Thanksgiving Table: Which Hard Cider to Pour With Turkey, Pie, and Everything Between

Thanksgiving brings the whole table together: roast turkey, buttery stuffing, tart cranberry sauce, salty sides, and at least one pie that somebody insists you try. The right hard cider can brighten that spread, complement its fall flavors, and give your guests something local to raise a glass to.

The trick is to match the cider’s fruit and sweetness to the food. You don’t need a different pour for every plate, either. Start with a dependable apple cider for dinner, then bring out a fruit-forward pick for cranberry and dessert. Here’s how to make the pairing work, and where Hardball fits in.

Start with the turkey, then let the sides guide you

Thanksgiving is usually served family-style. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, and cranberry sauce all land on the table at once, so look for a cider that’s refreshing enough for rich bites and flavorful enough not to disappear beside the bigger dishes.

Turkey: Apple and turkey are a natural fall pairing. Curveball, Hardball’s sweetest cider, has a crisp, forward apple taste that complements roasted turkey and stands up to savory, browned skin. Pour it chilled, not icy cold, so its apple character can come through. See Curveball.

Stuffing: Sage, celery, garlic, and buttery bread bring plenty of savory flavor. A cider with a clear fruit profile can refresh your palate between forkfuls. Try Curveball alongside a classic herb stuffing, or reach for Whitewash White Peach if you want a brighter, fruit-forward contrast. Whitewash has peach notes and a lively, bubbly finish. Meet Whitewash.

Cranberry sauce: Tart-sweet cranberry needs a cider with enough fruit presence to meet it. Ginger Drop, Hardball’s cranberry ginger cider, echoes the berry’s tang and brings a warm ginger note to the glass. It’s an easy pick when cranberry sauce is the star of the plate.

Three recipes to bring it all home

Pairing is where the table starts, but cooking with the same cider you pour is where it gets fun. Here are three recipes, one for each cider on the pairing list, straight from our kitchen to yours.

Whitewash White Peach Stuffing with Sage and Pecans

White peach cider brings a gentle sweetness and a little acidity that keeps the bread rich and the herbs bright. It replaces the broth or water a lot of stuffing recipes call for, and the peach hangs back just enough to let the sage lead.

Serves 8 · About 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb day-old bread, torn into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
• 6 tbsp salted butter, plus more for the dish
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 cups Whitewash White Peach
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375F and butter a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and toast 10 minutes until the edges are dry.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery 8 to 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, sage, and thyme and cook 1 minute more.
3. Pour in the Whitewash and simmer 3 minutes, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Take it off the heat.
4. In a big bowl, toss the bread with the skillet mixture, broth, eggs, pecans, salt, and pepper until everything is evenly moistened.
5. Turn it into the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp at the edges.

Curveball Cider Turkey Brine and Pan Gravy

Curveball is Hardball’s sweetest cider, and that apple sweetness is exactly what a brine wants. It seasons the bird all the way through, and the browned drippings turn into the best gravy you’ll make all year.

Serves 10 to 12 · 12 hours brining, about 3 hours roasting

Ingredients

For the brine:

• 8 cups water
• 4 cups Curveball
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs thyme
• One 12 to 14 lb turkey, thawed

For the gravy:

• Turkey drippings
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Curveball
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine the water, Curveball, salt, sugar, onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme in a large pot. Heat just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then cool completely.
2. Submerge the turkey in the brine, breast side down, and refrigerate 12 hours.
3. Take the turkey out, pat it very dry, and let it sit at room temperature about 1 hour while the oven heats to 425F.
4. Roast about 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F. Rest 20 minutes before carving.
5. For the gravy, pour the drippings into a measuring cup and skim the fat, keeping 4 tbsp. Cook the fat and flour in a saucepan 2 minutes, then whisk in the stock, the defatted drippings, and the Curveball. Simmer until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season and serve.

Ginger Drop Cranberry Ginger Mule

The recipe Kari keeps asking about. This is the cocktail that earns its spot on the kids' table seating chart, no cranberry vodka required, because Ginger Drop already brings the cranberry and the ginger in one pour.

Serves 1 · 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz Ginger Drop
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 3 oz ginger beer
• Fresh cranberries and a lime wheel, to garnish

Method

1. Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice.
2. Add the vodka, Ginger Drop, and lime juice, and stir once.
3. Top with the ginger beer and garnish with a few fresh cranberries and a lime wheel.
4. For a pitcher for eight: 2 cups vodka, 4 cups Ginger Drop, 1/4 cup lime juice, stir, and let guests top their own mugs with ginger beer.

Stock up before the holiday

Our lineup rotates, so check what’s pouring and shop Hardball before you plan your pairings. You can also stop by the farm and enjoy a glass in the place where our cider is made. Find details about visiting on our events page.

Bring a bottle, set out a few glasses, and make room at the table for a Pennsylvania farm-to-glass pour. Thanksgiving is a story we keep making together, and there’s always room for one more.