At Atlanta’s Urban Tree Cidery—the city’s first—founders Maria and Tim Resuta perform small alchemy. The couple, both certified as master cider makers, take humble fruit from a family-owned orchard in Mountain City, Georgia, and convert it into something spectacular. They offer three core ciders (Original, Classic, and Barrel Aged). And their once-seasonal ginger-habanero is so popular it’s now available year-round. If you find some modern artisanal ciders a little too tangy and a touch vinegary, their Classic offers an antidote. A mouthful starts with considerable authority and just a hint of green apple, but then unspools into something softer and sweeter, like a sudden view over spring orchards. That slightly honeyed flavor comes from a bit of apple juice they add to round the edges, and the gentle carbonation makes it all the more festive. At 6.5 percent alcohol, it’s ideal for slow sipping.
>Urban Tree Classic Cider, $13 per bottle ($78 per six-pack), urbantreecidery.com
MORE MADE IN THE SOUTH:
> Drink winner: Tropic Thunder
> Drink runner-up: Jos. A. Magnus & Co.
> Drink runner-up: Urban Tree Cidery
> Drink runner-up: Copper & Kings
See all winners and runners-up
