Still on a quest to try at least one beer from each of the 200 brewers in the Chicago market. It’s not too easy when you really don’t have time to just drive out to every taproom in a several-county area. But the task becomes easier as more brewers are canning for store sales to offset slow taproom/brewpub traffic.

Eris Brewery & Cider House, started and run by women entrepreneurs and beer lovers, has been operating from a brewpub on W. Irving Park in Chicago for over two years. They have been brewing both beer and cider, and are now packaging some of their ciders in retail cans. I came across their Blush, a “Hard Cider blended with sweet and tart cherries.” It’s 5.9% abv. I found a can, next to their Pedestrian green apple cider, at Binny’s.

Unfortunately, as soon as I popped the tab, I got a gusher of foam all over my workspace. Well, not the first time for that.

Once I got sponged off, , I smelled a light apple cider nose with a bit of alcohol to it. And just a bit of the usual sulfites found in many canned ciders. It is a nice pink rosé or blush color.

Carbonation is kind of high at the first sip. I’m thinking there might have been a secondary fermentation in the can, but there’s no yeast clouds here.

After I let the pour settle down, I got more of the light red apple cider impression, with just a bit of cherry added on. This is not overly done with adjunct juices. Instead it stays dry and, of course, fizzy, like an asti version of a blush wine. That dryness can also run into some tart from the cherry juice.

Still, it’s worth checking, as so many other ciders taste like carbonated apple juice. This is a good pair that fits in anywhere a light red wine would go, or with a cheese platter. It could also be a good cocktail mixer.