Walk into Ciderworks at Story Tavern in Burbank, and you'll notice something different from your typical bar—our taps pour exclusively handcrafted hard cider that changes with the seasons, local harvests, and what's exciting in the craft cider world. But how do we decide which ciders make it onto our curated cider list? What goes into building a rotating cider taps program that keeps regulars coming back and new visitors discovering favorites?
The answer involves more than just picking popular brands. It's a careful balance of quality standards, flavor diversity, seasonal availability, and understanding what our community truly wants to drink. Let's pull back the curtain on our selection process and show you exactly how we build one of Burbank's most distinctive craft hard cider programs.
What Makes a Cider Worthy of Our Taps?
When evaluating potential additions to our rotating cider taps, we apply several non-negotiable criteria that every cider must meet before it earns a spot at Ciderworks.
Quality of Ingredients Comes First
We source the best quality fresh-pressed apple juice from the Pacific Northwest in a blend made specifically for hard cider making. For our house-made Seasons Cider line, we use fruit from local orchards—including apples, apricots, peaches, and berries picked from trees in our owners' own backyard. This farm-to-tap approach ensures we know exactly what goes into every glass.
When considering guest ciders for our taps, we ask the same questions about their sourcing. Where do their apples come from? Are they using fresh-pressed juice or concentrate? Do they add unnecessary sugars or artificial flavoring? These details matter because they directly impact the final product's quality and authenticity.
No Artificial Shortcuts
Our philosophy at Ciderworks centers on letting the fruit speak for itself. Our Seasons Cider Apple contains no additional flavoring or sugars—we let the character of the apples shine through naturally. This commitment to authenticity extends to the craft hard cider we select from other producers. We prioritize ciders that showcase real fruit character over those relying on artificial flavors or excessive sweetening to mask inferior ingredients.
Balance and Drinkability Matter
A cider can have premium ingredients but still miss the mark if the balance isn't right. We taste every potential addition multiple times, evaluating how acidity plays against sweetness, whether tannins provide structure without overwhelming the palate, and if the finish invites another sip or leaves you satisfied with just one.
Take our Seasons Cider Ginger Lemongrass as an example—just enough apple-blended sweetness works with the brightness and zest of ginger and lemongrass to create perfect balance. That same principle guides our evaluation of every cider that might join our curated cider list.
How Do We Build Our Rotating Cider Selection?
Creating a dynamic rotating cider taps program requires strategic planning that accounts for multiple factors throughout the year.
Seasonal Rotation Philosophy
Our tap lineup changes with the seasons because the best ciders reflect what's growing and when. Spring brings lighter, floral ciders like our Seasons Cider Grapefruit Rose, featuring fresh-picked California grapefruit with hints of raspberry and strawberry. Summer calls for tropical and refreshing options—our Seasons Cider Pineapple with its natural pineapple flavor and tropical notes becomes a patio favorite when temperatures rise.
Fall and winter inspire richer, spicier profiles. While our core offerings remain available year-round, we rotate guest taps to feature apple-forward ciders with warming spices, barrel-aged options, and limited releases that celebrate harvest season. This seasonal approach keeps our curated cider list fresh and gives regulars new discoveries throughout the year.
Balancing Familiar and Adventurous
Every rotating cider taps program faces the same challenge: how do you satisfy customers who want their favorites while also introducing exciting new options? Our solution involves maintaining consistency in certain tap positions while dedicating others specifically to rotation.
Our house-made Seasons Cider varieties—Apple, Cherry Blueberry, Apricot Peach, Pineapple, Grapefruit Rose, and Ginger Lemongrass—form the reliable core of our draft menu. These award-winning ciders have proven themselves with our community, and customers know they can always find them on tap. This consistency builds trust and gives first-time visitors approachable entry points into craft hard cider.
Beyond our core lineup, we dedicate tap space to rotating selections from respected craft cideries. Recent additions have included Brooklyn Rose Cider, Artifact Juhu Guava, Shacksbury In Bloom, and Haykin Family's single-varietal offerings. These guest taps introduce customers to different cider-making regions, apple varieties, and production techniques they might not discover otherwise.
What About Guest Ciders and Special Releases?
Our curated cider list extends beyond the taps with carefully selected bottles and cans available to-go, allowing us to feature limited releases and smaller-batch craft hard cider without committing an entire tap line.
How We Discover New Ciders
Finding exceptional ciders for our rotating program involves multiple sourcing strategies. We attend industry tastings and cider festivals where we can sample new releases directly from makers. We maintain relationships with craft cider distributors who alert us to limited releases and seasonal specialties. We also pay attention to what's winning awards and earning recognition in the broader cider community—though we always taste for ourselves rather than relying solely on accolades.
Customer recommendations play a surprising role too. When regulars tell us about a cider they discovered while traveling or a local cidery they think we should know about, we investigate. Some of our best guest tap selections originated from conversations with engaged customers who share our passion for quality craft hard cider.
The Tasting Panel Process
Every potential addition to our rotating cider taps undergoes evaluation by multiple team members. We don't rely on a single palate to make decisions that affect our entire curated cider list. During tasting sessions, we evaluate appearance, aroma, flavor profile, finish, and overall balance. We consider how each cider might pair with items from our 100% gluten-free food menu, crafted by hand using farm-to-table ingredients.
We also assess practical considerations: Is the cider consistent batch-to-batch? Can we secure reliable supply? Does the price point make sense for our customers? Will it appeal to our existing audience while potentially attracting new visitors? A cider might taste exceptional but not fit our program for logistical or business reasons.
How Do Seasons and Local Harvests Influence Our Taps?
Living in Southern California gives us access to incredible local fruit that directly influences our house-made ciders and inspires our guest cider selections.
Working with Local Orchards
Our commitment to locally-sourced fruit means our production schedule follows harvest calendars. When apricots ripen in local orchards, we're ready to create our Seasons Cider Apricot Peach, where whole hand-picked SoCal apricots and ripe peaches form harmony with fresh-pressed apple. The powerful aroma from raw fruit translates to a semi-sweet, balanced finish that bottles the essence of California's growing season.
This hyperlocal approach creates natural rotation in our house-made offerings. While we can maintain year-round availability through proper inventory management, the freshest batches reflect what's currently being harvested. Customers taste the difference between a cider made with just-picked fruit versus one made months earlier, even with our careful cold-storage practices.
Highlighting Regional Cider Makers
Our rotating cider taps program also celebrates craft hard cider from different regions. We feature Pacific Northwest cideries who work with heirloom apple varieties specific to Oregon and Washington. We pour California ciders that showcase the state's diverse fruit-growing regions. We occasionally feature ciders from traditional European producers to provide perspective on how American craft cider has evolved while honoring old-world techniques.
This geographic diversity educates our customers about how terroir—the unique combination of climate, soil, and growing conditions—affects cider just as it does wine. A cider made from Newtown Pippin apples grown in California tastes different from one made with the same variety grown in Virginia or England, even when production methods are similar.
What Questions Should You Ask About a Cider Program?
If you're evaluating a cider bar's program or deciding where to spend your evening, consider asking these questions that reveal a lot about their commitment to quality.
How often do they rotate their taps? Programs that never change suggest limited engagement with the craft cider community and fewer opportunities for discovery. Programs that change too frequently might prioritize novelty over quality or struggle with supply relationships.
Do they make any ciders in-house? On-premise production demonstrates deep commitment to the category and provides greater control over quality and freshness. At Ciderworks, our Seasons Cider line gives us this direct connection to the cider-making process.
Can they tell you about their ciders? Staff knowledge indicates a venue takes their curated cider list seriously. When servers can describe flavor profiles, explain production methods, and suggest pairings, it enhances your experience and helps you discover ciders you'll love.
Do they offer tastings? The willingness to provide samples before you commit to a full pour shows confidence in their rotating cider taps selections and respect for customer satisfaction.
Why Does Rotation Matter for Cider Lovers?
A thoughtfully managed rotating cider taps program benefits everyone involved in the craft cider community.
For Customers: Endless Discovery
Regular rotation means you'll never exhaust what Ciderworks has to offer. Even our most devoted regulars—some who visit multiple times weekly—continue discovering new favorites because our curated cider list evolves. This ongoing discovery keeps craft hard cider exciting and builds deeper appreciation for the category's diversity.
For Cider Makers: Access to Engaged Audiences
Small craft cideries often struggle to find tap space in bars dominated by beer and wine. By dedicating our entire draft program to cider, we provide emerging makers access to engaged customers who specifically seek out quality craft hard cider. This creates opportunities for smaller producers to build awareness and gather feedback directly from enthusiasts.
For the Craft Cider Movement: Community Building
Every cider bar that takes its program seriously strengthens the broader craft cider category. When venues like Ciderworks demonstrate that dedicated cider spaces can thrive, it encourages others to take cider seriously and invest in quality programs. This rising tide lifts all boats in the cider community.
Experience Our Rotating Taps at Ciderworks
Understanding the thought and care behind our curated cider list hopefully gives you new appreciation for what you'll find when you visit Ciderworks at Story Tavern. Located at 150 S San Fernando Blvd in downtown Burbank, we're open Wednesday through Sunday, ready to help you discover your next favorite craft hard cider.
Whether you're a seasoned cider enthusiast or just beginning to explore beyond beer and wine, our rotating cider taps program offers something for every palate. Come taste the difference that thoughtful curation, quality ingredients, and genuine passion for craft hard cider make in every glass.