The Second Annual “Bellingham Extra CiderHead” Project

Honey Moon Introduces the Second Annual “Bellingham Extra CiderHead” Project

As local apples begin to ripen in the late summer sun, the folks at Honey Moon Mead & Cider are gearing up for their second annual Bellingham Extra CiderHead project.  Part community service, part pomological adventure, the goal of this project is to produce a quintessentially local hard cider from fruit that would otherwise go unharvested or unused – the “extra” apples that are growing quite literally in our own backyards.  Sustainable, delicious, fermentable and fun, the Bellingham Extra CiderHead project aims to capture the essence of our fair city in a bottle.  

Local residents with an abundance of apples on their hands are invited to be part of this one-of-a-kind craft cider project by contributing their extra fruit to the blend.  Contributors will receive a voucher for a portion of the finished product, which is expected to be released in mid-October.  From now through the end of September, Honey Moon will be collecting surplus apples at their tasting room; they also have dispatch crews available to harvest unwanted fruit.  All apple varieties are welcome, including crab apples, gnarly apples and fruit from unidentified “wild” trees, all of which can add complexity and boost the acid profile of the finished cider.  The 2015 vintage contained juice from dozens of different varieties, many of them “mystery” fruit.  It proved extremely popular, selling out within a few weeks of its release.  Organizers hope to at least double the volume of this year’s offering.

If your backyard trees are yielding more fruit than you can use, or if you know of a tree in your neighborhood that is likely to go unharvested, give Honey Moon a call at 360-734-0728.  Or send them an email at info@honeymoonmeads.com.  Apples can be dropped off any time at Honey Moon, 1053 North State Street Alley, in downtown Bellingham.  The entrance is located on the alley just south of the Depot Market Square, behind Pepper Sisters restaurant.