Even though this is the Beer Advent Calendar, I like to mix it up a bit and in recent years have been including cider as one of the calendar selections; cider is beer-adjacent and just as festive during the holidays and it’s a fun addition. Hence we come to the Advent pick for today, a cider from Oregon: Portland Cider Company Santa’s Sauce.

Santa’s Sauce is a festive spiced cider that has been a taproom exclusive for the past eight years, and makes its way into cans for the first time this year. It’s crafted with Northwest apples and a perhaps surprising selection of spices:

A holiday classic, this spiced cider is infused with cinnamon, cardamom, and a little cayenne pepper. It’s like biting into a delicious apple pie that warms your throat.

It’s 6% alcohol by volume and of course, gluten free. Portland Cider has a solid lineup of enjoyable ciders, and is no stranger to incorporating spices in cider; with this one, I expect something slightly gingerbread-like and perhaps even along the lines of a mulled cider. Plus I’m sure Santa himself wouldn’t mind if you left him a can alongside the cookies!

Find Portland Cider Santa’s Sauce on:

• Cider Finder
• Untappd
• Facebook

Image credits: Portland Cider Company