Hailing from one of the world's beer capitals — Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Jill Morrison might be perceived as a suds supporter supreme. And she is. There are always three beers on tap at CDA Cider Co., the cidery and restaurant she opened in downtown Coeur d'Alene in 2018.
But Morrison is quick to point out that her family left "Brew City," Milwaukee's self-proclaimed moniker since the 1980s to promote tourism, when she was a child, adding that she has been a Coeur d'Alene resident for more than 30 years.
While beer is present at CDA Cider Co., it's the 13 cider taps that draw people in and keep them coming back for more.
What first drew Morrison to cider?
"The same thing that attracts most people, I think," she says. "A lot of people say it's easier to drink. Beer can feel heavy, while ciders are less heavy. I think the gluten-free option is important to a lot of people, too. There also are far more flavor options."
Those choices aren't limited to CDA Cider Co.'s 13 taps, which in mid-March included pineapple, pear, peach, blueberry, huckleberry and watermelon flavors in addition to more traditional apple-only renditions. There also are varying levels of sweetness, and some guests even mix and match the available flavors.
"Some people want a dry cider but with just a little bit of sweetness, so they give us their 'recipe,' and we'll make it for them out of the taps," Morrison says. "One of the most creative blends I've seen is Locust vanilla — our bestselling cider — with peach. It becomes like a peach cobbler a la mode."
CDA Cider Co., which made three of its own ciders when it first opened but now focuses solely on those made by others, even highlights some of their customer concoctions. With 13 taps, the flavor combinations are seemingly endless.
"I've seen people mix as many as four flavors to create a cider that's just right for them," Morrison says.
With breweries and wine-tasting rooms plentiful in the Inland Northwest, it can be challenging for a business offering another adult-beverage option to stand out. How does Morrison and her team make cider less intimidating for beer and wine drinkers?
"We'll ask them what kind of beer or what kind of wine they like," she explains. "We'll almost always have a cider on tap that matches their palate or at least comes pretty close. We'll draw a sample for them, and it's fun to see their faces light up."
CDA Cider Co. also serves cider in flights and allows customers to choose the flavors. Guests also may assemble their own six-packs to take home from the selection of 130 or so cans in the venue's bottle shop.
The similarities among beer, wine and cider do not extend to food pairing, however, at least not in Morrison's opinion.
"I don't think I've ever encountered someone who came in specifically looking to pair cider with something on our menu," she says. "We serve pub fare — the maple bourbon wings are our bestseller — and because the dry ciders are mostly about their freshness, they go well with pretty much everything."
In addition to wings, the pub fare includes flatbreads, soft pretzel bites, a chicken quesadilla, nachos and a house specialty called "Beez Kneez," a gluten-free concoction of house-made honey cream cheese served with baked jalapeño chips (perfect with any of the traditional dry apple ciders on tap, just in case you're a pairing person).
