H umboldt’s less celebrated bounty is the humble apple. When driving through rural southern Humboldt – SoHum as we call it – apple trees of every size bearing fruit of many colors dot the back country roads, begging passersby to reach out and claim a juicy bite. Over the past 170 years since apple orchards made their debut in Humboldt, the fate of their fruit has undergone a series of transformative booms, from supplying Los Angeles and San Francisco with fresh fruit in the 1800s to Albert Etter’s famed breeding programs at the turn of the century, to prohibition where hard cider was a sought after staple for outlaw imbibers. With the rise of the craft drink movement ramping up in the new millennium, Humboldt hard cider has risen again in prominence, served with a side of surrealism.
Humboldt Cider Co., launched in late 2013, is a local staple bringing a range of single variety and blended ciders to the NorCal masses, from traditional apfelwein with modest ABV to imperial strength concoctions. The cidery was originally dreamed up by the triumvirate of characters appearing on their packaging: the Bearded Lady, Apple Head, and Sasquatch – better known as Michelle Cartledge, her husband and cider-maker Darren Cartledge, and former business partner Jamie Ashdon. The three converged nearly 15 years ago, each coming to Humboldt from San Diego, Michigan, and Washington, respectively, just a few short years prior to becoming prominent faces in Humboldt’s modern-day apple culture. When Midwest transplant Tom Hart joined them in 2015 to spearhead their orchard program, their leadership team was complete.
In the nine years since Humboldt Cider Co.’s first pressing, the transplants have immersed themselves in the North Coast culture, forging relationships with local fruit farmers and beekeepers – such as French Ranch Farms (the modern iteration of Albert Etter’s homestead), Neukom Family Farms, Wrigley’s Apples, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, and Colett’s Humboldt Honey, to name a few – where they source their cider ingredients. Their initial focus on single variety ciders quickly expanded to blends to sate their community following; these varieties include the popular Mcintosh, the early Gravenstein, the common crab apple, the striking and sweet Etter’s pink pearl, the Sierra Beauty, and the inconspicuous Jonathan.
The cider itself is exquisite; with so many varieties, it’s hard to play favorites. The Drysdale (6.9% ABV) is a crisp, dry, classic cider. The Cherry (6.5% ABV) is a dark red, luscious, fruited cider, as tart as it is sassy. For the hardcore cider drinker, the sweet Passion of the Fruit (8.6% ABV) and the deep purple Imperial Blueberry (10.8% ABV) pack a punch of flavor and booziness to really get your juices flowing. Their ciders come hopped, honeyed, herbed, spiced, and even nutted – with a flavor for every palate, it’s no wonder they were awarded three golds and named champion of the Meadery and Cidery category at the 2022 San Diego International Beer Competition.
Second only to the excellence of their cider is their branding. Humboldt Cider Co. is deliciously playful, being steeped in Humboldt flavors and wrapped in the zany artwork of surrealist artist Dave Van Patten. Van Patten’s artwork encapsulates the essence of Humboldt – with depictions of Humboldt’s apple trees and a classic apple cart juxtaposed with characters in silly situations, like Bigfoot swiping right, a tree growing from a reclining Albert Etter, and a hybrid cannabis-man-disc golf basket. His art adorns the walls of Humboldt Cider Co.’s Eureka taproom, too, so patrons are fully immersed in surrealism while they sip their cider.
Up next for Humboldt’s first cidery is expansion south to bring a taste of Humboldt to Californians further removed from apple culture. While craft beer breweries are popping up with more frequency further down the coast, cideries remain popular primarily up north, but Cartledge is looking to bridge that gap. “We’re the best cider out there, we love what we do, we started out wanting to be really small and at local breweries, but now we’re expanding to all of California,” says Cartledge. So for all the folks in the Bay Area and San Diego thirsty for some Humboldt cider with a side of surrealism, Humboldt Cider Co. has you covered.
