065: Brian Rutzen | The Northman, Chicago's 1st Cider Bar

065: Brian Rutzen | The Northman, Chicago's 1st Cider Bar

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist January 25, 2017 Duration: 1:09:16
Cider Chat
ArtsCultureFoodPlacesSocietySociety & CultureTravel

February 7, 2017 at 4:30pm

Cider Chat at The Northman   

recording chats with patrons on Cider Stories!

Brian Rutzen is the Cider Director at Chicago's first cider bar, The Northman managing 20 taps of cider, 5 craft beers and in total over a 100 options of cider to partake at this 63 seat bar.

We chat how The Northman helps patrons understand cider, how it is poured, cellaring cider, cider with food, and lots of tips for attendees heading to the windy city for CiderCon (the annual cider conference for members of the United States Association of Cider Makers).

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods - with many of the names reflecting the immigrant groups that settled there. Pilsen for instance got its name from the Czech immigrants and is now housing many Mexican immigrants.

Brian says "Chicago is setup as a grid." Making it fairly easy to get about

Go to this page to see the ciderchat.com show notes page with photos

 O'Hare Airport apple history

What does the airport code ORD stand for at this mighty Chicago hub?

Answer: Orchard Field

Taxi to Downtown from O'Hare Airport: $50 bucks (this is not absolute, might be more)

Public Transport from O'Hare to Downtown -$2 (might be a bit more but, no more than $5)

What to expect for cider options in Chicago? 

Brian says that most bars nowadays have at least  2 ciders on tap

Transportation around Chicago?

Uber - Take lake shore drive to get to The Northman from Chicago CiderCon2017 for $15 bucks. Use the promo code CIDERCHAT10 for $10 off your first Uber ride.

Taking the L train from downtown to The Northman will take you 45 minutes

Contact info for Brian and The Northman

Brian's Twitter handle: @ChicagoCider

website The Northman

address: 4337 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago

telephone: 773-935-2255

Twitter @TheNorthmanChi

CiderCon February 8th through 10th, 2017Mentions in this Chat

Chicago Cider Summit February 11, 2017

Jake Melnick's Corner Tap Known for wings and having cider on draft

Vandermill Cider

Places to stop in on Randolph Street as mentioned on this chat

Girl & The Goat

Little Goat

Duck Duck Spin

809 W Randolph Street

Chicago, Illinois

Au Cheval

800 W. Randolph Street

312-929-4580

Kaiser Tiger -

1415 W. Randolph Street

German Sausage, great tastes made with bacon

Cider on Tap

Outside in the Winter: Curling!!!

Listen to the following French cider podcast episodes to prepare for the CiderCon Tastings

049: Agathe Letellier | Manior d"apreval | Normandy - France

050: Didier Bedue |President I.D.A.C., France

057 Eric Bordelet | Normandy, France Part 1


Ask for the following 4 #CiderGoingUP Campaign cider supporters - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Ciderville.


Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC

Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania

Oliver's Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK

Santa Cruz Cider Company - California

The Cider Project - California

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts.

Follow on twitter @ciderchat

 


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

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