) and Burton (dry, heirloom apple blend). Our Peach Brandy is still aging with our release date unknown.
Continue to follow our journey and discover our new and exciting blends. When our Little Red Bar[n] venue re-opens in the spring, you can enjoy these on-tap. As our capacity increases, we can sell to select liquor stores and restaurants. Let us know your favorite locations, or tell the to contact us for these products. For more information and individual descriptions on all hard ciders, our brandy and wines, please visit our listings.