Scar of the Sea Surfs Cider Wave

I first met Mikey Giugni two years ago, late one night in a Paso Robles hotel room, where he came to show off his brand-new hard ciders. I’ve appreciated cider since college, though back then it was mainly because we could guzzle it quickly before moving onto our 40-ounce malt liquors. I’d also thought I was on top of the recent craft resurgence of this fermented apple juice, which has roots in America’s Johnny Appleseed history.

But when I sipped Giugni’s bracingly dry and springtime crisp Scar of the Sea ciders that evening, a brand-new beverage world opened before my eyes. Lighter than lager, complex like fine wine, and refreshing like soda water, these bottlings filled a hole in my palate that I didn’t know was there.

Since then, over everything from waitress-botched bottles of 1994 syrah to midnight bubbly sessions at the Bacara to pét-nat chardonnay paired with ramen downtown, Giugni and his business partner, Michael Brughelli, have kept me abreast of their latest cider experiments and discoveries, not to mention sharing the excellent wine bottlings of chardonnay and pinot noir that they do under the same label.