CASTLE HILL CIDER RECIPES

Castle Hill Cider is thrilled to share some delicious recipes from our partners and friends which pair so well with our library of ciders. We hope you enjoy, and encourage you to share your finished meals and drinks with us on Instagram by tagging @castlehillcider or using #castlehillcider. Happy cooking and mixing!

CIDER SANGRIA

Apples and oranges at their best!

+ ingredients

6oz Dry Hopped
Serendipity or Celestial also great options!
2oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

+ instructions

  1. Add Dry Hopped
  2. Top with Orange Juice
  3. Add Orange Slice Garnish


CIDEROL SPRITZ

Transport to the Amalfi Coast with this refreshing sipper.

+ ingredients

4 oz. Celestial
2 oz. Lyre's Italian Spritz or Aperol
Orange Slice

+ instructions

  1. Fill glass 3/4 with ice
  2. Add ingredients in order of above, stir
  3. Garnish with orange slice


LANDY MULE

Perfect and refreshing, this cider cocktail will be the hit of your next gathering.

+ ingredients

2 oz. OG
1 oz. Hewes Pommeau Reserve
1/2 lime, juiced (reserve the rest for garnish)
top with tonic water

+ instructions

  1. Fill copper mug with ice
  2. Add ingredients in order of above, stir
  3. Rim edge with lime; garnish with wedge

HOT MULLED CIDER

Author: Forrest Green Farm

This is the delicious hot mulled cider we serve at Castle Hill throughout the late fall and winter seasons. Typically, we recommend making the cider with a base of Castle Hill Gravity, Celestial or Serendipity, and the delicious Mulling Spices from Forrest Green Farm, right down the road in Louisa, VA. Perfect for a chilly day, holiday celebrations, or relaxing fireside.

+ recipe

3-4 tbsp Forrest Green Farm Mulling Spices
1-1.25 750ml bottles of Castle Hill Cider

  1. Place FGF Mulling Spices in the included muslin bag.
  2. Add the apple cider and filled muslin bag to a pot.
  3. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, remove spice bag and serve hot or cold.
  4. Garnish with a dried apple slice or a cinnamon stick!

Indian Butter Chicken

Author: Lynsie Steele of Vie Meal Plans
See a video of Lynsie prepping this live with Rob and Don

Pairs perfectly with Serendipity 2016’s flavor notes of caramel and tangy sharpness. An Indian meal such as this helps broaden the flavors of the cider, but also helps to balance the robust tones of cumin, ginger, and tomato. Serve over rice or any grain of your choosing. Alternatively you can leave out the grains, add more water and enjoy this meal as a hearty soup.

Note: You’ll want to plan ahead with this recipe as the chicken is best after it’s had time to marinate overnight.

+ marinade ingredients

1 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt

+ sauce ingredients

4 tablespoons ghee, unsalted butter, or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced or chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced or finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chili powder (or more, as needed)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 15-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup of heavy or thickened cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves- optional as these are hard to find)

+ instructions

  1. Begin by combining all marinade ingredients and leaving them covered to rest overnight in the fridge. If you’re short on time, you can marinate these ingredients for a minimum of one hour.

  2. Once you’re ready to begin preparing your meal, place a large, high-sided skillet on the stove top set over medium heat.

  3. Add the ghee (or butter/oil) onions + red bell pepper and sauté for two minutes.

  4. Add garlic, ginger, and all spices and cook for an additional minute or two until spices smell toasty.
  5. Next, add chicken marinade ingredients and cook for 7-10 minutes until chicken is mostly cooked.
  6. Pour in tomatoes -and water if needed to thin out sauce- (remember to use all leftover marinade).
  7. Once chicken is fully cooked and sauce has thickened, add heavy cream, sugar, and fenugreek leaves and remove skillet from heat. Allow to sit for five minutes before serving.

CARAMELIZED PEACHES

Author: Lynsie Steele of Vie Meal Plans
See a video of Lynsie prepping this live with Rob and Don. The video also features the Lobster Taco recipe from Get Maine Lobster. We highly recommend making both recipes!

This is a perfect summer dessert! To create this recipe, we used peaches from the Georgia Peach Truck and recommend a couple of different cider pairings. The 1764 Port is a wonderful dessert cider best sipped slowly while enjoying the peaches. Or, you could opt for Serendipity, which is always a brightly balanced option. Best option yet - if you decide to make the Lobster Tacos as an entree, start with Serendipity and then choose the 1764 for dessert! Win-win!

+ peaches ingredients

4 ripe peaches
2 tbsp unsalted butter

+ peaches instructions

  1. Begin by slicing the peaches in half along their equator, remove knife, twist to separate, and remove pit.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter.
  3. Once butter is melted, add each peach half cut-side down.
  4. Allow to cook undisturbed for about 7-10 minutes.
  5. While peaches are cooking, make your caramel.

+ salted caramel ingredients

2 cups white granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup heavy cream
½-1 tsp high quality salt (Himalayan, Fleur de Sel, etc.)
1 stem of rosemary, fresh, plus more for garnish

+ salted caramel instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan with high sides, place over medium heat and add all of the sugar.
  2. Using a whisk, gently stir sugar around, making sure to scrape the sides down and move the sugar constantly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
  3. After a few minutes, the sugar will begin to liquefy and caramelize. Continue whisking carefully (it will start to get very hot) and wait until you see bubble appear on the top. Caramel should be removed from heat once it turns deep brown.
  4. Off heat, carefully add the butter and whisk quickly to incorporate.
  5. Next, add your cream & salt and stir.
  6. Remove half of the leaves from your rosemary stem and set aside. Add the remaining leaves (on the stem) to the caramel for a minute or two to steep.
  7. Remove stem and allow caramel to cool slightly.
  8. To serve, remove peaches from the pan and turn them cut-side up on a platter.
  9. Drizzle with caramel and add remaining rosemary leaves (chopped or whole) to garnish.
  10. Enjoy warm!