A bartender and oyster farmer teamed up to create this limited-edition cider
Row 34 bartender Jackson Cannon and Island Creek oyster farmer CJ Husk teamed up with local craft cider producers Far From the Tree to create Husk, the second annual collaboration of this clean, slightly sweet cider released at Row 34 and Island Creek Oyster Bar.To create the cider, the Far From the Tree team uses apples picked at Nichol’s Tenny Farm, Husk’s family farm in Hollis, New Hampshire. The farm is home to about 30 different varieties of apples, including the Roxbury Russet, which has a “subtle white flower aroma,” according to Cannon, “and is one of America’s first cider cultivators and planted widely across New England.”“[Nicol’s Tenny Farm is] a modest property but extraordinary in its history. It’s a link all the way to our colonial past,” Cannon said. “I went a handful of times as CJ was in the process of restoring it to working status and learned how those trees were kept healthy with the needed yearly harvesting of the apples being done by another local farmer, who was using them for soft cider sold at local markets.”This year’s batch of Husk is naturally fermented before champagne yeast is added to impart a fresh, clean finish. The cider is aged with French oak for two weeks before moving over to a stainless steel tank. Right before packaging, a small amount of maple syrup is added to balance off the dry crispness with a sweet, softer texture. This batch of Husk is also unfiltered, which leaves the cider with a more natural texture and lingering minerality, making it the perfect pair with salty, fresh oysters or warm, buttered lobster.HUSK is available in 16-ounce cans from Row 34 in Fort Point and Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston and Burlington.
