There’s nothing like drinking a crisp cider alongside a summer barbecue. That burst of apple flavor on your palate can be, dare we say it, explosive. Possibly a little too explosive: Angry Orchard Cider Company, LLC, – which is owned by Sam Adams – announced a recall of Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider because the bottles were literally exploding.
The scope of the recall is pretty tight in terms of what’s included – six and twelve-packs with the production dates June 15th and June 29th. The cider itself is a-OK, but the bottles are breaking or overflowing upon opening. Angry Orchard says that the beer seems to be re-fermenting in the bottle, causing excess carbonation. The impacted cases of the cider were shipped to certain wholesalers in 22 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
Angry Orchard insisted that its cider poses no health risk if consumed, but issued the voluntary recall “to ensure that products available to consumers meet their high quality standards.” VinePair reached out to Angry Orchard for further information, but they refused to comment beyond what was in the official press release.
This just goes to show you that no matter how big a brand is, it can still mess up. According to the press release, here’s how to tell if your cider is affected:
“For a case or 12-pack: look for the “Freshness Matters” code printed on the top or side panel of the case or 12-pack. If that code begins with “June 2016 1665C” and is immediately followed by 4 digits between the range of 0001 through 0700 OR “June 20161805C” and is immediately followed by 4 digits between 0001 through 0545, those bottles may have been impacted.”
The release also said that no illnesses or injuries had been reported, and instructed consumers to handle bottles “with extreme care and dispose of the product immediately in an outside container.” The company is issuing full refunds on all affected products.
If you happened to get your hands on an exploding bottle of cider and you’re safe, please email pictures to info@vinepair.com.
