Cheers to the new Grizzly Ciderworks, which just opened this past weekend in Woodinville. You can visit their taproom (shared with Vessel Wines) Thursday – Sunday, and you should start seeing their ciders at bars and restaurants around the area any day now. I look forward to trying their dry-hopped ciders and visiting the facility some time soon.

Here is the press release from Grizzly announcing their launch:

Today, Grizzly Ciderworks is proud to announce the release of its first selection of craft hard ciders brewed and kegged from the company’s headquarters in Woodinville, Washington. Since its inception, Grizzly has set its sights on bridging the gap between beer and cider.

With an abundance of sweet ciders on the market, Grizzly set out to expand cider’s reach by introducing beer drinkers to the world of dry cider. Grizzly wants to be known for its specialty Dry-Hopped Ciders (DHC’s), which contain apples from Washington State along with hops and other ingredients sourced from the Northwest. The resulting beverages are aimed at beer drinkers who are looking for a new twist on old tastes, cider drinkers who are looking for a full-bodied step-up in the market, along with drinkers who are sensitive to glutens.

Grizzly Ciderworks is committed to craft. Their ingredients are sourced locally; their cider is made and kegged locally; and their consumers are also your neighbors, from Everett to Enumclaw. Grizzly’s three founders, including the company’s cidermaker, Corey Haugen, all hail from the Pacific Northwest. “We’re really proud to be a part of the craft cider movement,” said Haugen. “With so many great ciders on the market today, we’re hoping to gain traction with cider and beer drinkers who want to try something a bit different. People who’ve never tried cider don’t quite know what to expect. We go ahead and tell them to set their preconceived notions aside. So far, our feedback’s been overwhelming and folks are really excited for Grizzly to hit the taps. We think we’ll make a lot of conversions to the brand.”

Endowed with the nation’s largest supply of apples and hops, Washington State is an epicenter of the nation’s growing cider movement. “The world is rediscovering cider, and the Pacific Northwest has established itself as one of America’s leading cider regions. The explosion in the number of cider drinkers and the places where it can be enjoyed are a sure sign cider culture has found a home. We are excited to welcome Grizzly Ciderworks as the newest member of our Northwest cidermaking family,” said David White, President of the Northwest Cider Association and co-owner of Whitewood Cider Company of Olympia, Washington.

Grizzly’s path to craft took an interesting turn earlier this year when it crossed paths with Vessel Wines, a Northwest producer of kegged wines which shares the same commitment to local sourcing and production. A unique partnership was born, with the two sharing resources to target new markets. Thanks to Vessel’s state-of-the-art kegging equipment, Grizzly will be on tap in bars and restaurants across the Seattle metro area starting in late October. They have plans to hit retail markets early next year.

Grizzly and Vessel’s shared facilities are located in Woodinville. They include a tank room and mezzanine taproom, both of which are frequently filled with interesting people, music, and other live events. Grizzly is poured nightly in the taproom from Thursday through Saturday.

The company is set to release four varieties in its Founders’ Series before year-end: The Ridge, its original dry and crisp cider; The Bruin, a Dark and Dry hopped cider; Hopclaw, a triple-hopped cider beaming with citrus and aroma hops; and RazzBear, a dry-hopped cider based on a Northwest raspberry purée. The Ridge and Bruin will be available starting in October; Hopclaw and RazzBear will follow in November and December.