St. Augustine’s first cidery is officially open. Cidersmith celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 11 and is the perfect place to visit for quality craft beverages, delicious food and a fun atmosphere.
Owner William “Bill” Smith said he wanted Cidersmith to “fill a niche that wasn’t overcrowded.” There are only about four or five cideries in the state of Florida. Cidersmith has been nine and a half years in the making. It took five years to get approval for the building, Smith said.
The cider is made in-house in 450-gallon batches that are then broken down into 60-gallon batches. It takes about six weeks to make the base cider. Smith explained that it takes three to 10 days to get the desired flavor. Because of the intricate process, each batch of cider is unique.
Cidersmith features a wide variety of ciders including flavors such as Strawberry Key Lime, Sour Apple and Vanilla Cinnamon. There will be classic flavors and fun seasonal flavors as well, Smith said. The current seasonal flavors are pumpkin pie and peppermint patty. Smith plans to have four to five classic flavors and five or so that rotate. The food menu includes tasty flatbreads, wings, salads, fries and a delicious charcuterie pretzel. Cidersmith will also be selling “invisible fries,” which does not include actual fries, but each sale is directly donated to a local animal shelter.
When asked what he likes best about what he does, Smith said he loves the process of creating flavors, experimenting and taking something and making it into what he wants it to be. In three words, he said that Cidersmith is “fun, quality and craftmanship.” In the near future, Cidersmith is planning to host a lot of seasonal events and will craft the ciders around them. They will have feature specials, as well. Smith said that while the experience will stay the same, “there will always be something different to look at, try and taste.”
Cidersmith adds something unique to the area and offers guests a wide variety of options in a relaxed, eclectic setting.
“We’re not a cookie cutter place,” Smith said. “Give us a try.”
