Edwards Apple Orchard West, Pig Minds Brewing join forces on signature hard cider

WINNEBAGO, Ill. (WTVO) – A partnership between two local businesses is giving stateline residents a chance to wash their donuts down with an apple cider that has a little more kick.

Edwards Apple Orchard West and Pig Minds Brewing Co. are now selling Edwards Orchard West Hard Apple Cider.

"The cider we make ourselves, then we give it to Pig Minds Brewing to get the chemistry behind it to brew it," Edwards West Manager Kristin Edwards Johnston said.

The special hard cider is available by the bottle at the orchard and on tap at Pig Minds.

"They bring us the fresh, pressed cider, we bottle up about half of it and return it to them. And we keep about half of it here," said Pig Minds Head Brewer Christopher Langguth.

Because the orchard and brewery both needed a special license from the state, the process of getting the signature cider to market took several months to complete.

"It's a project I started a little over a year ago," Brian Edwards, Kristin's brother, who co-manages the orchard. "It's been a long process of legal work to make everything flow and work the way it should to final y have the product on our shelf."

Since Edwards announced the new cider Wednesday on Facebook, it's been tough to keep on the shelves.

"We're going to try it," said Rockton native Marissa Brauer, who now lives in Oswego. "We're going to give it a try just because it's local. I've been coming to Edwards since I was a baby. I grew up right here in Rockton, so I'm excited to try it."

The cider is 5.8-percent alcohol by volume. It is sold only at Edwards Apple Orchard West. It is not available at the Poplar Grove location.

Edwards Apple Orchard West is at 8218 Cemetery Road, Winnebago. Pig Minds Brewing Co. is at 4080 Steele Drive, Machesney Park.