BECOME A CIDER INSIDER

Hey, Santa, while you’re in town for Christmas, why not take a break from work and stop by one of the Big Apple’s newest cider bars.

During the early 20th century, hard cider was a popular alcoholic drink in NYC. But Prohibition stopped that. In more recent times, cider has been making a big comeback in the city.

Brooklyn Cider House (1100 Flushing Ave .; BrooklynCiderHouse.com), which opened pen ed Wednesday, Wednesday, is a rustic Bushwick haunt where Neww YorkersYorkers (and visitors from the North Pole) get to pour their drinks straight from the taps on large wooden cider barrels (tastings from $15).

“Traditional cider is a drinknk you’re supposed to have with food, like wine,” says owner Peter Yi. The taproom has a prix-fixe menu (from $32) featuring dishes from Spain’s Basque country (wherehere cider is big), such as cho-chorizo and cod tortillas, that arere paired with ciders. In October, Bad Seed openedened in Crown Heights ( 585

Franklin Ave.; Bad-SeedHard-Cider.d-Cider.com),com offering 12 taps of cider, along with eight tapsps of local craft beer (pints from $7). Co-owner Adam Wilklow,Wilklow, who also owns Wilklow Orchards in Highland,and, NY, wanted to bring his ciders down to Brooklyn. Thehe cozy taproom features wooden tabletops, brick wallslls and a drink menu writ-written on chalkboard. Althoughh Bad SeedSeed doesn’tdoesn’t have a kitchen, guests are encouragedged to bring their own food.

“When people think of ciderider they think it’s supposed to be really sweet,” says Bram Kincheloe, another coowner of Bad Seed. “But I think there’s a revolution happening with craft cider. It’s something you can enjoyy all year.” Got that, Santa?