This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England’s evolving cider identity.
Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop, Maine, Absolem Cider Company is a cidery that expresses place, heritage apples, and hospitality.
In this episode, Ria sits down with cider maker Zach Kaiser to explore how Absolem blends traditional inspiration with modern experimentation. From wild-foraged apples and native fermentations to wine-inspired co-ferments and Basque-style pours, Zach shares how Maine’s apple history is shaping a new generation of New England cider.
The conversation also looks ahead to orchard plantings, farm experiences, and the newly forming New England Cider Association, a regional effort to unite cider makers and strengthen cider’s voice across the Northeast.
🍎 In This Episode
- Building a cidery inside an 1800s barn in Winthrop, Maine
- Transitioning from craft beer into traditional cider
- Influence of Basque, Asturian, and European cider culture
- Native yeast fermentation and house yeast cultivation
- Co-ferments with Maine grapes (wine + cider crossover)
- Working with wild apples and grafting found varieties
- Charmat sparkling vs still cider approaches
- Barrel aging, foeders, amphora, and malolactic fermentation
- Creating a year-round cider destination in rural Maine
- Hospitality as a gateway to cider appreciation
- Formation of the New England Cider Association
🍾 Featured Ciders Mentioned
- Roses Red – cider blended with Marquette grapes
- White Lotus – cider and white wine co-ferment
- Float Away – New England farmhouse cider blend
- WEND – wild-foraged apple cider aged in neutral oak
- Atlantica – Sidra-inspired foeder-aged cider
- Altamira – Basque-style expression using Newtown Pippin
- Bembel & Stein – German-inspired stainless vs oak expressions
🌎 About Absolem Cider Company
Absolem Cider Company operates from a renovated 19th-century barn on a working farm in Maine’s Lakes Region. Open year-round, the cidery combines orchard development, traditional techniques, and experimental fermentation to create ciders rooted in regional fruit and global inspiration. 492 Zach main chat
Visitors experience more than a tasting room — concerts, seasonal releases, and farm hospitality make it a destination stop for locals and travelers alike.
Contact info for Absolem Cider Company
- Website:https://absolemcider.com
- Location: Winthrop, Maine — about one hour north of Portland in Maine’s Lakes Region.
- Tasting Room: Open year-round (Wednesday–Sunday)
- Distribution: Available throughout Maine and expanding across New England
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/absolemcider
Mentions in this Cider Chat
- New England Cider Association
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Workshops
- March 7 — Apple Tree Pruning Workshops. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Multiple locations. Free. Learn to prune apple trees. Registration
- March 21 — Apple Tree Pruning Workshop. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. Patten, Maine. Free. Learn to prune apple trees. Registration
- March 21— Bringing Back an Old Orchard. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Multiple locations. Free. Learn to prune old apple trees. Registration
- March 29 — Seed Swap & Scion Exchange. Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Free. Unity, Maine. Bring your seeds, scionwood, and cuttings to share. More information
- Chalky’s Cider | UK
- Totally Cider Tours
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