The Cider Summit Seattle event has been a late-summer staple in South Lake Union for years, but due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety concerns, there won’t be any in-person tastings in 2020. In a show of ingenuity spurred by a global pandemic, the annual celebration of the fermented fruit beverage is going virtual.
The Summit is partnering with Northwest Cider Association to create a virtual event through Zoom. Participants could opt for a Bottled Classic Tasting Kit (featuring Alpenfire, Chatter Creek, Finnriver, Liberty, and Snowdrift) or a Modern Tasting Kit (featuring Bad Granny, Herb’s Schilling, Incline, Seattle, Tieton, and Yonder). Each kit also includes a bottle of the event’s 2020 collaboration cider, Virtue Salut!, plus stemware, a bar towel, and other goodies. Those who snapped up the kits before sales ended will receive a special code for the virtual Summit, which includes a greeting from the event’s founder, Alan Shapiro, NWCA’s executive director, Emily Ritchie, and a performance from of Oregon Music Hall of Famer “Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester.