"Every hand that touches the apple has a story to tell." Who is Elizabeth Ryan? She is the founder of Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider, but that is only part of the story. At heart she is a farmer having grown up in Iowa on a family farm. She moved east to Ithaca to study at Cornell University to originally study engineering. Life had other plans for her and she soon found herself involved in farm activism and food rights which eventually led her switching her study to the Pomology at Cornell. In 1977 she left Cornell to work in Washington DC to work with communities on food sustainability. Elizabeths network in the food scene and farming inspired her to move back to Cornell and finish her degree and get her own farm. Elizabeth and Farming In 1984, Elizabeth and then husband Peter bought a farm on the east side of the Hudson River called Breezy Hill. Today Breezy Hill has a tasting room (that will reopen post the pandemic), a cidermaking production room and a large orchard. In addition to Breezy Hill, the Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider brand also has Stone Ridge Orchard and the newest addition the Milton Farm. Stone Ridge Orchard has an outdoor entertainment space, a tasting room that often hosts special cider dinners, a cider production and a glorious 350 year-old oak tree. Milton is to the south of Stone Ridge and has a small orchard. This site is not open to the public. Elizabeth and Cidermaking A man by the name of Lester Funk helped Elizabeth make her first barrel aged cider. Today there is a wide selection of ciders available under the Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider brand name which became licensed to sell commercially in 1995. The apples for all her ciders are coming in from each orchard and even some other select orchards in the region. The following is what I wrote on the Traditional Cider that we tasted during this recording. "My go-to when enticing friends to give cider a try is the “Traditional” by Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider (NY). Expect a sparkling cider with a clean finish that comes in 750ml flip top bottles providing a “pop” every time to ring in good cheers! This semi dry showcases local New York terroir as it dances in the mouth with a touch of tannin and Stone Ridge Farm apple love!” Contact Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider website: http://www.hudsonvalleyfarmhousecider.com/ Mentions in this Chat Ross Cider Fest Meet the Apples and Art  September 4, 2021 Cider Feast October 2, 2021 Kertelreiter Perry Pear Project Listen to a chat with Kertelreiter maker Barry Masterson - 251: Irish Expat in Germany | Kertelreiter Cider Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

The quest to find the Language of Cider Richie Brady is a graduate of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) who also happens to have a love of cider. This scholarly Irishman used his shelter in place time during Covid to take a deep dive into cider's history on the Emerald Isle where the first known writings on cider dates back to 1115! On this journey to he has found that cider and wine both share a similar fate - there is no absolute language to describe the fermented juice of apples and grapes. The questions become one of defining "How to taste cider" and as such how does one delineate and then describe the wide range of cider styles. He found that the lexicon of cider like wine still has a long way to go as it develops a vocabulary. In short, there is no common lexicon or language for cider. In this chat we discuss: The Brehon Laws which are first set down on parchment in the 7th century and were named after wanderings lawyers, the Brehons. The Brehon Laws include details on the top trees to honor known as the "Lords of the Woods". And yes, one of those  Top Trees was the Apple. And the law detailed that if you damaged an apple tree there was a fine of 2 cows that were milking and a third cow! Dependent upon the damage done there were additional fines, such as planting an apple tree of the same variety All this deep digging into the history of Ireland and cider was in preparation for his thesis for a Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies from Technological University Dublin (TUDublin ). Besides the Brehon Laws he also found historical writings from The Gentlemen's Society of Dublin, which then became the Royal Society. The Society's writings date back to 1737 and he found that they had a penchant for cider! Their love of cider was so keen and held in such high esteem that members  noted how they gifted each other with their fine cider. Tracing a Language for Cider in Ireland The Society's journals classified cider into 3 different styles. 1. Summer Cider "Described as a weak juice from summer apples that has no body and therefore barely deserves the name cider" However, this cider was still drunk and recommended to age for 6 months 2. Autumn Cider Apple varieties Pearmain Red Streak Golden Pippin - palatable liquor but with too much sweetness High raisin taste and keeps tolerably well Age for a year 3. Wildings and Harsh winter apples "To attain this should be the aim to all those who deal in cider/" Described as a "roughest kind of cider" that is mellowed by age Age in barrel for 3-5 years. Example of varieties Cockagee Burlington crab Kendrick Royal Wilding Developing Language Wine vs Cider Richie proposed that because wine is seen as something that can age well and continues to develop in the bottle it encouraged people to talk about wine more, thus the language of wine developed. Whereas despite the fact that some ciders like wine also develops and ages well in a bottle, cider for the most part has been made to drink sooner than later. Interestingly, even great wine writers like Jancis Robinson who wrote the highly touted Oxford companion to Wine describes the wine lexicon "in its infancy." And French oenologist and researcher Émile Peynaud   says, “We tasters to some extent feel betrayed by language” How to create a language for Cider Begin with agreeing to a specific style  agree upon the taxonomy of cider - co-fermented cider, heirloom, farmhouse... Richie proposes that we begin by: 1. Approaching the glass What is the profile  of the cider in the glass What is the acidity Tannin? What is the nature of the tannin The sweetness 2.  If 12 ciders have a similar profile, put them in a group together 3. What would we name this group Staying focused on the taste profile 4. Define rules and put it in a style - create rules These simple steps on paper are a bit more complex as it will require compromise between many different parties world wide. Luckily patience is something that cider and wine teaches to makers and consumers alike. Contact for Richie Brady Follow Richie on Twitter @2mindtime  Mentions in this Chat Australian Cider Producers Small Acres Cyder   3 Sons Cider  Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box of cider, give cider as a gift that keeps giving! Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Who is Cider Chat? In Part 4 of this series on Cider's Media it is time to talk about Cider Chat - the podcast that is hosting this series! As you listen to this episode you will hear Ria discussing and reading from her interview for RealBrew a magazine that features Cider in one issue per year. Note RealBrew publishes their hard copy magazine 6 times per year. The heading of the interview is: Cider Chat - A Touch of Experience The story about one of the most famous talk projects dedicated to cider. I am a fan of quality libations and come from a family that upholds the tradition to starting each holiday gathering with a raised glass and toast. As a child I was taught that it was an honor to drink with my grandfathers and not one that they nor I abused or took for granted. These same grandfathers were at one time known as Bootleggers during Prohibition and my paternal grandfather always had a barrel of cider at his farm. The apple tree in his backyard had 5 different varieties grafted onto that one tree and the children were taught not to climb its majestic branches. We knew at an early age that it provided food and drink to our family and as such was revered. My own parents also did a bit of fermenting. I first learned how to make beer and then began to ferment grapes and apples. My novice background in fermenting was just enough to land me a fun side gig as a craft beer writer in 2003. I have been writing a bimonthly column and an occasional feature all these years later for that same craft beer newspaper called Yankee Brew News (YBN). For many years, I was one of the few women beer writers in the US, who was also actively making cider, teaching cidermaking courses, and had a platform to write about both beer and cider. At first the editors at YBN were reluctant to publish news on cider, but eventually they let me plug in articles during each apple harvest season. In 2013, I knew cider was finally getting a wider audience. That same year, while judging at the annual Great International Beer Competition in Rhode Island, we had an uptick in the number of ciders being entered into the competition. The next year, the number of entries tripled and even more notable a commercial cidermaker flew across the country from California to represent his brand. Cider sales in the US was growing exponentially during this time. Also in 2014, while at that same competition that highlighted beer, everyone wanted to talk to me about cider. They knew, via my writings, that I was regularly teaching a “how-to make cider” course at a local cider festival. That festival called “CiderDays” is now the longest running and most celebrated cider event in the US and takes place on the first weekend of November. Being part of CiderDays when it first started back in 1994, allowed me to meet the early cider pioneers in the US before the current modern day cider movement we see today. Pictured left to Right: Chuck Shelton of Albemarle Ciderworks, VA | Bartosz Gałka/ Poland Anzu Fernandes of La Sidra and Randall Graham Professionally, during all this time I was quite busy working as the CEO and Founder of an international consulting firm focused on conflict management. During my travels I would always set aside time to visit a cidermaker, orchard, and breweries. Blame it on fate that at the same time the cider market was growing, I was looking at scaling back my consulting work. I already had a weekly podcast on my specialty in managing violent situations, so I decided why not create a second podcast solely on cider. The decision was easy to make due to the growing interest of cider in the US and the uncanny number of “cider experts” popping up on the internet. I launched the first episode of Cider Chat in the fall of 2015 and it is now in its sixth season with nearly 300 episodes. All the episodes are archived and free to download via the Cider Chat website and all the podcast App directories such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I post an episode each Wednesday and feature interviews with makers, cider enthusiasts, and people in the cider industry worldwide. Episodes are between 30 minutes to one hour in length and usually begin with “News from Out and About in Ciderville”. The listeners of Cider Chat are a very engaged audience, so often I am reading letters sent to me. For each episode, I select a specific theme to discuss and also have series on topics such as the 2020 four-part series with Russian cidermakers. There are currently 5 episodes featuring Russian makers, which is quite exciting as this is such a new category for the country and the cider, I have tasted thus far is quite impressive! Alexander Ionov of Rebel Apple based in Moscow is show casing the apple variety known as Antonovka in his cider called Bride. It is a wonderful aromatic cider that is very fruit forward with a touch of tannin. I had Alex on Episode 216. 2018 Totally Cider Tour with Etienne Dupont, Eric Bordelet,  Ann Marie Thornton of James Creek Cider In February 2020, I was set to meet Russian cidermaker Maxim Brecht. He along with a group of Russian cidermakers were attending Cidrexpo in Normandy France, so we set up an interview. I was honestly expecting a group of men, but when Maxim walked through the door with three women who were all making cider I was floored! Their passion and joy for cider was contagious. I titled Part 1 of the four-part series “The Russian Cider Party Starts Now!” It featured Alina Lotkeva who via her I Love Cider brand is helping to boost Russian cider. Olga Efremov and her cidermaking husband Micheal Efremov are both sommeliers and their brand OMG shows their level of skill honed from the wine world. I love following Olga’s Instagram posts because her ability to describe cider is heavenly! RealBrew’s own editor Elena V. Tyukina made me do a mental double take, when I realized that not only is she Owner and Head Brewmeister at Knightberg Brewery in Saint Petersburg, but she is also already winning awards with her barrel aged cider, the 2017 Force of Gravity! Maxim’s own bottle conditioned cider is exquisite. I can’t wait to see what all these and the many more Russian makers have to offer moving forward. People listen to Cider Chat via the website, podcast directory Apps and at the Cider Chat YouTube channel. The goal for this podcast is to “be everywhere” thus I also have social media accounts on Twitter @ciderchat, Instagram @ciderchatciderville, a Cider Chat Facebook page and even a TikTok page @ciderchat. In 2018, I launched Totally Cider Tours and have since led cider tours both in Europe and in the US. I started this side business because so many listeners wanted to visit the cidermakers that I have interviewed. Tour guiding comes naturally to me due to my organizational and facilitation skills and my extensive work as a wilderness guide. Early on and for some time, I have paid out of pocket to produce the podcast. It is still a one person show with me both Producing and Hosting, but I am slowly extending my reach and looking at hiring a virtual assistant as the podcast’s audience continues to grow. Cider Chat is partly supported by patrons and sponsors. I do take FAM trips which are paid press tours to help promote cider in a particular region of the world. My goal is to show case the local terroir and to celebrate the people, local foods, and sights. I have interviews featuring the following areas in the world, Asturias, Australia, Canada, The Canary Islands, Catalonia, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Nederlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Tasmania, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States (nearly every state). Jenifer Dean of County Cider Carol B. Hillman of New Salem Cider Alex Ionov - Rebell Cider Mike Johnson, Ria and Albert Johnson of Ross Cider and Perry Company I don’t expect guests to reveal their “secret recipe” for making cider. There is no secret. It is pretty straightforward and is more a matter of skill, which takes time, and the right kind of apples. What I do look for from each guest, is their own story and what inspires them to make cider. This often leads us to a much broader history that entails family, food, and local cultures and customs. Here are just a few of the people I have interviewed on Cider Chat and their simple quotes that have stood out for me and have inspired listeners around the world. Let’s start in a region well known to have the oldest recorded references to cider and head to Asturias and its coastal city of Gijon. It is estimated that the average yearly intake of “Sidra” here is 65 liters per every man, woman, and child. This region of Spain has a cider celebration nearly every weekend of the year. And also hosts the International Hall of Gala Apples in the Fall which I attended in 2017. There are 2500 “Asturian only” varieties of cider apples with 200 varieties considered endemic to only Asturias. Every brand of Natural Sidra, has at the minimum 6 varieties of apples in the blend. Asturias makers produce 100,000,000 liters of Sidra per year. And there are even Cider pourer competitions! The long pour or the “Colene”, where the cider is poured from at least a meter from bottle to glass is done to release the carbonic gases in the sidra. The glass is held on a slight angle to catch the pour with only about an 1/8 of a cup or 29 milliliters poured into each glass. The result is a frothy amount of cider which is meant to be drunk right away, much like a shot of vodka. One does not sniff and swill sidra. While in Gijon to attend a cider competition, I interviewed Anzu Fernández for La Sidra magazine. Anzu it should be noted speaks 15 languages and is a medical doctor. He is also what I call “Cider Bold” with his unapologetic views of his region’s quality of cider saying, “Asturians are quite expert in cider. You won't fool anyone with a low-quality cider.” Anzu’s interview can be heard in episode 062. Skipping back to the US, in 2015 I was able to meet and interview Randall Grahm, while visiting my own family in Santa Cruz California. I have since posted two episodes with him, the first in 2016 in episode 012 and the second in 2019, in episode 188. Randall is the recipient of multiple James Beard Awards and is a prolific writer with a whimsical touch. He is known in the wine world as the “Rhone Ranger” and turned the category upside down when he introduced screw caps to high end bottles of wine. Recently he sold his label “Bonny Doon Vineyards” in California to work on his new estate vineyard Popelochum which is south of where he started his innovative winemaking 36 years ago. His 2013 “Querry”, a blend of quince, apples and pears is part of the reason why I first sought him out for an interview. He approaches cidermaking from a winemaker’s view and says, “What I am doing with grapes one might want to consider doing with apples.” Coming from one of the premier winemakers in the US today, I view this simple statement as a call to action. John Bunker resides on the east coast of the US in the state of Maine and is a renowned apple detective. He just published his newest book “Apples and The Art of Detection” in 2019. John is often asked to identify trees abandoned at old homesteads and as such has been able to elevate awareness around lost apple varieties. John says, "With the work that I do around heritage apples. What I'm looking for is a variety that maybe someone introduced a 100 years ago, or 200 years ago, or even 300 years ago." John Bunker is looking at the long run that cider has had and the long future ahead. He has also inspired a new generation of apple detectives. You can find John featured on episodes, 016: Super Chilly Farm, 028: Apple Identification, 264: Grandma’s Perfect Orchard. Tom Oliver is a celebrated maker from Herefordshire who is well known for both his ciders and perry and many collaborations with other cidermakers and brewers. Tom has been featured on episodes 029 when he talks about his coveted hopped cider and episode 105 on making perry. Says Tom, “I'm a big fan of the concept of a family of cidermakers. We may all be making cider in different ways, different business models, but what we do need to do is get on with each other.” Considering that cider is still a small niche in a huge world of drinks, this advice is spot on for cidermakers worldwide. In episode 035 Danielle von Scheiner of New York City shares how she donates a portion of her ciders to charitable causes in NYC and says, “We give a little part of the "Big Apple" to anyone who drinks it [our cider].” She is putting the "BIG" back into New York City's apple love with so much of her charitable contributions and as such is an inspiration to all. I recorded episode 044 with Sebastian Lousada who lives on a mountain top in the state of Vermont. He is both licensed to make cider and to distill. I am a big fan of his "Pomme-de-Vie" an organic apple brandy. The cidery is named Flag Hill Farm and is operated fully off the grid being supported by solar panels. It is here that he has been producing cider for nearly 30 years making Flag Hill Farm one of the oldest cideries in the US.  As such he has the long view of cider over time and says, “Back then people had no idea what cider was or that it even had alcohol in it. Because of the confusion over Sweet Cider which is fresh pressed apple juice, we decided to spell our product with a “Y” and so it is spelled as “Cyder” to differentiate it from other products. On a good year we make 4000 gallons of cider. Because we only want to use apples that we have grown.” Further to the south in the state of Virginia the Shelton family run Albemarle Ciderworks & Vintage Virginia Apples. I’ve featured Chuck Shelton who is the Head Cidermaker on episodes 056 and 254. At most every cider event you will see Chuck with a bag of bottles and if you are lucky, he will slip one out and pour you a sip. The cidery makes some of the finest single varietal ciders and blends in the US. I love how Chuck sums cidermaking up by saying, “Cider happens. If you squeeze juice out of an apple and put it in a jar. As long you manage the vinegar bacteria, you're gonna make cider and its gonna make itself.” My journey in cider has taken me to France on a number of occasions. When I reached out to the French interprofessional association of cider-based controlled appellations (I.D.A.C.) for recommendations they immediately directed me to Agathe Letellier. I was headed to Normandy to interview cider producers and to plan a cider tour. When I arrived to her seaside orchard, I saw giant photos of happy cows posted out in her orchard. I knew I was in the right place! Agathe has done a wonderful job making her cidery tourist friendly. She and I shared a very long belly laugh that you can hear on episode 049, when I told her that American cidermakers sometimes add coffee to their cider. Her label is Manoir d’Apreval and is located by the scenic harbor town of Honfleur. She is the current spokesperson for Calvados in Normandy. Agathe sums up what takes place in the barrel of Calvados by saying, “We have an evolution in the bottle.” I am forever thankful that I had the opportunity to interview Jérôme Dupont (1970-2018) of Domain Dupont for episode 098 at the Normandy estate. He was an innovative cidermaker and helped to move Norman ciders out into the world market. Without a doubt he was the leading figure in promoting Calvados. He is the great grandson of Jules Dupont who bought Domaine Dupont in Pays d’Auge with Calvados in 1887 helping to move his cattle raising family into the spirits industry. Today his father Étienne Dupont runs the estate. Jérôme said, “You don’t master wild yeast. You get to know them and get to anticipate a little bit of what they will do. But you need certainly time and attention. It is much simpler to pitch selected yeast. But the complexity of the cider is due to the apple varieties and the wild yeast.” In 2020 I recorded a Calvados tasting with Jérôme’s father, Étienne, which is the featured in episode 265. Being able to taste cider with such a master crafter was undoubtedly a highlight of my career. He describes the act tasting of Calvados by saying, “You put it in your mouth, you keep it [Calvados] in your mouth and the aroma's go up.” Thanks to an introduction by Randall Grahm, I was able to meet French maker Eric Bordelet. He is considered an elusive maker whose cider and perry is often touted as some of the best in the world. He had worked many years as one of the top Sommeliers in Paris before heading back to his family’s Domaine in Normandy. He was encouraged by his late friend Didier Daganeau, who was a winemaker and well known for his Sauvignon Blanc, to become a cidermaker. That advice was spot on and today over 75% of Eric’s product is exported to sites outside of France. On episode 057 he says, “The only school for me is taste, taste, taste” which shows how he views cidermaking to being like a chef in a kitchen. In 058 he discusses why he prefers to blend apple before pressing and does not do single varietal ciders, “It is my opinion of cider to have more balance [to blend].” The cidermaking tradition in Poland dates back to the 16th century, but is only recently gearing up once again. My guest Bartosz Gałka of Poland in episode 064 says “The main point is to try, to learn, and enjoy!” Considering that the country grows a lot of apples but is now only just beginning to celebrate the fermented juice in the glass, makes this country one to put on the cider watch list! Canadian cidermaking like the US was thrown out of whack due to Prohibition. One of the key influencers of cider is County Cider based in Prince Edward County in the Canadian Province of Ontario that began selling cider in 1996. This cidery was launched by Grant Howes a formidable man considered the Grandfather of Cider in Ontario. In 2000 Jenifer Dean who had studied winemaking joined up with County Cider. Sadly, her husband Grant unexpectedly passed away in January 2017. Their tasting room has a lovely view out onto Lake Ontario and you can see the trees close by that they keep the fruit on deep into the winter so to make Ice Cider. Growing their own fruit for cider is key, with Jenifer saying, "It is a shame that cideries are not growing their own apples. You need to have a sense of what you are growing in order to make good cider." Listen to Jenifer’s interview in episode 137 Prince Edward County in Ontario has seen an uptick of cidermakers and one person in particular has been a regular guest on Cider Chat with over 10 episodes. His name is Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider. He has extensive experience in the wine industry and brings this talent to his cidermaking. Ryan specializes in barrel aging cider. He has taught many listeners of Cider Chat via episode 132 the technique known as Bâtonnage, which is stirring in the lees rather than racking them off the cider. Ryan encourages us all to “Use all your senses in the cellar”. In 2020 and then again, this year 2021, I published two separate Ask Ryan Series. The first was called the Quarantine Quad series and covered topics sent in by listeners on subjects such as American vs French oak for barrels and Maderisation, which is when barrels are intentionally left out to be ‘cooked by the heat and sun. The result is a high alcohol cider that is considered “Maderised”. In Part 4 of this series on episode 224 Ryan explained how to manage Flor or what is also commonly called “film yeast”, which can look like an oil slick on top of cider during conditioning. Though quite common it can be scary the first time you see Flor and it happens to both wine and cider. Ryan says, “Film yeast will consume oxygen which can be a good thing. But if it goes on for more than a couple of weeks you will lose aromatics. Do look out for acetobacter that is a form of film yeast and is more bubbly than other Flor, because it will eventually form vinegar.” Back in the southern state of North Carolina, cidermaking husband and wife team David and Ann Marie Thornton are showcasing a blend of their apples and local fruit in their Stargazer Series. The Prowling Peach is part of this series and is a barrel aged cider with peach juice. And the James Creek Heritage Ciders showcase their regional apples and are bottled in 750ML glass presentations! The terroir of southern apple varieties is uniquely their own. Says David, “In the South we are just starting to rediscover our cider heritage.” Listen to the Thorntons share their passion for cider in episode 179 titled South Apples. The Ross Cider Fest is a three-day festival that takes place to the west of London and has been hosted by the Johnson family for 25 years. Mike Johnson’s son Martin manages the magnificent Yew Tree Pub and son Albert works alongside Mike and cidermaker John Edwards producing upwards to 90 ciders, many of which have one or two choice apples and some very fine single varietal ciders and perries. I was able to camp out in the orchard in 2019 along with a many other people who attended the cider fest. I interviewed Mike and Albert in episode 194. I admire all these men for their love of cider, their quality product and their honest and no-nonsense view on cider. Says Mike, “It depends why are you into cidermaking - if you just want to make something sweet and fizzy and sell as much as possible that’s a different argument. Maybe… But if you are really interested in the apples you have to get to know them. And it is fun”. John Edwards whose full name is John Michael Leslie Edwards is also known as John the Cidermaker. In addition to helping the Johnson family he also has his own cider label called “Fly Be Night”. He says, “The most important thing is to eliminate hurry. With cidermaking you have to be patient.” Eliminating hurry is likely one of the most poetic ways to describe cider that I have heard of to date. Besides excellent cider his labels are also poetic and to the point reading, “Look close into the label and you will see, words of wisdom, fun and mischievous glee! …There are no surprises, just a straight up fact – this cider contains – 0% Shit”. You can hear John’s story in episode 192. In episode 198 I had the honor of interviewing Cornell University Pomologist Gregory M. Peck PhD. He has been a Professor of Pomology at Cornell, since 2015 and is helping to usher in the pomologist of the future. Needless to say, he has a wide view on cider both in the US and internationally which is why when he says, “The cider industry is going to grow very rapidly.” I listen. There are a number of cideries in what is known as the Finger Lakes region of New York state. I did a FAM tour of this area and was impressed by the people and their products. When I interviewed Garrett Miller of the Finger Lakes Ciderhouse and asked why he became a farmer and then cidermaker his reply was straightforward and familiar. He said, “It looked like a really enjoyable way to spend a life.” After spending the afternoon at this booming cider house that is complete with an onsite restaurant, and a large farm called the Good Life Farm there is no doubt that Garrett’s words ring true. I interview him in episode 203. Back in my home state of Massachusetts is what many call an “Orchard Museum”. This orchard is located at New Salem Cider and has been cared for by the same pruner for the past 30 years. The orchard has a bonsai sensibility with the apple tree’s water sprouts turned into “Apple Pretzels” and many 100-year-old trees everywhere. The gentle woman farmer who brought this colonial era farm back to life nearly 50 years ago is Carol B. Hillman. She is ninety+ years young and has hosted a harvest fest for the past 20 years at her Cider Mill. I interviewed Carol in episode 192 titled “Cider Revitalizes a 1750 Colonial Orchard”. In this episode Carol told the story of how she chased a hunter out of her apple tree and brought back this old colonial homestead. Her original sights were on the house, but then she turned her sights on the abandoned orchard to bring it back to full glory saying, “Without apple trees we are nothing.” And thanks to the apple trees we have something that is essentially a time capsule of a fall harvest season. Cider may be bubbly or still and sometime a mix of apples or one specific variety. Some makers add other fruit or spices to their cider, but one thing is certain, “We All Love Cider”! Mentions in this Chat Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box of cider, give cider as a gift that keeps giving! Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube    

Who is Cider Scene? Identical twins Trevor and Nolan O'Malley launched Cider Scene in 2016. They describe it as not quite a publication, but more of a "focused blog", marketing company, and a little bit of a publication. Cider Scene is designed for the average drinkers who like a little bit of everything. Nolan and Trevor It all began with a winning ticket The O'Malley's entered a contest to win tickets to CiderStock a summer cider and music festival hosted by Woodchuck Cider Company in Vermont. Thus began the deep dive into cider and also propelled them to start their cider news blog. Cider Scene Publishing Schedule and Topics Subscribe to get the Tuesday and Thursday postings of Cider Scene in your mailbox. Sign up for Cider Scene's biweekly newsletter by going to the site and signing up. Find profiles of cidermakers Travel tips Cider Reviews Pairing cider with food Cider Cocktails Contact for Cider Scene website: https://www.ciderscene.com/ Mentions in this Chat Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box of cider, give cider as a gift that keeps giving! Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube    

Who is Cidercraft Magazine Cidercraft Magazine was launched in 2014 and provides a wide array of articles on the topic of cider. Kristin Ackerman Bacon the Founder of Cidercraft is not a newbie to the publishing world having worked in the field for 20 years and this magazine is not her only publication. She along with her sister Melissa Ackerman Miller, started SIP Magazine which is geared towards wine enthusiasts in 2010. Kristin credits James Coan of Wandering Aengus Cider (Oregon) who at the time was also the President of the United States Association of Cider Makers (now known as the American Cider Association) for encouraging her to start Cidercraft. Kristin Ackerman Bacon Cidercraft today Initially Cidercraft had 2 print issues per year. Today there is one hard copy issue sent out in January and 4 digital issues per year. The January issue is meant to coincide with the ACA's annual trade conference CiderCon which is held in late January or early February each year. Who is the Audience? Unlike SIP which is 100% focused on wine lovers, Cidercraft is a blend of news for both cider fans and commerical makers or those in the trade. This stat alone is telling for the state of cider currently as the audience for all of the media outlets find themselves balancing articles and stories to a mix audience as this niche market continues to grow. What to expect in each issue of Cidercraft? Find profiles of cidermakers Travel tips Cider Reviews and Recommendations - Along with a buying guide! Pairing cider with food Cider Cocktails Cider Competition This annual competition is led by the team at Cidercraft, with the January issue focusing on select winners offering a ton of recommendations for readers. Contact for Cidercraft Magazine website: https://cidercraftmag.com/ Mentions in this Chat Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box of cider, give cider as a gift that keeps giving! Wandering Aengus Cider Zydeco Meadery A new shirt design at Cider Chat's Teepublic store - Save Orchards Drink Cider Wear this on your shirt! Save Orchards Drink Cider Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Who is Cider Culture Mary Bigham Owner and Publisher of Dishworks LLC, founded Cider Culture in 2014 which is an online publication that has weekly cider news post for newbie cider fans to commercial makers. Mary is a Pennsylvanian who also happens to live in the largest apple growing region of the state, Adams County. Cider Culture is her passion project and having recently partnered with the American Cider Association (ACA), a US based trade organization, all proceeds once bills are paid go directly to the ACA. [caption id="attachment_6369" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Mary Bigham Emily Kovach is the Editor of Cider Culture and also has been living in Pennsylvania since 2004. Along with her work as editor she is also the co-owner of Lunar Inn and Tiny Bottle Shop in Philadelphia. [caption id="attachment_6368" align="aligncenter" width="214"] Emily Kovach What's offered in this online Cider News Cider News Cider Cocktails Recipes Meet the Cidermakers Cider Education Cider Reviews In this episode We discuss: Cider's audience? What does it mean to be the Official Publication of the American Cider Association What does Cider Culture offer Do you need to subscribe? Tips for producers wanting to get their ciders in the news Contact for Cider Culture website: https://www.ciderculture.com/ Mentions in this Chat Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box with cider from Art + Science and more! A new shirt design at Cider Chat's Teepublic store - Save Orchards Drink Cider [caption id="attachment_6371" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wear this on your shirt! Save Orchards Drink Cider[/caption] Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Cider Fueled Road Trip Day 1 We begin the road trip in New York state on the west side of the Hudson River at Stone Ridge Orchards one of the three farms that is under the umbrella of Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider. The other two orchards are Breezy Hill, on the east side of the Hudson River and Drumlin located in Milton, NY, on the west side of the Hudson River. I first meet Ted Knight at the Stone Ridge farm shop, who shows me a beautiful view of Stone Ridge Orchards and then I am off with Elizabeth Ryan, a Cornell trained Pomologist and a champion of orchards and farms in the region along with being a cidermaker and so much more via her business Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider. Ria in the Cider Mobile[/caption] Road Trip Day 2 On ward to Pennsylvania with a stop at Spacetime Mead and Cider Works located in Dunmore. I was so happy to finally have a chat, taste some cheese and tour his front storefront and the backroom cidery with Dan Schreffler That evening I camped in my  Cider Mobile and was able to enjoy the fireflies that danced around the campground. Road Trip Day 3 It was a 2+ hour drive to Big Hill Ciderworks in Gardener's Pennsylvannia in Adams County the premier apple growing region for the state. I first met with Ben Kishbaugh who along with Troy Lehman fun Big Hill. Both own their own farms, with Ben's housing the production room for Big Hill and Troy having the new Tasting Room complete with outdoor and indoor seating. Ben took me for a ride around the two farm orchards and then I had a sit down recording with both he and Troy. Later that evening more cider friends showed up for a special event spearheaded by cider enthusiast Erica Jeter. She had set us all up, with a tasting for 5 UK ciders from 5 different producers all working with the same juice. It was magnificent. Road Trip Day 4 From Big Hill I woke up and took off for a 2+ hour drive to Tattiebolge CiderWorks in Acme to meet up with Curt Henry. Curt is cidermaker and works with his two brothers and the rest of his family at this spectacularly situated cidery overlooking the lower land region of Latrobe in the distance. Road Trip Day 5 From Tattiebolge I returned back to Adams County that night and camped at Pine Hill Grove Furnace State Park. On the morning of Day 5 I took the back roads through the state park to Ploughman Cider. Ben Wenk who along with cidermaker Edwin Winzeler are the backbone of Ploughman, but as Edwin was away and Ben was a bit late due to a farmer's market run, I was thrilled to have a sit down with Ben's father and get teh history of the Wenk's family farm. Notably,  the Wenks have been in this area for over 100 years making the Three Spring Farms where Ploughman is located is a designated Centennial Farm of America. From Ploughman, I headed back to New York for my last stop on this trip to Westwind Orchard to meet cidermaker Fabio Chizzola. Before getting fully bit by the cidermaking bug, Fabio had turned the abandoned orchard into a U-Pick business and also a foodie destination complete with a full Italian menu and espresso bar. There is ample outdoor seating in a beautiful setting just waiting for you to stop by! Stay tuned for stand alone episodes with each of these makers that I met on this amazing cider road trip, my first since the world closed back in March 2020. I hope this snippet of my road trip, encourages you to take one too even if it is only around your own special spot of Ciderville. Mentions in the Chat: Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Try the elevated box with cider from Art + Science and more! Save Orchards Drink Perry at Teepublic Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Grab the slippers, the house is on fire! In February of 2021, Nicole and Felix Todd had a chimney fire at the their home and the damage done made it unlivable. Having a fire even in the best of times is an ordeal, but during a pandemic is a whole other ball of wax. Felix ran out of the house in his socks, because fires are that scary and when it is raining embers you don't have time to lace up your boots. Which is why he ended up wearing a pair of slippers that evening after the Cal Firefighters brought him a choice of Nicole's Doc Martens (boots) and her fuzzy slippers. Later they learned that was a bit of firefighter humor. But that is only part of the story for this endearing couple. I first met the Todds back in 2015 when I record episode 60 featuring the cidery that Nicole and her sister Natalie founded called Santa Cruz Cider Company. Today, the cidery has a Tasting Room located 1 minute from Highway 1, which is the coastal route that stretches along the coast. It is open Friday, Saturdays and Sundays and they also have a booth at the Farmer's Market held in downtown Santa Cruz every Wednesday from 1-6pm. Getting Back to the Slippers This recording took place at a campsite where the Todds have plans to build their new home. This new site came about because after the fire they had moved into a camper/trailer but luck threw them another left turn when high winds caused damage to that temporary home. They temporarily move in with sister Natalie but had their sites on some land not too far from the cidery. Around the Campfire with no Slippers but lots of cider During this recording we discuss a spontaneously Keeved Cider from juice offered up from a neglected orchard in the area. The apples are the variety known as Gravenstein and being that the orchard had little nutrients is considered why the juice then keeved. This is a limited release cider that they bottled in 500 ml glass and have on tap at the Tasting Room. [caption id="attachment_6341" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Santa Cruz Cider Co. Keeved Cider label - look for the Gravenstein with Green![/caption] Listen to episode 26 as Neil Worley explains Keeved Cider Contact for Santa Cruz Cider Company Website: santacruzciderco.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/santacruzciderco/ eMail: natalie@santacruzciderco.com nicole@santacruzciderco.com Mentions in this Chat Mentions in this Chat Northwest Cider Club - cider from the Pacific Northwest shipped directly to YOU! Totally Cider Tours Cider Chat Road Trip 2021 - follow along on Cider Chat social media links Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast

An Apology? By a Cider Judge Busted! I am the cider judge who has been holding onto a memory from nearly 20 years ago. At that time there were very few commercial makers of cider and in turn there were very few entries into competitions. The apology stems from my time back then when I was one of the rare cider judges here in the states, thinking I knew something about cider. Looking back now I keep repeating the same phrase - "I wish I knew then, What I know now... about cider." The competition was called the Great International Beer & Cider Competition, but honestly I don't think cider was even included in the name in 2003 or 2004.  Despite that, we had three ciders to judge and likely 300+ beers. Why an Apology? Up to that point I had only tasted cider made here in the states. Despite having 10 years of experience with cider, I had no idea what a Normandy apple or cider tasted like. UK ciders were definitely not a thing in the US and are only recently becoming more available. It is only more recently that I had the pleasure of traveling to Asturias and experiencing Sidra. This has led me to believe that: A cider judge needs to not only drink a lot of cider, but also travel to the location where it is made to taste both the cider and the juice from which that cider is made. It is all about the Juice! The Billionaire's Apology For years I knew that I had misjudged that cider back in the early 2000s and that became even more acutely true for me as I began to travel to Europe and taste the makers products at the site where they are made. Thus, when I got the opportunity to talk to the man who owned the brand "Hard Core" and to absolve myself from that misjudging I jumped at the chance. Hard Core was launched  in 1997 and lasted up to 2011. It was under the umbrella of the Boston Beer Company which was founded by Jim Koch in 1984. I met Jim Koch this past June of 2021 and took that opportunity to apologize. Once down, I felt an immense about of relief, because I know that a cidery really relies on the words of judges, especially at a time when there were so few cideries. But I won't say that it didn't feel totally great, especially when he told me that they were importing French and Italian apples for the Hard Core brand. That news compounded the sense of my misjudging even further again...if I knew then what I knew now I know I would have judged that cider differently. Lesson learned from the Apology Cider judges need to travel more to the producers or regions where the product is made. Taste the juice of a single varietal apple or a blend - get to know the difference of that apple being grown in one region vs another. Once you have tasted the juice then taste the cider. This step will help the judge fully realize the full potential of where the cider came from and where it can go. It will open nuances that would otherwise not be detected. All makers should offer juice at their cideries! Mentions in this chat Lee Reeve of InCiderJapan  reads from the 2021 summer issue a feature on Shiwa Cidery  Northwest Cider Club - place an order for the fall cider box today! Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Gone Fishing Ok, so maybe I'm not full on fishing this week, but if I get a chance you know where I will be - out on the water with my fishing pole...actually the heat is so high this week that maybe I will just take a floaty and leave the pole home. Cider Chat will return with another mini episode on July 7th. Find out in this episode what I have been doing since episode 277 and where we will be going next! Meanwhile down by the Fishing Hole There are nearly 300 episodes for your listening pleasure at the Cider Chat archive pages https://ciderchat.com/podcast/ Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube