Spice up Your Life: Ping Dynasty Cider Share Tips on Staying Fresh at Our Hot & Spicy Fest

People of the world! Every boy and every girl: In the lead up to our second annual Hot & Spicy Festival on Apr 20-21, we’re Spicing Up Our Lives with a few of the vendors to see what searing treats they'll be doling out at the rapidly approaching fine spring weekend. This time: El-Mar Bengel, co-founder of Ping Dynasty Cider.

Can't recall a single thing about the Ping dynasty from your Chinese history class? Not to worry, the hallowed history of Ping Dynasty Cider Brewing Co. is a fairly short one, as it was only founded in 2017 by cider-heads Rowan McCann and El-Mar Bengel. Although the two originally hail from Australia and Germany respectively, they are both deeply rooted in Beijing and were quick to recognize the potential for the refreshing, crisp taste of cider in the Chinese market. The pair capitalized on the fact that China is already the world's biggest apple producer, and select fresh, high-quality fruit directly from hand-picked orchards across the country, before fermenting them with champagne yeast and pure water from Thousand Islands Lake in Hangzhou.

Ping Dynasty's cider flavor profile has been developed especially for the Chinese palette. Prime example: their recently released, world-first yangmei cider. It boasts the sweet flavor of that berry, which is widely loved on the Mainland, while also respecting the texture of traditional European apple cider. That comination makes it a sure-thing for cider lovers (and for those in need of a refreshing drink to go with their spicy burritos or bowlfuls of mapo doufu at our Hot & Spicy Fest).

READ: Ping Dynasty Ushers in a New Era of Chinese Cider

Ahead of the 2019 Hot & Spicy Festival, we got to chatting with Bengel (pictured second from the left above). He told us why his cider complements spicy food so well, what they are bringing to this weekend's festival, and his secret tip for surviving our Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest (don't forget that you can take part in that particularly fiery battle by signing up here).

What did you think was the best part of last year’s Hot & Spicy Festival? 
I went last year and had a great time. Side Street had some amazing food.

What are the most important elements that help make great spicy food?
I love spicy food. I think it's important to enhance flavors with spiciness and not to kill flavors with it.

What drink from your menu will go best with your spicy food?
We are debuting our all-new 'Ping Burn' shot. It's Ping Dynasty cider with a splash of Fireball liquor and a drop of Tabasco sauce.

What is the spiciest thing you have ever eaten?
Pene de Diablo Pepper Seeds... whilst traveling in South America.

What are you looking forward to at this year’s Hot & Spicy Festival?
Spicy food, hot people, and a lot of cold Ping Dynasty Cider.

Do you have any tips or tricks for eating spicy food that might help the competitors in our Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest?
Frozen cocktail tomatoes, a whole plate of them! They will fix you up afterward.

READ: Early Bird Tix Now on Sale for Hot & Spicy II April 20 & 21

Photos courtesy of Ping Dynasty