Featured Cider Makers
Women Making Waves in the Cider World 7
From coast to coast and across the pond, women continue to find their place in the thriving cider trade. For our 7th Women Making Waves feature, we asked three different women what distinguishes ciders and cider making in their regions: the west coast, east coast and Europe. Pat Knittel, Wrangletown Cider Company Looking to the…
Read MoreThe Story of Starting Hale & True: The Logistics
This is part two of a three-part series on the starting of Hale & True, a Philadelphia-based cidery. You can read part one here. A cidery conjures up specific imagery in my mind. The cool, reflective glow of stainless steel fermentation tanks. The sweet smell of fresh cider mixed with the hint of bread from…
Read MoreWomen Making Waves in the Hard Cider World 6
As 2017 unfolds, cider is getting closer to becoming a staple beverage alongside beer and wine, and it is also receiving creative treatment in unexpected directions. New cider companies are cropping up almost daily, and others are transitioning as the industry matures. Also continuing to “trend” this year are women cidermakers. In honor of Women’s…
Read MoreGo Green (Apple) on St. Patrick’s Day with These 8 Hard Ciders
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, so you know what that means: time to go green! This year we suggest you skip the green beer and whiskey and raise a pint (or a bottle, or a can) of hard cider crafted with green apples. To lend you a hand, we’ve rounded up a list of our tart and tasty…
Read More“New Jersey, Come See for Yourself”: An Interview with Ironbound Cider
There are some pretty great things about New Jersey … not having to pump your gas, tomato pie and of course, Bon Jovi. Jersey’s next big thing is Ironbound Hard Cider. The cider, created at the intersection of the Newark metropolis and Garden State farmland, represents a state pride grounded in fine tradition. Cider Culture interviewed…
Read MoreThe Story of Starting a Cidery: Hale & True
It was in a 500-square-foot apartment in Old City Philadelphia that I made my first batch of cider. I poured a gallon of store-bought apple juice into a one-gallon carboy, added yeast and watched it ferment over the next couple weeks. The result was a naturally dry, fizzy, delicious, 6.5% ABV cider. Four years later,…
Read MoreResilience: Good Life Farm and The Finger Lakes Cider House
Melissa Madden and Garrett Miller of Good Life Farm/Good Life Cider and Finger Lakes Cider House have gone beyond sustainability and learned regeneration, that which can renew during changing times—certainly a relevant message for 2017. Cider Culture interviewed Melissa to discover the answer to a simple question: what is the Good Life? Good Life Farm: Permaculture and Resilience Permaculture…
Read More“Chopped” Winner Seeks Funding for Massachusetts Cidery
Past Chopped winner, chef and cider maker Nicholas Browne is asking cider lovers near and far to help him open up a Massachusetts cidery. Chef Browne’s GoFundMe page hopes to raise $275,000 toward the startup phase of Browne Brewing Company, to be located in or near Monterey, Massachusetts. Funds raised will be used for legal/licensing fees, equipment, ingredients, refurbishment of the brewing space, a taproom…
Read MoreGetting into the Business of Cider with BenchGraft’s Nick Gunn
I recently attended an Oregon State University Craft Cidery Startup Workshop and had a chance to talk with Nick Gunn about cidery startups and his new Salem, Oregon-based business, BenchGraft Cider Consulting. Nick is an Oregon native with a passion for sustainable agriculture and fermentation. In 2003, he planted an orchard of cider apples with his wife, Mimi,…
Read MoreDeck the Halls with Bottles of Cider: A Few New Maine Cideries
In Maine, winter comes sooner and lasts longer. For these three Maine cideries, finding ways of making merry all year long involves working hard to put comfort and joy into a bottle. Cider Culture interviewed these small-scale cider makers and learned what goes into producing cider that showcases “The Pine Tree State.” Kennebec Cider Founded in…
Read MoreComing to Wilmington, DE: Civil Cider
A new cidery will soon grace The First State—Civil Cider, Delaware’s very first urban cidery. Civil Cider owners Alex Sianni and Gretchen Brizendine will serve their flagship cider and other offerings from their tasting room at Fifth and Shipley Streets in Wilmington. Civil Cider has partnered with Leola, Pennsylvania’s Hess Brother’s Fruit Company to source the freshest apples…
Read MoreCidery to Watch: Coyote Hole Ciderworks, Opening in 2017
A new cidery is in the works in Virginia and will be opening its doors in 2017—Coyote Hole Ciderworks. The cidery, which will be based in Mineral, Virginia, in the Lake Anna region, plans to open in April. Coyote Hole Ciderworks promises a local vibe with its premium, all-natural cider made from Virginia apples and fruit.…
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