The three men who started Double Shovel Cider Company see a lot of comparisons between, of all things, Alaska caribou and Alaska apples.
Caribou are strong and hearty, despite surviving in cold winter environments. Jerry Lau, one of three owners of the cider company and the mastermind behind most of the recipes, said that same can be said of the Alaska apples they'll use to make their cider.
In hunting, a "double shovel" is a type of caribou antler rack that's considered a trophy. Lau and fellow owners Galen Jones and Jack Lau hope that what they produce at Anchorage's latest -- and possibly first -- cider company will be also highly prized.
"It has kind of a ring to it, right?" Jones, 31, said in an interview at their warehouse, where they were working earlier this month.
The men behind Double Shovel want you to know that when it comes to cider, they aren't doing it the way you'd think. Forget the syrupy sweet cider you might find at the liquor store. Double Shovel specializes in "dry" cider, and they're hoping to add more than just apple flavors.
In the two years since they started making cider at home, the three have experimented with classic flavorings like blueberry and cherry, but also unexpected ones, like rhubarb mint and a cold-brewed coffee concoction. They're even working on a spicy hot habanero pepper cider and a kombucha and apple cider mix. And there's a hopped variety that's more like beer than cider.
Earlier this month they were still several weeks from production, waiting on apple juice from the Pacific Northwest to arrive and finishing construction on their Midtown cidery and tasting room. Several giant fermentation containers capable of producing up to 80 barrels of cider at a time had recently been moved in, while a bare wood bar nearby was still being finished.
They said they hope to have their first drinks ready for purchase in March, with a canning line also in the works.
Jerry Lau got into cider as a way to deal with a gluten allergy. Since most beer has gluten, it left his drinking options limited. So he started drinking cider, but quickly grew dismayed by the commercial varieties, many of which are too sweet for his taste.
But then he found "dry" ciders, more wine-like in body, but still carbonated and light. And, above all, gluten free.
Together, the three realized there was a market for cider in Alaska. Brewing, in general, is on the rise here, with more breweries opening around the state each year.
But there's not much in terms of cider making. A few meaderies have produced cider in the past, Jones said. But none have taken on cider as a full-time venture.
Apple abundance?
The Double Shovel owners don't use the term brewing for their product, since brewing is a process that generally involves heat. Cider-making takes no heat, just fermentation, similar to wine. But the addition of carbonation at the end plus an alcohol content of about 6 percent per volume makes it more like beer.
For now, the owners are using apple juice sourced from the Pacific Northwest. But eventually they'd like to use more Alaska apples. Jerry Lau said Alaska apples are generally higher in acidity and tannins, making them perfect for creating a dry cider.
Alaska apple production is the main the problem for Double Shovel. Lau said while there are more apple trees in Alaska than you would think, production still isn't high enough to be cost-efficient for the cider company. It takes a 5-gallon bucket of apples to produce about 1 gallon of juice. Lau said at the going rate for Alaska apples they would have to charge $30 a pint to recoup costs.
Debbie Hinchey, president of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association, said about 1,000 apple trees are added in Southcentral Alaska each year through the association alone. She said growing apple trees in Alaska isn't hard, but it does take patience. Some tree varieties come to maturity in about five years -- others, more like seven years.
"I would think they would need bushels and bushels of apples," she said. "We certainly can grow them."
With that in mind, the Double Shovel men are are looking ahead. They're already looking to invest in their own orchard in Nikiski. And they hope that if the cidery is a success, more apple trees will follow.
"We're hoping to make a even bigger demand," Jerry Lau said.