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
049: Agathe Letellier | Manoir d'Apreval, Normandy - France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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046: Going to CiderDays | Insider Tips, Massachusetts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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043: Colin Davis | Shacksbury Cider, VT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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042: Jennifer Smith & Sara Grady | Women Leaders in Cider for NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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041: Emily Ritchie | Northwest Cider Association [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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040 Diego Rivera | Quebrada del Chucao, Chile [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:58
Quebrada del Chucao is a family owned cidery in Villarica (vee aree-ka), a village located in southern Chile. The Nahrwold family along with cousin Diego Rivera have been making cider commercially since 2012. Villarica i…