Heirloom Apple Tasting & Meet the Maker: Original Sin Cider

Scion Cider Bar is hosting its annual heirloom apple tasting on Wednesday, October 21, from 6 PM to 9 PM. The guest of honor is Gidon Coll, the founder of Original Sin Cider, who'll be there in person to walk you through the tasting. It's part of a series of events Scion is running to mark National Cider Month, and it comes at a good time for the bar: they're just on the cusp of five years in business, so this is one of the ways they're celebrating the milestone.

If you've never spent much time with heirloom apples, this is a great place to start. Coll is bringing around 40 different varieties to the table, all available in limited quantities for tasting. You can work your way through them and see how they differ—some tart, some sweet, some with flavors you wouldn't expect from an apple—and then see how those differences carry over into the cider. Along with the fresh fruit, there will be single-varietal and blended ciders to sip on, so you can taste the raw ingredient and the finished product side by side.

Coll has a deep connection to the source. He founded Original Sin Cider back in 1995, and he also runs the Hudson Valley Apple Project, an orchard in Upstate New York dedicated to growing heirloom varieties. Having him there means you can ask the person who actually grows the fruit why one variety tastes the way it does and how that translates into the bottle. It's a rare chance to get a look at the whole process, from the orchard in New York to the glass in Salt Lake.

The tasting is free, and it's for ages 21 and over only, so bring a valid ID. Scion is at 916 S Jefferson St W, Suite A, in Central 9th, and you'll find street parking on Jefferson St and 900 South, just a few steps from the 900 S TRAX stop. The tasting runs from 6 PM to 9 PM on Wednesday, October 21.