DALLAS – If you grew up in the 80’s, the arcade was always the place to be! Pumping quarters into Qbert or selecting your favorite character on Street Fighter 2 made for a glorious outing with your friends.
Today we’re all a bit older as we huddle around the NFL Blitz machine but doesn’t mean you have to grow up. “We love tapping into the nostalgia. Nostalgia’s all the rage these days, so we definitely have all the classics that you grew up playing, but we also love to bring in new, exciting games,” said Hunter Eichberger marketing manager for Cidercade, a unique old school arcade that serves nothing but cider.
Hunter is a Texas Tech grad and a Kliff Kingsbury’s doppelganger. He’s got the tough job of trying to convince people to come to this extremely fun place by being a part of the family that started it. “To jump in with them and be a part of the family business was just a really cool opportunity,” said Hunter.
Surprisingly enough, the Cidercade came to fruition out of fun. Part of the Bishop Cider family, the Cidercade was squeezed out into a space that the manufacturing plant didn’t need. “There was a ton of additional space that wasn’t being used and we thought, ‘okay, what can we do to fill the space to draw people in here?’ They’re like, ‘well, we’ve always had this pipe dream of owning an arcade,” explained Hunter. The next thing you know. “It took off,” said Hunter.
The price helps. To get into this massive arcade with 140 games will cost you ten bucks. After that you can play all you want. “No coins. No bills. $10 admission. Every game is unlimited play,” said Hunter.
Since the Cidercade is situated in the same facility as Bishop Cider, I’m sure you can guess what the only available form of adult beverages that can be found here. Folks like me are the exact people the Cidercade likes to target. Fellas who would normally order a cocktail or cold beer get a chance to get a little fruity. “A lot of people don’t drink cider all the time necessarily. And so, by keeping it only to cider at the Cidercade, it gets people out of their comfort zone, forces them to try something new. And most people, the vast majority of people, really like hard cider when they try it,” explained Hunter.
At this point I ask y’all to pardon my ignorance because I always thought that cider was something that could only be apple flavored. “For the majority of Bishop Cider’s existence, we’ve actually steered away from just your standard crisp cider because we’re trying to be different and kind of break the mold of what’s already out there,” said Hunter. “We have tart ciders, sweet ciders, dry ciders. There’s a whole range of taste that we appeal to, so there’s pretty much something for everybody.”
The first cider I had to try was the Texas Strawberry, made with strawberries from Poteet, Texas. It’s like smelling a jar of strawberry jelly. You get that overpowering sweet jelly smell and then it’s got bubbles and it’s delicious. “You have to be drinking a cider while you’re playing the game. I mean, that’s how you get the best experience for sure,” said Hunter.
Next, I tried the Crack-berry, which is one of Cidercade’s top selling ciders. If you have the same question I had, “what is Crack-berry?” It is cranberry and blackberry coming together. “We say it’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet,” said Hunter. Right off the top, tartness, but then doles out as you’re going down. That’s amazing!
“The parents can say, ‘all right, kiddos, go have a blast. I’m going to stay up at the bar,’ try a bunch of different cider and just relax for a minute,” said Hunter.
Finally, I tried the Pineapple Paradise. “Crack-berry, Pineapple Paradise, those are probably the two top sellers. Super juicy, super refreshing, perfect for warm weather days and a fan favorite here at Cidercade,” said Hunter.
That’s a sweet train right there. Wow! You smell that pineapple, and you taste the pineapple. Sitting by the pool kind of drink. “I think a lot of parents plan birthdays here, probably selfishly for themselves,” said Hunter.
So if you want to feel like a teenager again while keeping your kids occupied and having a few fruity drinks for adults, the Cidercade is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.