Sociable Cider Werks’ Jim Watkins is proud of our Minnesota culture. It’s why Sociable joined Holidazzle in 2015, serving its warm Fat Bike Mulled Apple cider on site, and it’s why they are returning again this winter.
“We love being part of a great Minneapolis tradition,” Watkins said. “Where else do people gather in mass to celebrate when it’s freezing out?”
No question, there is something delightfully Minnesotan about Sociable Cider Werks. The company, founded by longtime friends Jim Watkins and Wade Thompson, came to be four years ago over Thanksgiving Weekend. It was a move that made their hobby, which they had perfected, a very real business venture paving a new path for their futures.
“What started as a garage hobby,” Watkins said, “spiraled wildly out of control when we left our gigs in corporate America behind to open Sociable.”
It was a business venture well worth the risk.
Sociable Cider Werks has become a staple Northeast Minneapolis over the past four years, growing and contributing to the reemergence of light industry in their neighborhood. They carefully craft their ciders for their patrons and ensure each cup or glass, hot or cold, provides the perfect thirst-quenching taste they desire.
This winter, you can again enjoy Sociable Cider Werks on site throughout Holidazzle. Stop by Thursdays through Sundays from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22. Holidazzle is open 5-9 pm on Thursdays, 5-10 pm on Fridays, 11 am-10 pm on Saturdays and 11 am-7 pm on Sundays.
At this year’s Holidazzle, you’ll be able to enjoy a Fat Bike Mulled Apple that was a huge success a year ago. It is so decadent when served warm, and the Sociable crew is looking forward to its Holidazzle return. It is made from freshly pressed apples?never concentrated? and all fresh ingredients. It’s not as sticky sweet as most ciders, and Watkins said he’s hopeful this concoction will showcase to people what can be done with apples.
Watkins said Sociable was founded on the premise of creating a gathering space for people to enjoy that is very Minnesotan. Their goal at Holidazzle is to help accentuate that philosophy by being part of a longstanding Minnesota holiday tradition.
“Sociable Cider and Holidazzle are both delightfully Minnesotan,” Watkins said. “Thousands of people outside enjoying the outdoors in the heart of winter is about as Minnesotan as the fall apple picking that is the backbone of our business.”
There’s also a tie to the ‘fat bike’ tradition of maneuvering around the Twin Cities in the dead of winter using thick tires. The fat bike extends the riding season deep into the heart of winter, and Watkins said the Fat Bike Mulled Apple Cider makes the Minnesotan outdoors a four-season affair. The end result is a warm-you-to-the-core treat that helps make the outdoors during the winter not only manageable but fun and inviting.
After all, Watkins said, we Minnesotans understand what it takes to enjoy our state during the holidays and winter months. There’s a certain art to being from this state, and we’ve perfected it.
“Minnesotan means embracing the creed that there is no such thing as being too cold,” Watkins said. “There is just having the wrong gear.”