A couple of weeks ago we were trying to get together with two of our friends Andrew and Katie. Because Katie isn’t much of a beer drinker, we decided on heading to Sociable Cider Werks since they had both cider and beer on tap. After ensuring they had food available from their resident food truck The Curious Goat, we headed down for a nice evening of drinks and socializing.
Sociable joined the scene a couple of years ago, right alongside a rich neighborhood of breweries in Northeast Minneapolis. Having a mix of both cider and beer on tap has carved themselves a niche within the area that seems to be treating them very well. They have a small indoor taproom, and an intimate gravel patio outside the main door. We chose to sit on the patio and enjoy the midsummer heat. Early on it was quiet, but it got much busier later in the evening. They had lawn games available for their patrons as well as a bocce ball court that was in use all evening.
While I do enjoy cider, I wasn’t feeling it on that particular night. I was surprised to see that they had just as many beers on tap as they did cider. A quick note about their ciders which some people may not know is that they are mostly graffs. In the simplest form this means they are sort of a mix between cider and beer. This can be off-putting for someone used to regular ciders, but I find it’s a nice bridge between both worlds and the flavors lend themselves to something that can more easily be had over a longer period of time. Don’t be shocked when this doesn’t taste like the ciders you’ve had before!
I did have the opportunity to taste some of their ciders, Roadrash, Pinch Flat, Hop-a-wheelie, and Freewheeler. Pinch Flat was my favorite, with Freewheeler coming in a close second. The can designs of their ciders are also top notch! They had the option for smaller glasses for their beers in lieu of a flight.
Saison with Cherries was the first beer of the night. It had a faint cherry aroma, and was light and crisp with no aftertaste. I followed that up with a Red Rye Ale that had a head pocked like the surface of the moon. It was malty, nutty, and smooth with a tart crisp finish.
The last two beers were my favorites of the night. First was the slightly cloudy West Coast IPA that had a sweet aroma, and a bitter apple and melon flavor. Lastly was their Nitro Porter. The nitrogen really enhanced the creamy smoothness of this beer, which complemented the chocolate flavors and cherry aroma.
The next time you’ve got a hot night ahead of you, I would recommend heading down to Sociable and quenching your thirst with some of their ciders. In addition to the drinks, the atmosphere was great. Don’t eat before you go because their resident food truck is tasty, and try to get their early so you can get your spot on the bocce ball court before things really get busy!
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