Hanging Out at Alchemy Cider in Portland (Photos)

Last week I had a chance to spend some time at Alchemy Cider for an enjoyable Halloween Happy Hour gathering. It was nice to see colleagues and see the Alchemy space, which I’ve been curious about since it opened this past summer. There were cider flights (I did not partake, though I heard they were very good), we got to tour the production facility, and ended our time with some delicious pizza from nearby Dimo’s. Here’s some of what I saw.

I took this photo on my way in. It’s giving the vibes I like, but it was’t nearly that dark in real life. It was cool to see a giant skeleton sitting atop the entrance.

Good Spooky Season To You

I met this dude when I stepped inside. He may or may not be holding one of those cinnamon brooms you get at Trader Joe’s this time of year.

The Alchemy Cider Vibe

The photo above shows a lot of what they are aiming for. An earlier press release describes the space as “drenched in black, gold, and emerald, lending a dark mystical vibe, with reupholstered antique church pews, gold sconces over each table, and wallpaper and wainscoting around the bar.”

Prior to Alchemy moving in, it was home to Brewery 26.

Here’s the seating along the side, straight on.

And some of the writing on the walls.

What You’ll Drink at Alchemy Cider

They have 30 taps featuring small-batch, naturally fermented ciders, local ciders, and local craft beer. Here’s their setup.

It’s a nice variety—their cider, guest ciders, wine, beer, batch cocktails, and even some NA options. I chose a glass of the Boneyard lemon ginger CBD soda, and boy was it good. Not overly sweet, and balanced between the ginger, lemon, and sweetness. Owner Kirk Evans says he likes this drink quite a bit. I was surprised at how clear in color it was.

Here’s Kirk as he was speaking to the group.

After he spoke, they offered everyone some cider flights, as I mentioned earlier, as well as their Halloween release cider, “Pom Reader”: “Infused with Pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, clove, and star anise, this cider is subtly sweet, slightly tart, and delicately spiced.” I could really smell the notes of the Pomegranate molasses in the aroma, which was wonderful.

They had some art made for this special cider.

I also heard him talk about a nocino cider, which is an intriguing idea.

Their flagship ciders include:

• Eternal Apple, a semi-dry tavern cider.
• Desolation Dry, a “crushable dry cider.”
• Forbidden Fields with Oregon strawberries and yuzu zest.
• Blackberry Magic with blackberries and lemon verbena.
• Leviathan Bite, featuring flavors of pineapple, passion fruit, and key lime. 

Here’s their Flagship Ciders sign by the bar.

You can also buy the cider in cans as well as in growler format. The growler starts at a $24 cost, with $18 for return fills.

The Production Facility

They produce the cider there on site and we got a chance to see the production and fermentation area.

You can see how large these tanks are in this photo.

Outside Alchemy Cider

They have a patio (cider garden?) just outside the entrance where they’ve laid down some turf and picnic tables, which people were taking advantage of while they were there. Kirk explained to me that they discovered one day that someone had come and sliced off a big chunk of turf overnight, which was a real bummer.

In the photo above, see that Volvo? That’s where they’ll have a food cart set up in about a week. Breaking Buns will bring Asian fusion food that Kirk thinks will go very well with the drinks they have. They’ll offer steamed buns, yakisoba noodles, and fried rice. Additionally, Alchemy has some sausages on hand (Zenner’s) for those who want to get their ground hog on.

They also plan to cover the patio area with marine-grade cloth coverings. This will be a little more flexible than wood, plastic, or metal, and the material’s association with sailing means water will slip off pretty easily. They’ll also add heaters, so this space will be a four-season seating area.

Events

They have some events planned, too. They’d like to play movies on Wednesdays and host game nights on Sundays (I could see this being an appealing place for D&D players, due to the fantasy/goth/magick vibe), and have DJ nights, too.

Dance Party

They do have a 21+ party planned for Saturday, November 1 from 5pm to 11:30pm—the Alchemy Hallowed Dance Party. “We’ll have a DJ spinning all the gothy, new wave hits in our spooky little tavern. Show us your darkest, creepiest costumes for a chance to win schwag and other goodies (free cider!?).” They’ll also have a special limited release cider on tap that night.

This is a ticketed event—50 tickets total, $10 Advance/$12 at the door. Here’s the Eventbrite link.

Alchemy Cider is a nice addition to the area. Over on the New School Beer blog, they highlight how it fits in with the cider scene: “Alchemy … will cement the inner southeast Portland neighborhoods of Buckman and adjacent Ladd’s Addition as the premiere cider area in Oregon with the Bauman’s, the new location of Schilling Cider House, and The Place, all within 4 miles of Alchemy’s location.” The article over at New School has a lot of great info, so check it out.

All the best to Kirk and his team as they continue to make excellent cider and gather the community for good times at the cidery.

Alchemy Cider [opened August 22, 2025]
818 SE Ankeny Street, Portland
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