044: Sebastian Lousada | Flag Hill Farm Organic Cider, VT

Meet Sebastian Lousada

Flag Hill Farm makers of what they call Vermont Organic Hard Cider, is fully off the grid, certified organic, and producers of both cider and Pomme-de-vie AND I bet you haven’t heard of it! So Grab a Glass and Join in Chat with the cider maker, Sebastian Lousada as we discuss his journey to cider and the products he makes today!

Flag Hill is an OG in the US Cider Market

Sebastian originally hails from the UK, but he has been making cider before 1984. Back then he planted 50 standard trees the first year, wanting to just have some apples. As he and his family were living on top of Flag Hill, a high mountain location, they decided to plant 100 more trees in 1989. Being certified organic encouraged he and his wife Sabra Ewing to begin selling cider.

Episode 44 feature Sebastian Lousada
Sebastian Lousada

In 1996, Flag Hill Farm became bonded as a winery. Sebastian mentions that back then people had no idea what cider was or that it even had alcohol in it. Thus they decided to spell their product as Cyder, with a “Y” to differentiate it from other products.

Flag Hill’s ciders are available in VT, MA and throughout New England.

“On a good year we make 4000 gallons of cider. Because we only want to use apples that we have grown.”

Flag Hill Farm’s Cider

  • Sapsucker – named a Belgian Beer Style 9%
  • Vermont Still Cyder 8.5%
  • Vermont Sparkling Cider 9.5%

Pomme-de-Vie, Flag Hill Farm’s was inspired by the French apple brandy Calvados.

044 The distillation room for Flag Hill's Pomme-de-vie
The distillation room for Flag Hill’s Pomme-de-vie

Contact info for Flag Hill Farm

044 Sebastian Lousada at Flag Hill Farm orchard hill top
Sebastian Lousada at Flag Hill Farm orchard hill top

Mentions in this Cider Chat

  • Annie Proulx author of Cider: Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider, 3rd Edition
    • Lew Nichols co authored the above book with Annie Proulx.
  • Julian Temperley Sebastian visited in the UK

 


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