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This hard cider made in central Pennsylvania is cool as a cucumber

The latest type of cider from Ploughman Farms is made with cucumbers as well as apples.

Wodwo cucumber cider by Ploughman.
Wodwo cucumber cider by Ploughman.Read moreGrace Dickinson / STAFF

When life gave Ben Wenk cucumbers, he made cider.

Thanks to a rainy summer, Wenk, co-owner of Three Springs Fruit Farm in Adams County, ended up with hundreds of pounds of extra cucumbers. He brought the bounty to Edwin Winzeler, cider maker for the farm’s in-house Ploughman Farm Cidery, who incorporated them into a fizzy, refreshing drink.

The hard cider is made with heirloom cucumbers, as well as five types of red and green apples. It tastes earthy, fresh, and a little sour.

They named it Wodwo, after the book and poem by Ted Hughes, who used it to evoke a goblin-like woodland creature. The story appeals to Wenk, who said the funky aroma of the cider makes him picture himself as the elusive Green Man in the forest.

Ploughman recently released three other new flavors: Bluebird Day, which is made with peaches; Lummox, made with citra hops; and Stayman Winesap, a single varietal dry cider.

Wodwo from Ploughman Farm Cidery, $13 at bottle shops. For a complete list of local vendors, go to ploughmancider.com/where-to-buy