This artisan Wisconsin cider is among the best in the world

There are so many options when considering the perfect beverage to accompany your Thanksgiving feast. Wine is nice — pinot noir, Beaujolais Villages, a lively prosecco.

Some beers make for perfect pairings, too — Belgian tripel, French Bière de Garde or a malty bock. But what about cider?

The homey, orchard-fresh flavors of apple cider are a natural partner to the herbal, savory roasted poultry of traditional Thanksgiving fare. And cider has the acidity, tannin and fizz to stand up to whatever you put on the table.

I always say that cider is like wine by nature and beer by culture. Those from String Theory Cider in Cumberland, Wis., deliver a more winelike drinking experience. They have an elegance, complexity and effervescence that elevates them above the typical soda-pop fizz of many commercial ciders.

String Theory’s story begins in the 1970s, when cidermaker Richard Ihrig was drinking wines from California. Unimpressed, he had the idea that rather than growing grapes in a place to which they weren’t suited, why not make alcoholic beverages from a fruit that grows well in the local climate? In the Upper Midwest, apples and apple brandy were an obvious choice.

In 2011, his wife bought him a small apple press. He began making cider with fruit from both trees he had planted on his small farm and from a nearby orchard. He made 19 bottles that first year.

“It all grew from there,” he said. “Before long I was making 80 or 100 bottles a year. The next thing I knew I was buying a small commercial press.”

“People were saying this is really good cider, this is cider like we get in England or France,” said Rick Virnig, Ihrig’s business partner and longtime friend. In 2016, they entered what would become Meadowlark in the world’s largest cider competition, the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) as amateurs. Though they were told it was entered into the wrong category, they still won a bronze medal. The next year (in the correct category), they won gold and best of show.

In 2021, with a lot of prodding from Virnig, Ihrig agreed to go commercial.

Ihrig puts a lot of care into crafting his ciders, employing the traditional champagne method to produce it. The freshly pressed juice undergoes a long, cold fermentation with champagne yeast that lasts several months, until it reaches complete dryness. A small amount of unfermented juice from the same pressing is added before the cider is bottled. The sugar from the addition starts a second fermentation that builds pressure and carbonation in the bottles as they are left to age for another year.

The bottles then undergo a process called riddling. Using a special rack, the bottles are rotated over 10 days until they are vertically upside down. This allows any sediment in the bottle to settle into the neck. The bottles are then frozen to a temperature of 11 below zero. When uncapped, the bottles’ built-up pressure explosively expels the frozen sediment plug, leaving a brilliantly clear cider. The bottles are then corked and allowed to sit for three months to a year.

In a world where most ciders are made quickly to get product to market as fast as possible, why go to all this time and trouble?

“It appeals to me,” said Ihrig, who is attracted to the aesthetic of the slow food movement. “To me aesthetics are really important. I think what sets this cider apart is it’s giving the apple juice the time it needs to express itself. Another reason I do it this way is that I like to drink it. I think I make good cider.”

Apparently, others do too. String Theory has won 11 GLINTCAP medals and was named the 2022 Wisconsin Heritage Cider Producer of the Year at the New York International Cider Competition. But it’s extremely artisanal.

“We’re not making much cider.” says Irhig. “We’re making 150 cases a year.”

Meadowlark: Inspired by the dry, tannic ciders of England’s West Country, it’s made entirely from the juice of bittersweet cider apples, which are low in acid and high in tannin. Meadowlark is a light-bodied, very dry cider. There is no sugar sweetness here. It has a strong, mouth-drying tannic character, though not as intense as some English ciders. Lively fizz and tart, crisp apple flavor make this a refreshing, easy-drinking, brut champagne-like quaff.

Pirouette: This super-effervescent cider filled my Bordeaux glass with foam on pouring. The aroma is all about apples; smells of crisp, crunchy apple flesh and skin waft from the glass. Tannin is lower than Meadowlark and acidity is much higher. The palate starts with an impression of bruised apple sweetness that quickly gives way to refreshing tartness with light citrus notes. The finish is long and dry — the taste of sour apples just goes on and on. This would be lovely with a plate of briny raw oysters.

Picnic Sparkling Cider/Perry: This is String Theory’s hardiest cider — 40% of the juice comes from cider pears. A small amount of unsweetened cranberry juice adds a tannic bite. The aroma is all about ripe apples. That carries over to the flavor, where it is joined by juicy, sweet pears. The cider pears contain an unfermentable sugar, which gives Picnic some softening residual sweetness that balances mouthwatering acidity that includes a touch of acetic character. Subtle herbal and savory notes finish the picture.

Still Life: The new entry to String Theory’s lineup is Ihrig’s first attempt at making a still cider. It’s a winelike sipper with fruity apple sweetness up front and a dry, tannic finish. In between, it delivers a complex mix of herbal, minty and savory notes with a touch of smoke and buttery malolactic mouthfeel. The finish goes on and on with bitter tannin lasting long after swallowing. It would be great with anything pork or veal. Still Life may be difficult to find. Retailers have been reluctant to carry it, Virnig said, seeing a limited market for still cider. You may need to have it ordered.

String Theory Ciders have limited availability. They can be found at Surdyk’s, France 44 and South Lyndale Liquors in Minneapolis. In St. Paul, look for them at Thomas Liquors and the Wine Thief.