Eleven years ago, June from Brown’s Orchard in Willcox, Arizona, a woman who ended up becoming a long-distance friend, gifted Caroline and me a few bottles of hard cider made from apples from her farm. Back then we were making regular visits, driving the 195 miles southeast to visit the farm and pick apples on those occasions that winter played along. We’d drag gallons of self-picked and -pressed apple cider back to Phoenix and freeze the stuff to enjoy over the ensuing months. The apples from that incredible variety of trees also contributed to the aforementioned hard cider and on this Sunday afternoon, 11 years later, our last bottle has proven to be as amazing today as it was then. We were a bit apprehensive that it had sat too long and had become vinegar, happily we were wrong. By the way, that is an authentic Frankfurt apple wine glass that would be familiar to anyone who has indulged in the traditional beverage from that corner of Germany. Thanks, June, for the fond memories.

Click here to visit the blog entry that detailed our very first visit.