Milk and Honey provides seasonal cider offerings

This week we ventured to Milk and Honey Ciders in St. Joe to fulfill a common fall need: to experience the immaculate vibe of drinking ciders in the cold surrounding a warm campfire. Chach and Jmay were joined by roommates and members of the SJU tennis team Mason Meyer and Mark Rosen. Mark is a captain of the tennis team, and Mason is a valued member, which is what they became when they joined our beer review for this week.

We started with the Fauna, which Mark ordered because he is basic and so is the Fauna. The fauna is a classic cider and Milk and Honey’s bread and butter. While it was solid, there were no rounds of applause from the group for this drink. It had a dry finish, with a semi-sweet apple taste and a classic cider gold color. While it separated itself from a run-of-the-mill Redd’s Apple Ale, Mason claimed his “socks were definitely still on,” as this sipper didn’t blow them off. We compared this order to ordering chicken tenders at a semi-fancy restaurant; while you won’t be disappointed, there are definitely more unique and tastier options on the menu.

The Tart Cherry was our next taster, which Mason ordered. While the name suggested we would pucker as this red juice touched our lips, we were pleasantly surprised by the subtle tartness. However, when we searched and felt for the cherry flavor there was little to be found. This was not to say it wasn’t a good cider, as it was still liked by the group. Chuck really enjoyed this brew, claiming it was similar to champagne, which made him daydream about sharing a romantic kiss with a lucky woman this new year. Mark and Mason compared this drink to Busch Apple… inexcusable, due to that horrid comparison, they will not be welcomed back to feature on another Beer Review. Overall, a solid cider, but could definitely be a recipe for gut rot if you’re planning on having more than one. Keep this one like your stock portfolio and be sure to diversify.

Our third and favorite cider was the Heritage Hops. If you have been following our column these past few weeks, we like beer. So, with a name containing one of our favorite ingredients outside alcohol, our hopes shot up because of a potentially beer-like taste, and we weren’t disappointed. The hoppy flavor was evident, giving this cider the feel of a crossbreed, or half-blood if you speak Harry Potter, between a cider and a brewskie. We tasted hints of apricot within the ‘beer,’ which we later saw was true via the menu. We took that as a sign; we were no longer amateurs but veterans in this profession. Mason and Mark weren’t as enthusiastic about this cider, saying they only tasted ‘tart,’ which shows that it may not be for everybody. However, if you call yourself a beer lover, this is a must-try at Milk and Honey.

The Estate was our final venture, and sadly it was not because we saved the best for last. We tasted too much tartness with little else to give the cider a sense of belonging. We were convinced that the apples used for this cider were the super fake red apples from the Reef. The flavor was lacking, which led to not very nice things to be said about this poor little guy. “It’s like we’re in Ratatouille when they’re trying the cheese and strawberry, only there’s no fireworks going off because, ya know, it’s not good,” was the most relatable comment said. The flavor simply wasn’t there, but Mason claimed he would “still drink it if he was bulking,” because calories are calories. Something just felt off about this ciderwe don’t want to completely count it out, but definitely be wary. The moral of this story is if you trust us with your consumption choices, which may not be a great idea, don’t drink Estate and that is not up for debate. However, Milk and Honey was still a blast, and we highly recommend you vist before the fall vibes disappear for the year. We also recommend bringing friends, or us. Jmay and Chach are getting sick of our roommates’ bad opinions, so if you think you have what it takes to go toe to toe with “veteran” beer drinkers, feel free to reach out.