There’s a scene in Good Will Hunting where Matt Damon taunts his rival after a fight for a girl’s attention by saying “Do you like apples?” His counterpart, a yuppie showoff from Harvard, is confused—he responds “Uh, yeah?” to Damon’s question. “Well I just got her number; how do you like them apples!?” responds Damon emphatically.
This exchange is undoubtedly one of the most famous scenes in ‘90s cinema. But I can’t help but think: what if this conversation took place in Rochester, circa 2017, rather than 1990s Boston? It might play out like this;
Damon:
Do you like apples?
Yuppie College Student:
Uh, yeah?
Damon:
Well….I know we’ve had our differences, but Mullers Cider House on University Avenue has hundreds of flavors of hard cider. If you really do like apples, you should check it out sometime.
Yuppie College Student:
🙂
If the student—maybe in the 2017 reboot he’d be a University of Rochester student—took Damon’s advice, he would surely be impressed by all that Mullers has to offer.
Mullers represents hard cider’s current surge in popularity. While always sought after in countries like France and Spain, the crisp, unique taste that cider provides is becoming more readily available at markets, restaurants, and bars in the United States.
The extensive list of bottled ciders at Mullers has both global and local influences. There are offerings from New Zealand, Scotland, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, and England. Cideries in Western New York, able to take advantage of the bounty of apples this region produces, are also represented, including creations from 1911, Rootstock, Embark, and Angry Orchard.
A description of dominant flavors and a sweetness level is listed next to each item on Mullers’s menu, making an otherwise intimidating list much more manageable for cider novices.
Highlights from the current draught list are Magner’s Original, which has an earthy, mildly sour flavor, probably suited for fans of IPAs, and Embark Apple Pie, which manages to achieve perfect level of sweet and tart, while also employing a subtle cinnamon taste.
A flight with four five-ounce ciders is the perfect way to sample the draught list.
There is elite bar food in the form of house-made sweet and salty kettle corn, soft pretzels, panini, cheese and charcuterie plates, and more. With an emphasis on fresh, local, seasonally available ingredients, food is definitely not an afterthought at Mullers.
A dimly lit, modern space and a friendly, knowledgeable staff makes Mullers the type of place where you can spend hours. Open from 5 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, Mullers is the perfect happy hour destination this fall.
For weekend hours, menus, and more, visit mullersciderhouse.com.
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