Greg Hall to Debut RedStreak Cider at Hideout April 12

Ready to taste what former Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall has been working on? Hall's newest venture, Virtue Cider, will debut its first product, RedStreak Cider, during a fundraiser fiesta at The Hideout on April 12.

Tickets for the event cost $50 and will benefit The Academy for Global Citizenship, a charter school on the Southwest Side that feeds its students organic breakfast and lunch, but needs additional funds to do so. The Waco Brothers and the Blisters (Spencer Tweedy's band) will perform while you enjoy food from Belly Shack, GT Fish & Oyster, Lula Cafe, Hot Chocolate, Publican Quality Meats, Sunday Dinner Club, Trencherman and Yusho. Want in? Get tickets online.

The day after the party, RedStreak will become available at about 20 restaurants and bars throughout Chicago. The 5.2 percent ABV cider will be at all of the restaurants named above, as well as Bangers & Lace, the Publican, Bad Apple, Hopleaf (where they'll hold a tasting on April 18), Uncommon Ground, Nellcôte, Delilah's, Longman & Eagle and Bottom Lounge, among others. RedStreak will only be available on draft in 2012, but may get bottled after that.

The cider, created by blending about five varieties of apples from Michigan and Illinois (the Cox Orange Pippin and Ida Red apples came from Nichols Farm), has bright apple peel on the nose with a slight sweetness and a tart yet slightly tannic finish. It pairs well with a variety of food from cheddar cheese to scallops and oysters to braised rabbit so finding something to eat at drink at the Hideout party should be pretty easy.

And here's a fun fact: Friday the 13 (the day RedStreak hits Chicago) is a lucky day for Hall; Goose Island's Clybourn brewpub and the Fulton Street brewery both opened on that day, in 1988 and 1995, respectively. Let's hope Hall has the same (red)streak of good fortune.
· Greg Hall Looks to Cider for Post-Goose Island Career [~EChi~]
· RedStreak Cider Release Party tickets [Hideout]
· Virtue Cider [website]