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 gates.
“We had no idea what would come next,” Shapiro recalled. “But we did have the sense that we could be on to something.”
Fifteen years later, that cautious optimism has grown into one of America’s longest-running cider festivals, an event that has introduced hundreds of thousands of consumers to cider while growing alongside the modern American cider renaissance.
This September, Cider Summit Seattle celebrates its 15th anniversary with more than 125 beverages from over 40 producers, marking an important milestone not only for the festival itself but also for the cider category it has helped champion.
Growing Up Together
Shapiro’s own journey into cider began unexpectedly. A craft beer industry veteran who got his start as one of the first sales representatives for Pete’s Brewing Company, he later imported Aspall Cyder from Suffolk, England. The turning point came during a visit to Aspall’s cidery, an experience he described during my 2017 Cider Chat interview as a “Wow Moment,” realizing that cider had far more to offer than most drinkers assumed. (Listen to the original 2017 interview here.)
Looking back at that conversation nearly a decade later, what strikes me is how consistent Shapiro’s mission has remained. From the beginning, Cider Summit wasn’t simply about pouring cider. It was about introducing people to the breadth and diversity of the category.
“At its core, the festival hasn’t changed that much,” he said. “It has always been about providing a large-scale sampling opportunity of various cider styles and geographic representations.”
What has changed is the audience.
“In the early days many were trying cider, or at least a wide array of cider styles, for the first time. Now we have a much higher percentage of attendees that are cider lovers.”
As cider has matured as a beverage category, so have its consumers. Today’s festival-goers arrive with greater knowledge and curiosity, even if most are still focused on discovering new favorites rather than debating apple varieties or orchard management.
More Than a Festival
Measuring Cider Summit by attendance alone misses its larger impact. Over 15 years, the festival has helped launch businesses, careers, and lifelong cider enthusiasts.
Shapiro says one of his greatest rewards has been hearing from cidermakers who first discovered the industry as festival attendees before eventually launching their own businesses.
“It’s been very gratifying over the years to hear from cidermakers that got into the category based on having attended one of our earliest festivals,” he said. “That’s also true for other industry professionals who had a passing interest in cider but made it their career choice after attending a festival.”
More than one million samples served
That number represents far more than tastings. It represents countless first impressions, new discoveries, and opportunities for consumers to connect directly with cider makers.
For emerging cideries, the festival has often become more than a weekend of pouring samples.
“It has been gratifying to hear from small and emerging companies that our festival served as a launchpad,” Shapiro said.
Beyond consumer exposure, festivals create opportunities for producers to connect with retailers, distributors, media, and buyers who can help expand their reach long after the event ends.
The Category Keeps Evolving
Shapiro has watched the American cider landscape transform dramatically over the past decade and a half.
One encouraging development has been cider’s increased visibility.
“I’m pleased by much wider category availability both geographically and in the number and types of on and off premise accounts that now carry cider among their regular beverage options.”
Yet he also acknowledges challenges remain.
When we spoke in 2017, Shapiro hoped premium cider would continue gaining traction with consumers. While today’s marketplace offers an impressive diversity of products and styles, he believes that part of the category has developed more slowly than he expected.
Meanwhile, Cider Summit continues evolving alongside the industry. Every year brings new producers eager to introduce themselves to consumers, while established brands debut fresh releases to keep longtime attendees engaged. The festival has also experimented with complementary beverages such as mead and fruit spirits to broaden the tasting experience.
Weathering Every Storm
Producing nearly 50 festivals over 15 years has generated no shortage of memorable moments.
Shapiro laughs about power outages, an unexpected sprinkler system soaking the festival grounds, swarms of bees and wasps, Wi-Fi failures that stalled ticket scanning, and drive-through festivals held during both wildfire smoke and 113-degree heat.
There have also been moments of celebration, including a marriage proposal during one festival and the satisfaction of filling Chicago’s Navy Pier Grand Ballroom with cider enthusiasts.
One memory, however, carries particular significance.
Following the unexpected passing of founding partner Matt Younts shortly after the 2024 Seattle festival, the Cider Summit team has continued to honor him before every event.
Shapiro says the team still draws tremendous satisfaction from producing an event that means something to the cider community.
“We also love producing it as a tribute to our partner, Matt Younts,” he said. Each pre-opening toast offers the team an opportunity to remember the friend and colleague who helped build Cider Summit from the beginning.
Looking Ahead
Like many live events, cider festivals have faced new realities since the pandemic. Shapiro notes that even iconic festivals outside the cider world have struggled, pointing to the closure of the Oregon Brewers Festival after decades of success.
That makes every Cider Summit an exercise in continual evaluation and innovation.
“Cider has made great strides over the last 10 to 15 years and is firmly established,” he said. “Products and innovations that bring people to the category will be critical.”
Fifteen years after that first chaotic festival in Seattle, Cider Summit continues to do what it has always done best: bring people together around cider, one tasting glass at a time.
Seattle’s 15th Anniversary Cider Summit takes place September 11 and 12, 2026, returning to South Lake Union with more than 125 ciders, meads, cider cocktails, and fruit spirits from over 40 producers.
Why This Matters to Ciderville
Cider Summit has grown alongside the modern American cider renaissance. Over the past 15 years, it has introduced hundreds of thousands of consumers to cider, helped launch emerging brands, and fostered connections between makers, retailers, and drinkers.
Perhaps its greatest legacy is not measured in attendance or tasting tickets, but in the people who discovered cider there for the first time. Some became lifelong enthusiasts. Others became cidermakers. Together, they helped build the vibrant cider community we know today.
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