Cider house rules

We’ve all dealt with wine-pairing rules, but what about other fermented beverages? I asked Carrie Nissen, of Fox Barrel Cider Company in Colfax (whose tasting room is due to open soon), what she recommends drinking with hard cider this fall:

“Generally, our ciders don’t have a character that’s overpowering, like a port or a stout. They’re light enough that they complement almost any meal. The pear works nicely with cheeses and fruits, and with light fare like chicken and fish. The apple is the same. We’re going for a drier cider. The fruitiness comes out, but we’re trying to get away from the Jolly-Rancher sweetness, toward a more English style.

“Our black currant is a little different—it has more of a tart flavor. The sweetness still comes through, but up front, it makes you pucker and say, ‘Wow.’ When we first chose this flavor profile, I thought it would be very sweet, like a berry—but it’s nothing like you would expect. People like it with barbecued food. It’s my favorite right now, and I would imagine [drinking] it with sausages or barbecued chicken.”