Ploughman Stayman Winesap Mixed Culture

Ben Wenk grows over 50 kinds of apples on his family’s generations-deep Three Springs Fruit Farm just outside Gettysburg, PA. For fresh eating, but also pressed and fermented into Ploughman Ciders. His award-winning line focuses on single-variety bottlings. “Most cider in the U.S., you can’t find the apple variety on the label,” says Wenk. “We focus on the unique characteristics that different varieties impart to the cider.” One due out this fall is Stayman Winesap Mixed Culture, starring an heirloom dating to the early 1800s. For this limited bottling, Wenk collaborated with Lovedrafts Brewing in nearby Mechanicsburg, which provided a carefully nurtured yeast culture to complement the cider’s wild strain. ploughmancider.com