Four Brix Winery to Debut Ciders

After much tinkering around—a year and a half, in fact—Gary Stewart of Four Brix Winery will unveil his new Pier City Ciders on the Summer Solstice, June 21.

“People were really getting on me to get these out,” Stewart says, adding that the various iterations of his ciders have been available on a trial basis for a while. “But like any artist, I always want to make sure it’s just perfect before I’m willing to put it out there.”

Stewart, the winemaker for Four Brix in Ventura, began making ciders as an alternative to beer after his wife, Karen, was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. Stewart wanted to create a light, bright beverage with a beach vibe for her, he says.

Making cider is more akin to winemaking—both involving fermenting fruits—than it is to making beer, with its complex mélange of grains, he says, although most people think of cider and beer as being the more closely related beverages.

“Real cider aficionados won’t like these. But they’re my version. And the only way I can describe it is as something you’d like to sip during a day at the beach.” He adds, “The cider we make pairs with most food, but works especially well with spicy foods that wine typically has issues pairing with. Things I enjoy with the cider are spicy fish tacos or Indian curry dishes.”

He gets his apple juice sent, deoxygenated and stored for sale, from Washington, from various varieties and harvests.

“The approach we take on the fermentation of the cider is the same approach as the winemaking process,” says Stewart. “We ferment the apple juice at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks using a typical champagne yeast. Our process allows for a fresh, clean cider base in the finish. Once the fermentation is done, we add various spices, herbs and zests to create the flavor we desire.”

“The first cider I made was awful,” Stewart says. “It’s taken awhile to get it right.”

The choice of the Summer Solstice was somewhat arbitrary, but it seemed a good date for a summery, beachy beverage, he says, adding that varieties will be added or dropped based on popularity.

The ciders join Four Brix’s roster of wines served at the BrixHouse, the winery’s tasting room, which offers events ranging from Foodie Fridays to BBQ pizza nights to concerts.

Four Brix Winery
2290 Eastman Ave., Ste. 109, Ventura
805-256-6006; FourBrixWine.com/Pier-City-Cider