A lot of festival organizers simply threw in the towel this summer, making no attempt to adapt or evolve to our pandemic-afflicted world, but the folks who organize Cider Summit Seattle were not so easily deterred and they hatched a new, reimagined plan for their event. Instead of you coming to the festival, they’re bringing the festival to you.
Instead of happening on the shores of Lake Union, Cider Summit Seattle takes place online this year on Saturday, September 12. They’re calling it a “virtual festival” and it involves guiding you through a tasting of some outstanding ciders. Educational, fun, and delicious. And you get some cider swag and other gifts, too. There are two carefully curated cider kits, one focusing on the classics and the other focusing on the modern. The kits are available via contactless pickup or via delivery. You can order your kit online right now. More details below and on the official event website.
The guided tasting experience happens online. The Zoom-ish festival will be co-hosted by the Northwest Cider Association and will feature some of the cidermakers responsible for the cider you’re drinking. They’ll share tasting notes, recipes, and more.
Cider Summit is curating two options for Festival To-Go Tasting Kits: the Modern Cider kit and Bottled Classics kit. Both kits feature a variety of craft ciders, two Cider Summit logoed 6-ounce stemless tasting glasses and a bar towel, access to the guided virtual tasting, and small gifts from participating cidermakers such as pins, coasters, stickers, and coupons.
“Washington state is the heart of our nation’s apple country, and Seattle loves its craft cider,” said Alan Shapiro, Cider Summit co-founder and producer. “While we wish we were raising a glass in person, creating a safe, at-home experience with tasting kits keeps us connected to our festival attendees and partners during the pandemic.”
How To Attend Cider Summit Seattle 2020
Tasting kits are available for pre-purchase now at CiderSummit.com. Orders must be placed by 11:59 P.M. on August 30, 2020.
Pre-purchased kits are available for pick-up at a pop-up, contactless drive-through on Saturday, September 12 from 12 – 4 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to Downtown Spirits at 2300 7th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121. Bicycles and walk-ups will be accommodated with appropriate social distancing measures and use of face masks.
Local delivery to select zip codes is available for an additional $8 per kit. Delivery outside of the local zone but within the state of Washington is available for $19.50 per kit. Packages will arrive between September 9 and 11 and someone 21-years-old or over must be available to receive the package.
Cider Summit also teamed with local retailer, Press Then Press, to make shipping available to 48 more states (all but UT). Shipping charges will be determined by location and communicated to customers in advance via Press Then Press. More details on all ordering options are available at CiderSummit.com
The Cider Kits
The Modern Cider kit is $42 (+ taxes & fees) and features eight ciders, including:
Bad Granny – Ginger Lime (Wenatchee, WA)
Herb’s Cider – Black Note (Blackberry Semi Dry) (Bellingham, WA)
Incline Cider – Blood Orange (Tacoma, WA)
Schilling Cider – Chaider Chai Spice (Auburn, WA)
Seattle Cider Co. – Spiced Peach (Seattle, WA)
Tieton Cider Works – Hazy Strawberry (Yakima, WA)
Virtue Cider – Salut! Cider Summit Collaboration (Fennville, MI)
Yonder Cider – Dry (Wenatchee, WA)
The Bottled Classics kit is $69 (+ taxes & fees) and features six specialty and premium ciders, including:
Alpenfire Cider – Traditional Cuvee (Port Townsend, WA)
Chatter Creek Cider – Rosecco (Woodinville, WA)
Finnriver Farm & Cidery – Friends of the Garden (Chimacum, WA)
Liberty Ciderworks – Garratza (Spokane, WA)
Snowdrift Cider Co. – Cap O’ Liberty (Wenatchee, WA)
Virtue Cider – Salut! Cider Summit Collaboration (Fennville, MI)
Dog Friendly
Include your canine companion in the tasting experience with Sweet Lilly’s Chicken, Apple & Pear dog treats available as an add-on for $14. These Seattle-based all natural, organic, dog treats pay homage to the cider festival with Washington apples, organic Bartlett pears and chicken born, raised and grown in the U.S.
About Cider Summit
Founded over a decade ago, Cider Summit produces cider tasting festivals in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Chicago. Cider Summit Seattle’s Festival To-Go Tasting Kit is generously sponsored by Amazon, with supporting sponsors First Tech Fed Credit Union, Press then Press and Downtown Spirits and Virtue Cider. Thank you to the festival’s media partners, Cidercraft Magazine and The Stranger. The Cider Summit benefits The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research and Northwest Cider Association. Purchase packages and learn more at CiderSummit.com and follow @CiderSummit on social media and join the conversation with #CiderSummitSEA and #CiderSummitToGo.