Cider brewing up interest in the 'burbs

The cool temps and the falling leaves sure get me in the mood for cider. I enjoy a mug of warm apple cider like the kind they press out at Gould's Cider Mill near Elburn, but I've also been known to imbibe in the fermented variety.

I'm not the only one. According to Nielsen ratings, hard cider is growing faster than any other segment of the spirits industry, logging 14 percent growth in a year. Vodka, for comparison sake, was up almost 11 percent; beer just 6 percent.

Woodchuck Cider rates as the nation's top brand and has been on shelves for nearly a decade. Magners from Ireland, Crispin from California and Hardcore from Boston (via the Boston Beer Co.) are just a few of the brands that have recently found their way into local stores courtesy of Town and Country Distributors in Itasca.

While you'll most likely find it shelved in the beer aisle, hard cider is not beer; nor is it wine or a malt beverage. Hard cider simply is apple juice fermented with yeast to develop alcohol content generally between 4 and 5.5 percent. Depending on aging and apple variety, the color will range from pale straw to dark amber.

Try cider on its own, in a cocktail (a Snakebite is the traditional English mix of cider and lager), or stir it into apple-cheese soup or a hearty stew. For ideas for cooking with cider, head to the recipe page at woodchuck.com.

Online anniversary: Hard to believe it's been 20 years since Peapod made its first delivery.

The online grocer was set up in 1989 (six years before Amazon.com) as a grocery shopping option for busy people. In the beginning, brothers Andrew and Thomas Parkinson shopped and delivered themselves to the Evanston area; today Peapod serves 22 markets.

As the company, which operates a giant warehouse in Lake Zurich, celebrated the milestone, it shared these tidbits:

• Bananas continue to be the top selling item.

• Milk is the most searched word.

• Peapod has delivered to President Barack Obama.

• The week after Thanksgiving sees the most deliveries.

Try the service for yourself at peapod.com.

Java journey: Many people can't start their day without a grande mocha or pumpkin spice latte and I'm pretty sure most of those don't give a second thought to how the coffee got in their cup.

Through an exhibit at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, we can learn about, and learn to appreciate, the 25 million people around the world who care for and cultivate trees that produce our coffee beans.

The Birth of Coffee illustrates, with black and white photos, every stop of the arduous process of producing coffee, from seed to cup, and points up the need to protect trees.

"As we develop a deeper understanding of the people who actually grow coffee, we find compelling, new reasons to care about trees, which support the lives and livelihoods of so many," says Anamari Dorgan, manager of interpretation and exhibits at the arboretum.

The Birth of Coffee will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Nov. 11. A presentation with photographer Daniel Lorenzetti and his wife, writer Linda Rice Lorenzetti, will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. The program is free with arboretum admission ($11 adults). The arboretum is at 4100 Route 53. (630) 968-0074.

• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at (847) 427-4524 or food@dailyherald.com. Listen to her discuss restaurant news and food trends on Restaurant Radio Chicago, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on WIND 560 AM.