With the turning of the seasons from summer to fall, apples are starting to ripen in the nearby orchards of Placer and El Dorado counties. This sweet, tart crop can be put to innumerable good uses, but one of our favorites for the season is cider. Traditionally, ciders come in two varieties: an unfermented, non–alcoholic juice, or a fermented “hard cider” that can range from dry to sweet, light to dark and clear to cloudy. Two Rivers Cider Company and Crispin are producing some of our favorite hard apple ciders this year. The Crispin Honey Crisp and The Saintsmall–batch ciders, made from West Coast apples, epitomize the cloudy, unfiltered, dry style of cider. If you’d like to try something a little more exotic, check out the flavored ciders from Two Rivers Cider Company of Sacramento. They have a Pomegranate Apple Cider that’s light, slightly sweet and tart with subtle pomegranate aromas and flavors. We’re also digging their Blood Orange Apple Cider, deep in color with bright citrus aromas and just enough sweetness to balance the tangy blood orange acidity. • MIKE TAYLOR (Adult Beverage)