Festivals are a great place to sample and savor unique, rare and limited edition ciders as well as discover new and upcoming brands. Pore the Core at the Brooklyn Expo Center, added a new feature to their festival this year; attendees could purchase bottles ciders right at the tasting booths to bring home, genius!

Here are my top cider picks from Pour the Core

Sundog Cider – 6% ABV

Jody Rael, an entrepreneur, inventor and environmentalist, founded Sundog Cider in 2013. Sundog Cider is an unfiltered hard cider is hand crafted in a 100% solar powered mill in Chatham, NY using a unique blend of locally harvested apples from the Hudson Valley, NY.

Pomme de Coeur Cidre Liquoreux from Vins Arista – 6.9% ABV

I’ve had dessert and ice wines before but I never had a dessert cider before until Pour the Core. This cider is 6.9% abv and is deliciously sweet! This is definitely my favorite cider from the festival.

Cider Creek Hard Cider-One in a Melon – 6.9% ABV

This Belgian style, fruited cider is fermented with a Belgian Saison Ale yeast and finished with watermelon puree. This cider is fruity, tart and semi-dry.

Nine Pin Cider Works-Peach Tea Cider – 6.5% ABV

Nine Pin Cider Works, New York’s first farm cidery, created a Peach Tea cider in 12 oz. cans, its collaboration with the Short and Stout Tea Company. It’s the best of worlds, cider and iced tea!

Island to Island Juicery Brewery-‘Yuh Crazy’ – 4% ABV

Island to Island Juicery Brewery is a health consciousness juicery and craft beer brewery that uses local and organic New York State produce. They are inspired by the fusion of West Indian traditions and craft beer. I highly recommend ‘Yuh Crazy’, a calypso hopped IPA with sorrel, apples, cinnamon and goldenrod honey.

High Limb Hard Cider-Flagship Cider – 5.8% ABV

High Limb Hard Cider focuses solely on their apples. Their cider is made with fresh, local apples from a farm in Massachusetts. This unfiltered cider is full-bodied, sweet and balanced, like drinking a glass of fresh cider.

Big Apple Cider-Upper East Cider – 6.9% ABV

Big Apple Cider previewed their Upper East Cider, a limited edition bourbon casked series only available at Eli’s Night Shift on the Upper East Side & Hells Kitchen, infused with Sriracha & tequila. Definitely try this limited edition cider when it launches in July.