Always Something New on Tap
At Tumbling Creek, we love a good flagship. There’s a reason Moonshot and Hellbender are always on tap. They’re the ciders you know. The ones you reach for when you know exactly what you’re in the mood for. That kind of consistency is hard-won, and we’re proud of it.
But if you’ve visited the taproom more than once, you’ve probably noticed something else.
There’s almost always something new.
We think of our tap list as a living thing. It’s a rotation of the familiar and the unexpected. Because while we’re dedicated to the craft of making reliable, award-winning flagships, we’re equally dedicated to the craft of experimentation.
We believe that part of the experience—your experience—is getting to taste something you’ve never tasted before. Something that might not ever come back.
That spirit of experimentation is rooted in this place.
Virginia has incredible flavor. That flavor comes from the land, but it comes just as much from the people who work it. When we reach for ingredients to create a small-batch cider, we’re not just looking for something unique. We’re looking for something local. We source peaches from a farmer down the road in Cana. We source Sourwood honey from from farmers in these mountains. We use herbs, spices, and fruits from growers we know by name.
This connection to the community shapes what ends up in your glass.
You’ve seen it in past batches. The Whiskey Barrel Peach combined local fruit with the depth of aged whiskey barrels. Cider House Christmas brought the familiar warmth of cinnamon and clove to the holidays. Our Spiced Pear and the Cranberry, Apricot, Pear blend offered a taste of the region’s harvest. The Dark Sourwood Cyser and Black Heart Cyser let the distinct character of Appalachian honey take center stage.
And then there are the ones that lean into the unexpected. The savory intrigue of Peach Rosemary. The bold, almost rustic character of Smoked Fig. The foraged flavor of Pawpaw and the richness of Black Cherry Vanilla. We’ve even played with Honey Cider #2, a blend of Dark Clover and Sourwood honey, and the uniquely named Golden Crow and Dirty Crow.
These aren’t just recipes. They’re experiments. They’re the result of asking, “What happens if we try this?” and having the freedom to follow the answer.
Experience. That word carries weight for us.
It’s about the experience of the makers—the years of knowing when to let a wild fermentation run its course, how to balance the smoke and apple in a Smoked Fig cider, or precisely when to pull a batch out of a whiskey barrel before the fruit disappears.
But it’s also about your experience. The experience of discovery. The experience of walking up to the bar, seeing a name you don’t recognize, and trusting us to take you somewhere new.
That’s what we’re building. A cider company rooted in the flavors of this community, dedicated to giving back to that community, and committed to making sure there’s always a reason to come back. Whether you’re here for the comfort of a flagship or the thrill of something that’s here today and gone tomorrow, you’re part of the story.
We’ll always have the ones you love.
And we’ll almost always have something you’ve never tried.
