Kildare’s in West Chester is in the midst of celebrating its one-year anniversary under the ownership of Dane Gray and Tom Farnesi, and they’re not stopping with beer and whiskey.
On August 6 from 1–5 p.m., the atmospherically Irish space will host a cider festival and fundraising event to benefit Musicians on Call. With Kildare’s upgraded cider program and representatives from over a dozen cideries, this is a grand celebration of musical artists and a historical beverage.
While hard cider has been produced for centuries, it is currently seeing a big comeback in our region. Our own state’s cideries, such as Stone & Key Cellars and Jack’s Hard Cider, have been pumping out great, forward-thinking ciders, while the national industry is also seeing growth. According to NBC, the cider industry is valued at $436 million and has been growing at a rate of 27% over the past five years.
Dane Gray noted that the pub is beginning to focus more on cider, and Kildare’s bar menu shows it. He said, “We just upgraded our cider program―it now includes 3 dedicated cider lines and 10+ bottles and cans. I figured now is the time to celebrate this beverage, which doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”
These offerings make Kildare’s the best single spot for cider in the area, a place that embodies Dane’s long-standing love of the newly hip beverage. He remarked, “I’ve been a cider lover since my time in Ireland, when we drank Guinness in the cooler months and cider in the summer.”
Kildare’s Cider Festival will include two dozen selections representative of local cideries such as The Brewery at Hershey, Jack’s Hard Cider, Stone & Key Cellars and Kurant Cider; cider makers from outside the Keystone State, including CiderBoys Cider (WI), Bad Seed (NY), ACE Premium Craft Cider (CA), Rebel Seed Cidery (DE) and 1911 Spirits (NY); and international brands Aspall (UK) and Stella Artois (Belgium).
The event will kick off with a VIP hour from 1–2 p.m., featuring limited items and appetizers curated to pair with ciders. Cider selections available only during the VIP hour will include Aspall Dry English Cider, Stone & Key Honeysuckle and Bad Seed Dry Hard Cider.
General admission starts at 2 p.m. with the following cider-infused lineup:
Spire Mountain (WA) Dark and Dry- Spire Mountain Sparkling Pear
- Hershey DeCider (Hershey, PA) Presidential Peanut Butter
- Hershey DeCider Huzzah Honey Crisp
- Virtue Cider (MI) Prince Hal
- Virtue Cider Percheron
- Stella Cidre (Belgium)
- Jack’s Hard Cider (Gettysburg, PA) Dry Hopped
- Jack’s Hard Cider Peach
- Kurant (Perkasie, PA) Lunar
- Kurant Julep
- ACE Pineapple
- ACE (CA) Perry
- CiderBoys (WI) First Press
- CiderBoys Peach County
- 1911 Spirits (NY) Apple
- 1911 Spirits Grapefruit
- Rebel Seed (DE) Sweet Red
- Rebel Seed Hoptimized
- Austin Eastciders (TX) Hopped
- Austin Eastciders Pineapple
Live music will be a part of the festivities and will run into the evening with traditional Irish tunes by Beyond the Pale and indie rock with the Jason Reed Band.
Visit Kildare’s website to get your tickets and find out more about the festival, and be sure to follow Kildare’s Irish Pub on Facebook and Instagram for updates on specials and events.
Find Kildare’s at 18 W. Gay St. in West Chester; phone: (610) 431-0770.
- Top photo: Ron Sansone
- Stone & Key photo: Lauren Avellino Turton
- Remaining photos: Alexandra Whitney Photography
