The Fruits of Humboldt Cider Co.'s Labors 

When the Humboldt Cider Co. first started pressing apples at its original location at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, just an apple's throw from its new tasting room on Hubbard Lane, the plan was to produce single varietals. Co-owner Michelle Cartledge is still a fan. "The [Imperial] Macintosh apple is really wonderful and balanced, and not too sweet and not too dry," she says. Her husband, Darren, who heads up the cider making, is a fan of that one and their English-style Smoke and Mirrors cider, too, the latter described as having "notes of vanilla, caramel and molasses."

But since they started pouring in 2015, the blended apple flavors have, well, branched out. Imperial Blueberry, says Michelle Cartledge, was "fun because it was a mistake ... but it ended up being really popular, and now it's a staple." Flavors range from the continually evolving Humboldt Blend, which draws upon local orchard harvests, to the tropical Guava the Hop. Ciders are made with hibiscus and hemp, chocolate and cherry, and peaches from the trees at Neukom Family Farms. You can sample cider pressed from the heirloom apples picked at the historic Albert Etter's orchard, or share the harvest with Cider for People, for each pint of which sends $1 to the Food for People food bank serving locals coping with food insecurity.

Thank Gravenstein there is help for the indecisive. Patrons have been customizing their pints to suit their palates from the beginning. Some combinations have made it onto the menu, like Swipe Right, a half-and-half blend of Cherry and Honey ciders. A similar mashup of Imperial Blueberry and Passion Fruit is much beloved, as well. Get yourself a growler and you can bring home whatever you didn't have room for and enjoy it later. Still struggling with choice? For $2-$3.25 each, you can get smaller samples, five of which can be carried back to your table on a wooden caddy — use both hands to carry it back to whichever table or nook you've staked out.

The Hubbard Lane Tap Room is an airy, open cinderblock building with high, wooden rafters and a garage-like door that lets in the fresh air. There are tables against the front wall, seats at the long bar, a room to the side (which can be rented out) and cozy lounge areas. And all around, artist Dave Van Patten's playful figures are painted on the walls — a strawberry-headed farmer here, a pineapple-faced surfer there — to match his whimsical illustrations on the menu and cans. "We knew we wanted to have murals in there," says Michelle Cartledge, who, as founder of the Eureka Street Art Festival and one of its organizers for the last seven years, knows from murals. Van Patten's style, evident in the Humboldt Cider Co. logo and labels, fits the homey vibe and clean finish of the ciders. "Sometimes we give him an idea for what we're picturing for the labels and sometimes we give him a description of the cider." Come to think of it, choosing your pint by its artwork isn't a bad idea, either.

Outdoor seating is in the works and there's already a cadre of mobile food options lined up, including the Big Island Kine poke truck and Los Giles Taqueria. "The goal is to have a food truck every night," says Michelle Cartledge.

The potential for pairings is again dizzying. And an excuse to come back again and again. As she notes, "There's a lot to try."