477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving

477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist November 12, 2025 Duration: 39:38

Learn how to pick the right Cider and Perry for every dish on the Thanksgiving table.

This week we are not chasing brand names. We are building flavor intuition.
Consider Thanksgiving not as one single taste on a plate; it is a stack of distinct taste worlds. Each one asks for its own kind of cider or perry.

In this holiday feature, Ria and the Talking Pommes a.k.a. Perry Pear, Mr. Quince, and The Medlars talk through the art of pairing cider and perry for the entire Thanksgiving feast, from the welcome sip to dessert.

You will learn how to shop with confidence, how to read a label for style rather than brand, and how to bring bottles that make every part of the meal sing.
There is also a downloadable Thanksgiving Cider Shopping Checklist PDF below to make your trip to the store simple and stress free.

Chapters for Episode 477

00:00 Introduction and Talking Pommes

00:47 Welcome to Cider Chat

02:02 Thanksgiving Traditions and Preparations

06:05 Upcoming Cider Tours

07:40 New York Cider Events

10:26 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving

14:00 Choosing the Right Cider for Starters

18:33 Main Course Cider Pairings

20:37 Turkey Preparation and Cider Pairing

21:12 Smoked Turkey and Barrel-Aged Cider

21:49 Creamy Sides and Semi-Dry Cider

22:31 Fruit Ciders for Roasted Vegetables

22:57 Choosing the Right Cider

23:58 Introducing Cider to Friends and Family

25:01 Low Alcohol Ciders for Gatherings

26:30 Dessert Pairings with Cider

31:31 Serving Cheese and Fruit Plates

33:01 Thanksgiving Table Preparations

36:19 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

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
218: FieldBird Cider | Canada: Covid Time Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:57
Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County provides an overview of Canada's response to the Covid-19 crisis gripping the world in this episode. Ryan's chat begins at approximately 11:49 minutes into th…
217: Omnia Era of Cider | Pommes in Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:54
Let's search for the fruit of the story from the Renaissance era to the often-bizarre works of the Mannerist painter of that time. We are exploring how history is repeating itself in our cups of cider in this edition of…
216: Alex Ionov | Rebel Apple, Moscow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:30
In 2015, there was a windfall of apples in Russian. That moment helped to catapult "The Land of Antonovka" into the cider spotlight world wide. Episode 216 Featured guest is Alexander Ionov of Rebel Apple Cider of Moscow…
CCLive: Helping Cider in Covid Time w/ACA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
Hear what the ACA and the USA's regional associations are doing to help members while their businesses are shuttered during quarantine. Cider Chat Live: Helping Cider in Covid Time w/ACA Recorded March 19, 2020 with Amer…
215: Andy Hallett of Hallet Cider | UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Join the Talking Pommes and I, as we "Flip the bird" to the Coronavirus! Yes, "feck off" to the virus by signing up now for the upcoming England Cider Tour September 1-6, 2020. 215: Andy Hallett of Hallet Cider | UK Andy…
214: Cider is 'Art + Science' w/Kim & Dan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:42
Cider as Art + Science w/Kim & Dan Kim says, "We consider ourselves a natural cider, Perry and wine company. Our products start with the farming; sourcing quality fruit that is ecologically farmed is important to us. We…
213: The Sleeping Giant has Awoken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:11
Who is the Sleeping Giant? France, of course! The cider regions in Normandy and Brittany are steeped in tradition and rich with select apples and pears that showcase a very specific terroir from each of the appellations.…
212: Northeastern Cider Conference~Scoop! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
The Northeastern Cider Conference will take place March 24, 25, 26, 2020 in Albany, NY. Register now - Get group discount for Hotel now through February Tuesday March 24th begins with a kick off with a opening toast and…
211: Tales from CiderCon2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:21
Enjoy these Snapshots of Tales from CiderCon2020 which details a bit of what I experienced both before the conference, while on the Parajo Valley Cider Tour and then my recap on CiderCon held in Oakland. Thank you to San…
210: Cider Ireland w/Stonewell Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:16
Daniel Emerson discusses his Irish cider brand Stonewell Cider and Cider Ireland, a trade association for Irish cider makers. The American Cider Association annual trade conference CiderCon2020 had the following Irish Ma…