Late this summer, Sly Clyde Ciderworks was introduced as Virginia’s first coastal cidery. The Hampton-based ciderhouse was founded by local brothers Tim and Doug Smith and was established in the home of the Smith brothers’ late grandfather, H. Clyde Smith.
Both the location and namesake of Sly Clyde Ciderworks pays homage to Clyde’s personal legacy and celebrates his commitment to the Coastal Virginia community. “When we decided to renovate Clyde’s home, we knew we wanted the result to reflect his relaxed style,” says Tim. “We preserved the character of the house while adaptively reusing much of the historic fabric. Today, we have a great space for sharing ciders that would make Clyde, our grandfather, proud.”
Sly Clyde Ciderworks prides itself for crafting its selection of gluten-free, dry ciders entirely from Virginia-grown apples. The crushed apples are converted into fruity libations handcrafted by nationally acclaimed cidermaker Brent Miles. Miles has created upwards of 10 cider variations for Sly Clyde Ciderworks, including the fig-infused Figure 8, gose-style Gose Ship, dry hopped Surf Hopper and habanero rosemary Spinning Compass.
Miles and the Smith brothers also partnered with Hampton’s Caiseal Beer & Spirits to release their first cider collaboration, the gin botanical Juniper Rising.
Sly Clyde Ciderworks is located at 207 E. Mellen St., Hampton and is open select hours Tuesday through Sunday.
Author: Grace Silipigni