018: Darlene Hayes | Cider Cocktails, California

018: Darlene Hayes | Cider Cocktails, California

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist February 17, 2016 Duration: 55:55

You might know Darlene Hayes by her blog All into Cider. There you can find some quick cider cocktail lore and recipes. Yes, Cider Cocktails are hot…again! That's right, again! Mixing spirits with cider has been favored by farmers to royalty alike (okay, not sure about the royalty, but I know my gramps used to love to age his cider in a bourbon barrel) ever since cider and spirits have been pouring.

Yes, Ciderville we are both going to become a bit more "in the know" with this special chat with Darlene Hayes on how to make cider cocktails.

Cider Chat Ep 018 Darlene Hayes making cider cocktails
Darlene Hayes measures out the bourbon for the Stone Fence cider cocktail

New Cider Books By Darlene Hayes

Author Darlene Hayes has captured the "spirit" of a cocktail made with cider in her book aptly called "Cider Cocktails, Another Bit of the Apple" (2015) Spotted Cat Press, Canada. The 2nd Edition of this book is now available! Go to this link to purchase!

Cider Chat Ep 018 Cider Cocktails book by Darlene Hayes 2nd edition
2nd edition of Cider Cocktails

The book provides an historical overview of classic drinks like the Stone Fence, a recipe coalling for bourbon with a semi dry cider. Darlene and I chatted as she mixed both a Stone Fence and the Gin Gin Jenny (gin, ginger cider and lime) when we met up in Portland Oregon at CiderCon in 2016.

Darlene made us the perfect cocktails for a good cider chat…or it is cider cocktail chat?

Cider Cocktails also has a chapter of recipes for Appetizers to serve with your cocktail. And, at the end of the book she included, "Basic Recipes". Here you will find her take on Simple Syrup, a syrup used in making cocktails and Crème fraîche, a spread used in many a yummy appetizer and more.

This book is a recommended read for anyone taking the United States Association of Cider Maker "Level 1 Course in Cider Certification. And with all the new cider bars opening around the country, most notable The Northman in Chicago expected to open later this month – this is a great handbook for bartenders, cider bar owners and anyone looking to expand their cider horizons.

Cider Chat Ep 018 A slice of orange peal is squeezed into the Stone Fence cider cocktail
A slice of orange peal is squeezed into the Stone Fence cider cocktail

Contact info for Darlene Hayes

Mentions in this Cider Chat


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…
490: Let Cider Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state o…
489: Natural Cider Production Seminar | CiderCon 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:53
Natural cider is often misunderstood as funky, volatile, or flawed. Recorded live at CiderCon 2025, this seminar reframes natural cider as a philosophy of low intervention, balance, and intentional care, not a free pass…