When it's hot in Arizona, how do you keep cool?
Cider Corps. in downtown Mesa has developed an adult-only summer beverage -- cider slushies.
The craft cidery is taking some of its brews and freezing them into drinkable slushes.
Watch the video in the player above to see how the slushies are made.
Owners Jason Duren, a retired sergeant with the United States Marine Corps., and his brother Josh opened the cidery and taproom in 2017.
They have more than a dozen ciders on tap, including pineapple-habanero, peach and vanilla bean, and Arizona prickly pear.
They can freeze two slushie flavors at a time, which change weekly. Flavors could be mango, strawberry or peach. Or something entirely different.
The brothers began brewing cider at home as a form of therapy after Jason, a now-retired sergeant with the United States Marine Corps., returned home from Afghanistan.
Josh said they "kind of wanted to see what the challenge was with maybe elevated cider." They do not add any additional sugar to their ciders: no brown sugar, no sugar, or honey.
They rely on the natural sugars in the fruits they use, said Josh. That makes for a mostly semi-sweet drink versus the sweet and sugary drinks other ciders have, he said.
That has also allowed them to create a wide range of flavors.
"The most fun I think has been setting out with this goal of seeing a community come around and enjoy a beverage and say, 'I've never tasted something like that' and have a taproom where that's what we are hearing," he said.
They do not serve food, but guests are allowed to order food from nearby restaurants and bring it with them.
IF YOU GO:
Cider Corps.
31 S Robson #103, Mesa, AZ 85210
http://cidercorpsaz.com/
