Location: 2301 I St.
Readers’ pick: Capitol Cider House
Capitol Cider House stands out from the pack of vendors at FRESHFARM Market’s Foggy Bottom location with a distinctive take on hard ciders, difficult to come by at any other retailer in the District.
The local small business has a permanent sit-down restaurant and cider house on Georgia Avenue in Petworth, but GW students don’t have to go further than the end of the walkway by the Foggy Bottom Metro station to get their cider fix at Capitol Cider House’s pop-up stand every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. The company prides itself on crafting gluten-free and unfiltered hard cider that is sustainably sourced from local orchards known for growing apples with elevated flavor profiles.
At the farmers market, patrons can choose between five eccentric cider flavors ranging from sweet to spicy in 12 oz. cans sold in packs of four as well as large individual 750 ml cans of limited-edition seasonal flavors like Honey Lavender ($17). The variety pack ($14) – four 12 oz. cans of Capitol Cuvée, Life’s A Peach, Hot Damn! Peach and Capitol Rosé – is the optimal choice for sampling most of the company’s essential flavors. With the variety pack, patrons can try all but one – Grape Crush – of the five flavors, experiencing a broad range of Capitol Cider House’s delectable options.
Capitol Cuvée is as classic as a hard cider can get – with a crisp blend of American apples, the light and smooth drink is just the right beverage to sip on a gorgeous 75-degree spring day. For wine lovers who want to dabble in cider, look no further than the Capitol Rosé. With sweet GoldRush apples and juicy Merlot grapes, this fruity-yet-dry drink is an unlikely, yet exquisite, blend of wine and cider.
Life’s A Peach entices customers with yet another intriguing flavor profile – GoldRush apples and sun-ripened yellow peaches. But if that sounds a little too sweet for your tastebuds, the Hot Damn! Peach – with added Cayenne pepper – is the way to go. This drink is just the right amount of spicy-to-sweet ratio, with an initial kick and crisp aftertaste.
If you’re craving a flavor even more geared toward springtime, the 750 ml crowler cans poured straight from the draft offer a selection of three extra-special flavors. Honey Lavender, Apple Bottom Greens ($15) – infused with yaupon tea – and Juice with the Fleur ($17) – infused with chamomile and a touch of honey – are enticing options that will make you come back to the farmers market for more every Wednesday.
Next time you’re in the mood for a hard seltzer or beer, try a new and innovative beverage. Beyond the incentive to cool down with a drink on a warm spring evening, students over 21 should visit Capitol Cider House to support a local small business in the District.
