By Ria Windcaller | eCiderNews When Alan Shapiro co-founded the first Cider Summit in Seattle in 2010, he wasn’t sure anyone would show up. His small team scrambled to assemble about 40 ciders from roughly a dozen producers, navigating permits, licensing, and the countless logistics of a first-time event. Nearly 500 people walked through the … Read more
A series of recent taproom closures raises new questions about how successful cider businesses evolve. Within the past year, several established cider producers have closed taprooms while continuing to produce and distribute cider. Each decision reflects a different set of circumstances, but together they raise an important question about the future of the cider business. … Read more
Still cider may surprise drinkers expecting a lively fizz, but for many of the world’s most respected cider makers, the absence of bubbles is a deliberate choice rather than a flaw. From New York to England and Latvia, cider makers say removing carbonation allows the fruit, tannins, and craftsmanship to take center stage, offering one … Read more
After earning USDA Organic certification in June, North Carolina’s Kordick Family Farm is offering a firsthand look at what organic certification really means for orchardists and cider makers—from record keeping and regulations to the difference between growing organic apples and producing certified organic cider. WESTFIELD, North Carolina — Kordick Family Farm has become one of … Read more
This article is an update to eCiderNews’ June 2026 coverage of the European Commission’s proposed EU cider standards. One month after eCiderNews first reported on the European Commission’s proposed cider marketing standards in “Who Gets to Define Cider? EU Draft Heads to National Representatives” ahead of the June 9 meeting, the debate has expanded well … Read more
“Should cider makers be able to tell consumers which harvest year produced the apples in the bottle?” A legal challenge to federal vintage-labeling rules for cider and fruit wine is moving forward despite a recent court setback. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a Washington winery’s lawsuit challenging Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau … Read more
World Cider Day which is held annually on June 3rd came and went on, but don’t worry if it slipped past your radar. Unlike many beverage celebrations that arrive and disappear in a flash, cider’s summer calendar is packed with festivals, competitions, tastings, and traditions that stretch from June into autumn. In fact, some of … Read more
In October 2024, Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller recorded with Tom Vowles of Hedger Cider and Ben Crossman in Somerset. Initially, the two recordings felt like separate brand stories. Then, nearly a year later to the day as the produciton of this audio began and the transcript peeled away a story of entwined history came … Read more
Ever wonder what it’s like to step into a cidermaker’s barrel room and taste your way through fermentations in progress? In this exclusive Patreon bonus episode, Cider Chat takes you straight to the heart of 1000 Stone Farm in Brookfield, Vermont, where cidermaker Kyle Doda opens barrel after barrel of his small-batch, thoughtful ciders. In … Read more
Wild Child Cellars is a new cidery startup based in western Massachusetts. This cidery in progress is located in Turners Falls a town flanked by the Connecticut River to the west and a canal that had powered massive paper mills. In between the river and canal is an area called the “Patch”. Multi family homes … Read more
© 2026 Cider Chat