Earlier in the week, I complained about Strongbow ruining its dry cider and how I could not regularly obtain a worthy cider that was more champagne than dessert.

Enter Hazlitt. One of the most popular vineyards in the Finger Lakes, Hazlitt is probably best known for its Red Cat wine. This completely harmless sweet table wine will not win any Wine Spectator points, but is one of the more popular labels on Seneca Lake. This is probably because Red Cat is cheap and sweet, and the base for the popular wine slushies sold each summer at The New York State Fair.

Finger Lakes wineries have entered the beer and cider game, thanks to an abundant supply of New York grown hops and apples, as well as the farm-brewing laws that make small-capacity brewing easier. Wagner Valley was among the first, and has been bottling beers for more than a decade. There are others.

Hazlitt got into the cider business. Once exclusively bottled in 750 mL bottles, it recently began producing 16 oz. bottles in four-packs that are found at local grocers and beer stores.

The Wife and I were expecting a sweet cider from Hazlitt, simply because sweet is where you will capture the greatest share of the cider-drinking market. We were, happily, wrong. While not bone dry, Cider Tree is very crisp at the start and finish. “I liked this one,” The Wife said. “This is as close as we’ve come to a dry cider. Compared to the last one, I’m just happy this one has flavor.”

Approved by The Wife. And when she’s happy, we’re all happy.

Brewer: Hazlitt 1852 Winery

Beer: Cider Tree

Style: Hard cider

ABV: 7.0% IBU: n/a

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Price: n/a (purchased as part of a mixed pack) Point of Purchase: Wegmans, Syracuse, N.Y.

To The Eye: Golden and transparent, with no foam or lacing.

To The Nose: Big apple smell that is natural, not phony.

To The Palate: A lot of carbonation. A dry front, that brings a sweeter apple flavor to the middle of the sip, before the bubbles clean the palate off.

Aftertaste: A dry apple flavor lingers after swallowing.

Boozy Factor: Higher than one normally finds with a cider, but you really do not notice it.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as highest: 8