Why Breweries Are Making Cider
Ria, Cider Chat MC, sat down with the owners of Element Brewing Company Dan Kramer and Ben Anhalt and asked the question that is quietly reshaping an industry: Why are breweries making cider now?
The answer came fast: survival, curiosity, and opportunity.
“Most breweries probably see cider as a way to let them continue making beer.”
A Natural Expansion, Not a Pivot
This was not a sudden shift for Element. It is part of a longer story.
- 2009: Element opens as a brewery
- 2016: Distilling begins
- 2025: Cider enters the lineup
They do not call it a pivot. They call it an expansion.
The Business Reality
The bigger picture is hard to ignore. Beer is changing. Drinkers are changing. Tasting rooms are changing.
For breweries, cider offers:
- A gluten-free option
- A new reason for customers to visit
- Another way to stay relevant
- A product that can sit beside beer and spirits
But Cider Is Not Beer
This was the strongest takeaway from the conversation.
“Don’t just make apple beer. Try to make good cider.”
Element is approaching cider through fermentation, not shortcuts. Their first cider is dry, botanical, and balanced, with apple still leading the way.
That matters. If ginger, juniper, or any other addition takes over, then the cider loses its center.
What Comes Next
Element is leaning into small batch experimentation. The plan is to work with local juice, try different yeasts, and ferment the same base in multiple ways.
- Small batch cider trials
- Local apple sourcing from Western Massachusetts
- Lower ABV, easy-drinking styles
- More learning through fermentation
Final Take
Cider is not replacing beer.
For breweries like Element, cider may be one way to keep brewing beer while meeting drinkers where they are now.
And that is where this conversation gets interesting.
Contact info for Element
- Website: https://elementbeer.com
Mentions in this Cider Chat
- Grand Rapids Michigan – GLINTCAP
- Totally Cider Tours to France September 2026
You must be logged in to post a comment.