When scanning the taps at Rough Cut Hard Cider, keep in mind that comparing the varietals of the alcoholic, fermented beverage isn’t entirely an apples-to-apples equation.
Cider making is, with exception, a blender’s art, and the different flavors mingling over at Rough Cut, the new cidery and tasting room located next to Glacier Sun Winery and the Apple Barrel Country Market on U.S. Highway 2 in Kalispell, are testament to the creative craftsmanship taking place in Jaden Behrends’ fermentation tanks.
By teaming up with Glacier Sun Winery last month, Jaden and his wife, Nikki Behrends, who now own Rough Cut and Glacier Sun, have already introduced a variety of new hard ciders to the Flathead Valley.
Jaden launched the Rough Cut brand in 2015 after developing an interest in brewing hard cider as a hobby while living in Columbia Falls and working as a carpenter (the name Rough Cut draws from his affinity for rough-hewed materials).
After purchasing Glacier Sun Winery and incorporating Rough Cut into the operational brand, the couple began producing a suite of hard ciders, including traditional ciders derived from apples harvested throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as local huckleberries, rhubarb, raspberries, and blackberries.
From the Rough Cut Original to the Widowmaker Whiskey, a potent potable aged in whiskey barrels from Glacier Distilling Company, and which the menu describes as “dangerously delicious,” to the Hoot-nanny Huckleberry and berry-rich Bear Food, the taproom offers something for everyone.
Meanwhile, Glacier Sun’s winemaker Bill Schindler continues to produce signature wines using a wide selection of fruit.
Business at the taproom has been steady during the weekdays, while live music on Friday and Saturday has crowded the taproom with thirsty customers. Coupled with recent showings at the Great Bear Festival in Kalispell and the Murphy’s Summer Fest in Havre, the Behrendses are confident by the warm welcome the region’s drink scene has rolled out.
“It’s been a real collaborative effort with the other breweries and distilleries, who have been really supportive,” Jaden said. “There’s definitely a market for hard cider. The Widowmaker Whiskey and the Huckleberry have just been killing it.”
The collaborative process is only going to continue to grow as Sacred Waters Brewing Co. continues to lay the work for an opening this fall at the Apple Barrel footprint, anticipating between six and eight beers, according to co-owner Jordan Van Eimeren.
Taken together with Kalispell Brewing Company, considered the “old guard” after opening in 2014, as well as the recent debuts of SunRift Beer Company and Bias Brewing in Kalispell, the town’s complex of breweries and cideries continues to grow.
Add to that the arrival of Dark Side Fermenters to the Apple Barrel complex and there’s hardly a delectable drink that’s unavailable in the area.
Producing craft kombucha, Dark Side is distributing kegs across the Flathead Valley, drawing from local fruits and vegetables sourced from Raven Ridge Farms in Kalispell and Wishing Rock Orchard on Flathead Lake.
The company’s batches of kombucha are available at local breweries and coffee shops, as well as at Rough Cut.
Although Jaden missed the region’s apple harvest before opening Rough Cut’s doors this summer, and has been sourcing apple juice from Washington, he said he’s eager to capitalize on the varietals available throughout the Pacific Northwest, using the cidery’s apple press to separate the juice on site.
Until then, he’s enjoying the work and the popularity of his product.
According to the Northwest Cider Association, which was formed in 2010 as a means to support fewer than a dozen cidermakers in the region, the popularity of hard cider is gaining. Today, the association supports 85 cidermakers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia.
For more information, visit Rough Cut Hard Cider, Glacier Sun Winery, Sacred Waters Brewing Co., and Dark Side Fermenters on Facebook.