Tastemakers:Cherry Republic Wonderbar - Misteguay Creek Cider

Jan. 31, 2007

Cherry Republic – Cherry Wonderbar
February is National Cherry Month and local leaders in the cherry industry are launching a new campaign to promote Northern Michigan’s number one agricultural crop. The plan is to present cherries beyond the traditional cherry pie look. They hired Jeff Manning, the developer of “Got Milk,” to develop the “Got” version for the cherry industry (look for article next week in the Express). Of course industry leaders need to look no further than Cherry Republic for a place that “Got Cherries,” and has been creatively marketing cherries since 1989. Since he started selling Cherry Republic t-shirts out of the back of his car 18 years ago, Bob Sutherland has been among the best promoters of the cherry industry. His Glen Arbor location has grown to more than 170 cherry products and attracts thousands of visitors each year, along with a mail order business that is shipping tons of cherry products all over the world. Over the holidays a friend sent me a gift box from Cherry Republic loaded with all sorts of cherry goodies, ranging from assorted cherry cookies to chocolates with cherries, and my favorite, the Cherry Wonderbar served on a cherry stick. Loaded with crisp rice cereal and crunchy Chinese noodles, peanut butter, dark chocolate chunks, dried cherries and miniature marshmallows, this healthy treat makes for a great afternoon pick-me-up. Enjoy with cherry coffee or one of the cherry wines or sodas at Cherry Republic. To view a complete list of all of their cherry offerings visit
www.cherryrepublic.com or call 800-206-6949.


Misteguay Creek Cider – Fermented Apple Cider
Benzie County resident Tom Mountz contacted me a few weeks ago to tell me about a hard apple cider that he has been enjoying for the past several years. Now Mountz gave me no clues about this cider, and made no wild claims, such as Misteguay was the best hard cider out there; he just wanted me to try it and report back to him on my thoughts. So I am doing just that. If there was ever a beverage out there that could convince someone to become a fan of hard ciders, this is it. Made by Jim Koan, owner and operator of Al-Mar Orchards, located on the banks of Misteguay Creek in Flushing, Michigan, this hard cider is loaded with fresh apple flavors. Totally organic and unfiltered (Koan labels as “Virgin, Unadulterated, Pro-created without preservatives, sulfur or other additives”), Misteguay has a slight hint of carbonation. A careful pour will present a sediment-free sampling (see photo), but the real fun begins with each additional pour as the cider clouds up.
Now there is a saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, a glass of Misteguay a day keeps the surgeon away. Okay maybe that can’t be documented, but it certainly is worth trying. Jim Koan is a fourth generation apple-grower; his family started fermenting the juice from their apples during prohibition for “consumption by the Koan family and private social gatherings” and he took it public six years ago. Each batch receives “individual attention” and may vary from previous batches. Koan isn’t trying to replicate, but instead is celebrating each apple harvest and presenting the characteristics of that harvest each year in the bottle. Serve in a white wine glass and pair with pork dishes. Summertime sipping is obvious, but after a day on the ski trail or snowshoeing, enjoy by the fireplace with what else, split logs from an apple tree.
Ask for Misteguay Fermented Cider at your favorite beverage store. It is a lot like a band that can’t be labeled; hard cider is neither a beer or a wine or a spirit – it is an independent. As Jim Koan says, “Somewhere between Innocence and Sinfulness, a drink was conceived that could satisfy your thirst without compromising Purity.” I’ll drink to that. Thanks Tom.