Sociable Cider Werks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy cider this place is a must try. I wish there were more places like this.

"I don't know [why we don't serve tasters, I just work here."

 

For cider lovers, this is a nice change of pace. Personally, I can only drink one or two ciders before I start to get sick of them. Thankfully, their ciders are very creative and often blends (saison-cider). They also offer a few traditional brews for those less enamored with the sweater step-sibling. Excellent ambiance and usually good food trucks.

 

The taproom is located (like many) in a reconditioned industrial space. Unapologetically a "working brewery/cidery" the taproom is not fancy. The inside is a bit dark, but not dingy. A long shiny polished bar takes up a good space to the left side of the space across from the main entry. The fermenters and canning line are right behind that, with more stainless brew equipment off to the right of the building. A few large cable spool tables offer some more seating away from the bar. The place was bustling but not overly crowded during our visit. My one quibble with the setting is that the ceiling has a strange, slightly arts-and-crafts-from-elementary-school twig and yarn thing going on. A small patio outside offers additional seating and folks were just taking down a portable stage from earlier live music.

I wanted to order a sampler to try more things, but apparently they only offer them in the first hour they're open. I understand that samples take longer to pour, but they are the best way for someone like me to get a gestalt of how the whole brewery's line-up tastes in a short period of time. On the other hand, our helpful bartender was more than willing to let us have a couple of tastes to help make up our minds before ordering. They do offer small and large glasses, so we still got to try several of the offerings without getting tipsy. Interestingly they do straight ciders (most fairly dry), beers, and some hybrid beer/cider mixes. This combination is really what makes Sociable stand out to my mind. I got to try some unusual takes of traditional beer and cider styles that were truly unique. My favorite of the group was the Everblack--a fine example of an oatmeal stout that was easy to drink and well crafted. The Pinch Flat was a cider with saison yeast and had an interesting character somewhere between a beer and a cider. I think our least favorite was the Burnout Smoked Apple that just had a chemical phenol that was a bit off-putting--I still gave it a 3 of 5 though. Some of the hybrid styles like the Spoke Wrench (stout/cider) can have the cidery taste that I associate with young or "green" beer which is a flavor flaw when judging a beer.

I'm glad I gave these guys a chance and I think they're trying some cool new things that you can't find anywhere else. They're also putting out good quality dry cider (in cans now too) to compete with the big producers of overly sweet commercial ciders.

 

 

This is a North East Minneapolis cider brewery. They get a good crowd on weekends and in good weather it spills out onto the parking lot. Its an amiable crowd and the cider is pretty good.

 

 

 

 

Top notch, have some very interesting cider and brews in the "Werks" definitely a must try for cider and craft fans alike, reassuringly you'll have a good time with some friendly staff, good brews, and fun ecstatic enviorment

 

Atmosphere: Usual tap room feel. A bit of a rowdy crowd and more women than I've ever seen at a tap room.

Quality: Awful. There were four 'ciders' and two beers on-tap. I tried the Hop-A-Wheelie, stout cider, and Burlesque Pilsner. The Hop-A-Wheelie claimed to contain chinook and cascade but tasted like watered down lemon juice. The pilsner was quite dark and malty to be classified as such and furthermore tasted average at best. The stout cider (I can't remember the specific name) was halfway decent but still closer to a lambic than a stout.

Service: Possibly worse than the product itself, stood at the bar for a good five minutes before the any of the staff took notice of me.

Food: They had some a food truck, which I did not partake in since I left pretty soon after realizing the tap list was severely lacking.

Value: Sure the pints may have been a fair $5 but due to the repulsive product the value is not good.

Final Thoughts: I enjoy cider from time to time and have even blended it with certain beers before to good results. I'm not sure why Sociable Cider Werks is as popular as it is but I just don't understand it given the poor quality of their offerings. Let's put it this way, the combination of horrendous service and questionable cider worked me up enough to make me write this negative review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a fun addition to the Northeast Minneapolis brewhouse scene. It's a decent little space (but gets crowded quick on weekends). I like the outdoor space with fire pit in the srping/summer/fall. They make apple ciders that are graffs (part cider and part beer) that are decent. I like the lighter Freewheeler graff they make quite a bit. They also usually have a selection of 3-4 of their craft beers on tap, too...most of them are pretty decent. The people here are fun and the atmosphere is fun. Always a fun place to stop in the neighborhood on a weekend night for a pint or two. The only negatives are that it gets crowded and LOUD on busy nights, and sometimes the cider brewing stinks up the place like rotten eggs on occasion, but not always.