Today I begin the 3 part series on Halloween treats to pour. Because of the craze for all things Apple this time of year, I thought it only appropriate to step outside the wine world and offer up a cider. There are several varieties and even flavors of alcohol based (hard) ciders that range from sweet to very dry and still to sparkling.
During the last year one of my favorite ciders has emerged from the Standard Cider Company from Brotherhood Winery down in the Hudson Valley region of New York. Their ciders are craft made, reasonably priced and very tasty. For me, the best of the bunch is True Believer Couple which made from several varieties of apples and pears. This adds an extra dimension to the class apple flavored ciders by introducing the floral fragrance of pear and a bit more sweetness, creating a more semi-sweet opposed to semi-dry cider.
This will pair nicely with Winter Squash Bisque spiced with Ginger. This will also stand up to a complex Thanksgiving dinner, particularly for those who like something on the sweet side, but not made from grapes. Finally, keep in mind this is a cider and therefore fry cakes will also go very well with this cider.
So you’ve got your cider and your fry cakes, now all you need is a movie. In terms of good scary movies, I believe they should bring an almost phobia like response. For example Psycho made viewers afraid of showers. Silence of the Lambs made basements extra creepy and The Blair Witch Project practically ruined camping out in the woods for thousands of young people. For me, it was the fear of a charming, old, farm house, complete with apple orchard, calm lake, and Fall foliage. It sounds idyllic until ghost-like vampires shows up. The film is Let’s Scare Jessica to Death which I saw when I was 14 and I still view every Halloween. No big stars or big budgets, just very atmospheric photography and an original, spooky story.