Local Take: Tin City Cider, while in Tin City has remarkably little to do with Tin City itself, which has an interesting history that was related to me by the friendly bartender here, as well as, the owner of nearby Etto Deli. More on that later.
We actually originally went simply for the amazing Sheepmilk Ice-cream nearby, and somehow ended up, with a bit of all kinds of things from the marvelous shops here, such as Creston Olivo's de Oro Mission EVOO, Etto's homemade Pasta, & a growler from T.C. Cider.
Since it was rather late and on a cool weekday, the number of people quickly declined as we went from shop to shop, and we kind of missed out on some places that close at 5-6PM.
By the time I went to check out TC Cider, thankfully they were slow, and the ambience was airy and pleasant. The building itself is like the inside of a warehouse, and the air circulation was excellent for this pandemic age.
The bar itself was clean, but rather spare, and the signage for the different brews were eye-catching but not too informative. Thankfully the Cidertender was friendly and much more informative. I re-call only a few other ordering patrons besides me, and one did get a sort of Mimosa, but with Cider & Tangerine Juice.
I am partially to more fruity and less bone dry or "beer/wine-like" Cider's so I had a flight of what seemed to be on that level. While I forget all the names, I do remember the Lower East Cider [a NYC-type of joke which resonates with me, a former NYer], the South 40 [with Heirloom Apples], & two Ciders that had some of their wine in them.
I was kind of confused as to what quantity a cider flight consisted of [since it was my first flight & a sampler or tasting can be alot less], so basically you wind up with 16 ounces of sort of a hybrid of tastes that combine hard cider, beer, & generic wine, but with a good kick of alcohol & bubbles.
Of course, after having two scoops of Sheepsmilk Ice-cream, my tastebuds & stomach was curious as to what the heck I was doing. After a bit, the alcohol hit me, but I grew kind of bored with finishing the flight. Much of it was "not my cup of tea"...or brew in this case.
Since none of the flight was available in cans & I felt like I should take home one to try again, I settled on a growler of the South 40. The growler was $5, but was capped with a kind of flimsy cap, rather than a proper top. Indeed, it needs to be drunk whole in a week or risk decarbonization. Since it was filled already & I am not one for canned stuff, I took a chance on it.
In retrospect, while I really like Tin City itself in general, especially as a kind of evolving wine, ice-cream, EVOO, pasta, cider, beer, & food court, I was not especially thrilled with the taste of the TC Cider that I happened to try. It could be that I would love either another past, present, or future variety. If so, I would be open to it.
If you need to add either wine or tangerine juice to your product, do not provide suitable resealable growlers, or make a cider slushy, maybe some things need to change, for a different clientele. Of course, there are many who are just fine with it the way it is, and further enjoy it when you can have live music on a busy weekend. Since I hate crowds even pre-pandemic that is not my scene.
As far as, the history of this whole complex is concerned, it is quite interesting. Apparently, a fellow also named Paul, somehow conceived of this venue several years back and converted an industrial park into this "Ghetto" that kind of puts Lompoc's famous "Wine Ghetto" to some degree of shame. This fellow was talented with doing complex outdoor water & other features, and his handiwork appears in numerous areas throughout Tin City. Over time, it seems that Tin City is evolving from just wine toward a more varied venue. Their was a simple hamburger type of food truck at another wine tasting venue, as there was a restaurant which we missed, and an Italian Deli that we just found a few minutes before closing. Their is also some sort of Uber fancy place that is beyond my "pay scale".
In any case, regardless of why you come here, there is likely something for everyone. While it is crowded on weekends, since it is right above Templeton, it would be a nice stop after a Saturday shopping visit at the Farmers Market. If you want to pick up some Thai, Greek, Mexican, or other eats at the Farmers Market to go with your flights, tastings, or Cider, at Tin City, that is a fine idea.
P.S.- Recent research shows that absolutely any amount of alcohol
shrinks your brain over time. Please do not drink, drink a minimum amount, &
if drinking...be responsible! The pics are for information purposes only & should not be meant to normalize nor to condone drinking of alcohol in any way, shape, or form. read more