Buskey Cider
Richmond, Virginia
1.5 years in the making: Buskey Sherry Barrel-Aged Cider
Virginia-based Buskey Cider is releasing Sherry Barrel-Aged Cider this Friday. It is one of just a handful of barrel-aged offerings by the cidery to date.
The inspiration for this cider starts with co-founder Elle Correll, who spent time in Jerez de la Frontera, part of Spain’s Andalusia region. The city is well-known for its sherry production. According to Buskey, Elle has been wanting to make a sherry barrel cider since they opened.
MORE: BUSKEY CREATES CIDER SOFTSERVE
A barrel-fermented cider -a 100% Virginia-grown blend of Ashmead’s Kernel, Black Twig, and Winesap apples went into an Oloroso Sherry barrel in December of 2019. After 9 months, the cider was bottled and bottle conditioned for over a year.
[This] unique bottled cider is nutty, with a raisin character with a citrusy finish.
Buskey Sherry Barrel-Aged Cider is available for pre-order now, releasing in 500-milliliter bottles on Friday, September 10th.
Style: Hard Cider (Barrel Aged. Oloroso Sherry. )
Availability: 500ml Bottles. Limited Release.
Debut: 9/10/21
?? ABV
Buskey Strawberry Kiwi Cider coming Friday
Richmond, Virginia’s Buskey Cider releases a limited a new limited edition cider on August 27th – Buskey Strawberry Kiwi.
The hard cider features Virginia apples, plus strawberries and kiwis.
Smells like a strawberry, tastes like a kiwi!
RELATED: BUSKEY CIDER DEBUTS CIDER SOFT SERVE
16oz 4-pack cans are $14 each. Available at all Buskey locations starting at 12 noon. The cidery also delivers to Richmond and surrounding areas, Hampton Roads, and NOVA.
Style: Hard Cider (w/ Strawberries. Kiwis.)
Availability: 16oz Cans. Limited Release.
Debut: 8/27/21
6.1% ABV
Image: Buskey Cider
Buskey Cider finds instant success in boozy soft serve
On our first trip to the Scott’s Addition area of Richmond, Virginia, we found lots of breweries. Our day drinking curveball, and one of the most memorable experiences actually came thanks to Elle & Will Correll, who own Buskey Cider.
Buskey Cider is some of the best cider we’ve had on the east coast. We’ve had a few years of samples to decide that. Each cider is small batch, crisp, and downright inspired. During the pandemic, Will gave up his salary to cover his employees as the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown bars and breweries. It’s not directly to the rest of this story, but it’s worth saying.
As 2020 rolled around we lost touch with Buskey. Hell pretty much everyone. Then as the the temperatures threatened 100 degrees, Will reached out again with new Buskey Cider news. This time is wasn’t a traditional release, but something a little different – boozy soft serve.
Here in 2021 our alcoholic attention span is that of a chipmunk. Just look at the growth of hard seltzers, RTD cocktails, freeze pops, and whatever has yet to come. It’s not that we DON’T want to drink. We just want new ways to GET drunk. (Or safely imbibe for the lawyers out there.)
Will tells me that week by week, folks are coming back into the Buskey taproom, feeling free to do things they used to do, like it’s 2019 all over again. “I wanted something new, to engage people in a new way,” Will says. “I wanted to give folks some kind of reward. It’s been a tough year.” That’s where the Buskey Soft Serve was born.
Co-owners and husband and wife team Will and Elle invested in a Below Zero soft serve machine. The idea was making a “cider sorbet” of sorts, incorporating a few seasonal ciders in order to beat the heat. Basically, buy it and figure it out.
After the first weekend, you can safely say they figured it out. Buskey chose their seasonal Watermelon Basil for the inaugural cone. The first weekend, they sold them as fast the Below Zero machine would churn them out. Nearly 500 cones in all.
“We wanted to amplify the idea that this was ours,” Will says. “That’s why we chose the Watermelon Basil,” he adds. “It turned out better than expect, downright refreshing.”
The only downside is that the machine requires a good bit of cleaning and maintenance, plus staff training. It goes beyond cleaning glassware and faucets. Apparently there was a full-on training video to go along with the new equipment.
Each cone is about 5% alcohol by volume and non-dairy. After Watermelon Basil came Tart Cherry, and now bright pink Dragonfruit Açai. The working theory is to release new cider soft serve flavors opposite of the bi-weekly cider releases.
Will’s desire to energize people wanting to explore again is working. Buskey Cider has always been a fun break from the Scott’s Addition Beer Trail, and if the Correll’s have anything to do with it, it’s going to be one the most interesting stops along the way.
Just watch out for the brain freeze.
Dragonfruit Açai. Photo: Buskey Cider
Richmond’s Buskey Cider cans for the first time
Richmond, Virginia based Buskey Cider has started canning their cider lineup for the first time.
Will Correll, aka “The Cider Guy” and team opened the cidery on Leigh Street in the Scott’s Addition area of Richmond in April of 2016. In a burgeoning Virginia brewing scene, the response to cider in city has been strong. After nearly a year of being draft only, Buskey Cider – like many of their local brewery brethren, are going to cans.
The first release is RVA Cider, a 5.5% alcohol by volume cider named for their beloved city. Their most popular cider is semi-sweet, and made with fresh pressed Virginia apples.
“We have known for years that cans are better for both the product and for the environment. One of the best things about cans rather than bottles is that our fans can enjoy them with family and friends anywhere they go.” – Will Correll, founder and CEO of Buskey
Buskey RVA Cider cans will be distributed through Loveland Distributing.
Style: Hard Cider
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-round.
Debut (Cans): January, 2017
5.5% ABV
