Somewhat quietly, Mattie Beason has established himself as the foremost cider expert in our area.
His love for hard cider led him, along with his business partner John Eisensmith, to transform their Six Plates Wine Bar on Erwin Road into Black Twig Cider House earlier this year. It’s the only cider restaurant of its kind in the Southeast; they have more than 80 ciders available on draft or in bottles.
And on Sept. 10, another first: Black Twig will host TxotxFest (choach-fest), the first cider celebration in the Southeast.
The top cider houses on the East Coast will offer tastings – Washington D.C.’s Anxo and the Big Apple’s Wassail among them. Local names like Mateo, Oval Park Grille, Picnic, Durham Catering and Rise will provide food samples. And Black Twig will serve a whole, de-boned sausage-stuffed local pig from Firsthand Foods.
And what about that name? A txotx is a Spanish barrel that’s filled with local cider. Spanish cider isn’t carbonated, so when it shoots out of the barrel, the angle and force are enough that the act of catching the cider in your glass physically adds the desired effervescence to the drink. When someone yells, “Txotx!” in the room, everyone gathers with their glass around the barrel, taking turns to catch the 2-ounce pour of cider, and then coming together to cheers before drinking the cider in unison. The txotx at TxotxFest will be donated by De Maison Selections.
For tickets, head to txotxfest.com. A general admission ticket ($50) will get you access from 1-4pm, and a tasting glass is included. VIP ticketholders ($75) will be given access an hour earlier to take part in a cider class; they will also get a tasting glass and a T-shirt.
The event benefits Durham-based nonprofit Inspire MEdia Network, which Chris Rosati founded after receiving an ALS diagnosis. The organization shares inspiring stories – and makes them happen.
Cider producers in attendance will include:
Noble Cider – a leader in N.C. craft hard cider, using western N.C. apples to create a variety of gluten-free, dry to semi-dry hard ciders, made with no artificial flavors or ingredients.
Bold Rock – With breweries on either side of the Blue Ridge mountains, this is the nation’s largest independently owned cider company that has won over 75 awards for their ciders.
Eden Specialty Ciders – Working with New England heirloom variety of apples, their specialty ciders reflect the cold winter climate and apple heritage of northern New England.
Foggy Ridge Cider – Tradition, reinvented. Beginning in 1997 with a cider apple orchard in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, founder Diane Flynt “grows ingredients” – bitter acidic apples like Hewe’s Crab, Harrison, Tremlett’s Bitter, Ashmead’s Kernel and Dabinett.
Bull City Ciderworks – The bull is bucking the trend of mainstream ciders. Taste the revolution!
McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks – Award winning wines and ciders throughout N.C.
Red Clay Cider – Charlotte’s first cidery, since July 2015.
Urban Orchard Cider Co. and Bar – A local, family-owned hard cider production company and tasting room located in west Asheville. One of only a handful of “True Cider Bars” in the nation.
De Maison Selections – Founded by Andre Tamers in 1996, De Maison is an importing company that specializes in unique, high-quality, boutique wines, ciders and spirits from Spain and France.
