“Unlike most ciders on the market, there’s no added sugar. It’s only 100% natural fruit, no preservatives, no added flavorings, it’s non-GMO. Since it’s made with only real local Ohio apple cider, it’s gluten-free,” says Sam McNulty, co-founder of Ohio City Restaurant Group, which operates Market Garden Brewery. “We thought the world could benefit from a little more love, so we’re calling this new cider concept ‘Heart ❤ Cider.
The cider drinks clean. At the release party Friday, McNulty aptly described it as “champagne with a kiss of apple.”McNulty says younger drinkers are moving away from sugary, artificially sweetened seltzers. The cider, he says, is bright, crisp and sparkling with a dry, clean finish. Alcohol by volume is 6%.
“They are looking for more natural and healthy drink options,” he says. “We’ve been selling more and more ciders at our restaurants and bars every month, so we decided it was time to brew our own.” The cider is fermented and packaged at Market Garden Brewery on West 25th Street in Ohio City. To start, the business will produce three cider batches per year.
The first cider was made from Ohio-grown Lodi and Granny Smith apples. It is the first to launch and is an “original semi-dry” heart cider. Two seasonals will eventually follow, with the first of those expected to be released in the spring.Heart Cider is available at five restaurants and brewpubs, including Market Garden Brewery. On Saturday, cans and kegs were on their way to beverage coolers at Greater Cleveland retailers, including Marc’s, Heinen’s, Dave’s and Giant Eagle.