Outlaw Cider Company

Since Spring 2017, Outlaw Cider Company has provided a welcome change of pace in downtown Grapevine. As the only cider house in Grapevine, Outlaw brings a different perspective to the winery-focused landscape. Owner Alan William Kunst, Jr. is no stranger to Grapevine. He is also the owner and winemaker at nearby Sloan & Williams Winery. In fact, Outlaw Cider Company is located in the old home of Sloan & Williams Winery.

If you’re looking for refreshment, a cold glass of cider really can’t be beat. As you step inside the stand-alone building just off Main Street, you’ll notice a wide selection of hard ciders on tap behind the bar. Outlaw’s own ciders occupy six of the taps. The remaining 15 showcase a frequently updated selection of ciders, perries, and meads from across the country. So many choices! Outlaw makes it easy to try a variety of ciders by offering tasting flights. I opted for a flight of the six Outlaw Ciders. My friends ordered tasting flights of primarily guest taps, so I was able to sample the majority of the flavors offered.

Did you know that every apple destined for cider is hand-picked? In fact, there is no machine harvesting equipment for cider apples. The apples for Outlaw’s ciders are grown in Washington and pressed near the orchard before being transported to Grapevine. Apples are processed “on demand” periodically to ensure freshness. There is a lot to learn about cider-making, and Outlaw Cider Company is just the place to learn.

Outlaw Cider Company is a welcoming place. Friendly tasting room staff members will patiently answer questions about apple growing, the cider making process, or styles of cider and mead. The tasting room features a large bar, an indoor seating area, and a dog-friendly patio, complete with cornhole and other yard games. A good selection of board games is available, and a TV makes it easy to keep up with sports scores. Baskets of free popcorn and pork skins provide a perfect salty accompaniment to the cider. The crowd gathered on the day I visited included a family, a boisterous birthday gathering, and several groups of friends looking for refreshment on an unseasonably hot March day.

My flight of Outlaw Cider Company ciders included the classic Apple Cider, one of my favorites. Tea-Rex was an unusual selection. It is a semi-dry cider with gunpowder green tea and made with wildflower honey. I loved its delicate aroma. The Freaky Peachy Mint had an extra fruity component. The peach-based cider was unfiltered, giving it some heft in the glass. Voodoo Blackberry, Cherry Bomb, and Pineapple Crush rounded out the selections.

Other interesting selections on the guest tap menu include the following:

• Austin Eastciders Ruby Red Grapefruit – Ruby Reds from the Rio Grande Valley give this cider its slightly tart character and pale pink color
• Argus Cidery Ginger Perry – A perry is a fermented alcoholic drink made from pears, just as cider is made from apples. This one is made in Austin, and the ginger gives it a delicious kick.
• Redstone Meadery Traditional Mountain Honey Wine – Honey wine, also called mead, contains no fruit and no spices, just honey. Crafted in Boulder, Colorado, this one uses both Orange Blossom and Wildflower honey. At 12% alcohol by volume, mead has more in common with wine than cider or beer.
• Additional cider houses represented include Schilling Cider (Seattle, WA), Vermont Cider (Middlebury, VT), Magners Irish Cider (Ireland), Locust Cider (Woodville, WA), Crispin Cider (Colfax, CA), Moonlight Meadery (Londonderry, NH), Shacksbury Farmhouse Cider (Shoreham, VT), Nektar Meadery (Ferndale, MI), and Angry Orchard (Cincinnati, OH).

The Outlaw Cider Company will sell you a growler full of your favorite cider, perry, or mead. Another option is to take home a 6-pack of the Outlaw Ciders from the refrigerated case onsite. Their website has a list of locations that sell Outlaw Cider Company ciders, and more locations are being added regularly.

Outlaw Cider Company maintains an active presence on social media. Check all their social media and other information on our winery page for them.