Amador in Action: Local makers bite into the cider scene By Scott Thomas Anderson

For all of his adult life, America’s founding father John Adams started each morning with a glass of hard apple cider. There was something about the crisp, slightly tingly infusion that gave him clarity…

…Common isn’t the only name in Amador’s cider conversation. Two years ago, Sera Fina Cellars winemaker Paul Scotto began to brew his own signature beverage. To say the drink has been a hit with patrons doesn’t quiet cover it. Cider Brothers’ most popular hard cider is also its most unique; the William Tell, Cider Brothers’ signature cider, is a blend of 15 percent Pinot Grigio wine with a hard apple cider crafted from five different apples. This brew shines with a heavy honey anchor and mildly sweet reflection on its sparkling pop. Its combination of apple juice and white wine are reminiscent of the melon crispness of medieval mead.

Cider Brothers also produces Pacific Coast Dry Hard Apple Cider with Strawberry. It’s a great bottle to pull out of an ice chest on a hot day, as its taste is a striking hybrid of spring fruit and clean, orchard freshness…