482: FLX Cider & Cheese Pairing with Cheesemonger Rachel Freier

482: FLX Cider & Cheese Pairing with Cheesemonger Rachel Freier

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 17, 2025 Duration: 41:53

At the New York Cider Fest in November, there were 2 Cider and Cheese sessions. Cider Chat Emcee Ria Windcaller attended one featuring ciders from 4 different makers. This cider and cheese pairing was led by Rachel Freier, a cheesemonger who is based in the Finger Lakes. She brought deep knowledge, humor, and a whole lot of heart as we tasted our way through four ciders and three cheeses.

00:00 Introduction to New York City Cider Fest

01:55 Networking at the Cider Fest

02:50 Exploring the Finger Lakes Cider Scene

04:36 Upcoming Cider Tours and Events

09:32 Cider Making Tips and Anecdotes

13:46 Featured Presentation: Cider and Cheese Pairing

23:31 Sterilizing Juice and Grape Skins

23:41 Exploring Apple Varieties: Northern Spy and Crab Apples

24:06 Harvesting Feral Fruit and Gnarly Branch Rose

24:51 Pairing Cider with Cheese

25:31 The Finger Lakes Cider Scene

26:09 Cider and Goat Cheese Pairings

27:19 Kingston Black: The King of Apples

30:16 The Art of Blending Ciders

31:09 Sustainable Cheese Making

33:43 Chisel Jersey Cider and Cheese Pairing

36:19 Upcoming Cider Chat Episodes

37:20 Celebrating the Holidays with Cider

39:23 Musical Outro: Strange Apples

Contact Info for the Ciders and Rachel

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: 50

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
484: Rethinking American Cider History with Patrick McCauley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:59
Meet Patrick McCauley, a Michigan-based cider maker and researcher, who is questioning some of the most common myths about American cider history. What Patrick uncovers is a far more regional, farm-based, and resilient c…
483: The Talking Pomme's Grand Winter Party [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:23
Enjoy this annual winter tale from Cider Chat Central! In this special holiday episode, Cider Chat invites you to step into the enchanting world of the Talking Pommes. The Talking Pommes Grand Winter Party is more than j…
481: Totally Cider Tour: A Merry Visit to Tom Oliver's [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:34
Tom Oliver is delightfully talented, mischievously witty, and not only a renowned cider maker but also a top-notch perry maker. He may say, "If you're going to make perry and work with pears, you've already identified yo…
480: Holiday Cider Gift Guide 2025 and Playing with Pommeau [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:36
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:32 French Pronunciation Fun 02:27 Holiday Gift Ideas for 2025 02:59 Cider Chat News and Updates 04:42 Listener Stories and Experiences 07:49 Upcoming UK Cider Tour 2026 12:47 Fe…
479: New York Cider Fest | Audio Snapshots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:45
New York Cider Fest 2025 brought together makers and enthusiasts for an unforgettable day at City Winery Manhattan. In this special collection of on-the-floor recordings, Cider Chat® captures Audio Snap Shots with festiv…
478: Pommeau: What Happens When a French Classic Lands on U.S. Labels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:18
What is Pommeau? Pommeau is a: fortified blend of fresh apple must (unfermented) and apple brandy (typically Calvados in Normandy or Lambig in Brittany). The unfermented apple juice and brandy are combined before ferment…
477: 2025 Ultimate Cider Pairing Guide for Thanksgiving [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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;…
476: Be Medieval, Rack that Cider| Secondary Fermentation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:18
How to clarify, stabilize, and finish cider the right way The Purpose of Secondary Fermentation when Making Cider Once the apple juice has started fermented and it is now slowing down, it is time to rack over your cider…