ATHENS-The coveted Cider Cup has found a home on a shelf at Wildwood Deli.
The restaurant won this year’s cup as part of the annual Sippin’ Cider event sponsored by the Spirit of Athens on Dec. 13. During Sippin’ Cider, shoppers taste cider concoctions made by downtown merchants and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best. The golden cup is handmade with greenery and golden apples.
Matthew Fisher, maker of the winning brew, said he used cider from Isom’s Orchard, a vanilla bean split and scraped, nutmeg, brown sugar, and then topped each serving with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar sprinkles.
Fisher said some people tried it more than once.
SOA Director Trisha Black said there were more than 200 ballots, and many who attended the event did not vote.
“We had many out-of-area visitors to our downtown for the event, and the merchants reported heavy traffic to their stores,” Black said.
Fisher said 70 percent of those who tried the cider during the event were new visitors to the restaurant. Fisher said he finds enjoyment in experimenting with different recipes. In September, Wildwood Deli won Best Meat for Philly cheesesteak bites and Most Outrageous for a candy bar version of Mount Olympus at SOA’s Athens Grease Festival.
