7th Annual Portland International Cider Cup Announces 2019 Winners

June 21, 2019

Portland, OR – The competition was fierce, the decisions are in, and the winners are delicious! Eight lucky Pacific Northwest cideries took home fourteen gold medals at the Northwest Cider Association‘s 7th Annual Portland International Cider Cup (PICC) awards tonight. 2 Towns Ciderhouse won the competition’s highest honor and the Cup—the Best of Show Award.

At a joyous party at Ecotrust in NW Portland, over 100 cidermakers and industry supporters came together to celebrate the best ciders crafted in the Pacific Northwest, a region that is home to a quarter of the country’s cidermakers and boasts residents who drink more cider (per capita) than anywhere else in the United States.

“We’re honored and excited to win the Best In Show award,” said 2 Towns Ciderhouse’s chief cidermaker, Dave Takush. “The Portland International Cider Cup is a prestigious award in one of the strongest cider regions in the country. It means so much to us that our vision of craft cider has resonated with our community. We owe a big thanks to our team for their hard work, our growers for producing the highest quality fruit and to our industry peers for laboring every day to elevate the quality and excellence of Pacific Northwest cider.”

The competition itself was tight. Hosted at Square Mile Cider on April 7, this year’s PICC saw so many submissions that it grew exponentially, entering almost 190 competition ciders from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Ciders were evaluated by 60 experienced industry judges.

Within the twenty four categories sampled, judges found ciders in only fourteen categories worthy of gold medals:

  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Oregon: Best of Show for 8th Anniversary (Heritage Dry), and  gold medal for Strawberry Haze (Fruit-Other),
  • Bauman’s Cider, Oregon: Loganberry (Fruit-Cane), Peach Raspberry (Fruit-Stone), Stephen’s Sweet (Modern Sweet), and Old Mule (Spiced),
  • Independent Cider, Washington: Sno Gem Dry (Modern Perry)
  • Liberty Ciderworks, Washington:  Lafayette (French), Kingston Black SV (Single Varietal Bittersweet/Bittersharp)
  • Runcible Cider, Oregon: Hop Ya’ll (Hopped)
  • Snowdrift Cider Co., Washington: Red (Specialty), Cornice (Wood/Oaked)
  • Swift Cider, Oregon: Original Hard Apple (Modern Dry Cider)
  • Tieton, Washington: Lavender Honey Cider (Botanical)

These fourteen ciders went on to compete in the Best of Show round, in which the head judges from each round found the 2 Towns 8th Anniversary to be the best of the best.

Independent Cider (Dryden, WA) won the the Best New Cidery award, which carried with it a $500 prize. Awards were given to Snowdrift Cider Co. (Wenatchee, WA) and Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) who tied for Small Cidery of the year and Runner Up for the Cup, Bauman’s Cider (Portland, OR) won Medium Cidery of the Year and 2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis, OR) again won Large Cidery of the year. The full list of medalists and past cup winners can be viewed here.

“The goal of this competition is to up the game for cidermaking in the Northwest as a whole,” says Emily Ritchie, executive director of the Northwest Cider Association. “Cidermakers get the chance to taste their fellow makers’ best work and be evaluated by well-trained, knowledgeable judges – and they love it! We have more competitors than ever before. When you see a PICC gold medal on the grocery shelves, you know it’s the best.”

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Regional Cider Trade Association Invests in Increasing Demand and Quality in an Accelerating Industry

January 15, 2019

NWCA releases annual report amidst 30% annual cider industry growth

The Northwest Cider Association (NWCA), proudly announces the release of their first annual report. This 2018 summary of the work and accomplishments details how almost 100 cidermaker members working together can accelerate the establishment of a new regional industry.

 

“The report really tells the story of our region and shows what we’re accomplishing together,” says NWCA’s Executive Director Emily Ritchie. “By collectively investing minimal resources, we have been able to increase the awareness, reach, and quality of Northwest ciders as evidenced by a 30% growth in sales.”

 

Increasing Demand:

In 2018, NWCA raised the bar on trade education in order to create more demand for the great ciders being made in the northwest. They held 5 trade tastings for 160 media and influencers such as distributors, restaurateurs, and writers to taste local cider and meet the makers. Media attention and events in 4 regional cider weeks reached 340,000 consumers last year.

Increasing Quality:

NWCA continued their emphasis on northwest cider as a premium product and one that has a reputation for quality. They increased the amount of professionally trained cider judges to give feedback during their strict cider competition called the Portland International Cider Cup. Additionally, they continued emphasis on education for regional makers, particularly on keeving cider, an old-world technique to naturally ferment a cider to a semi-sweet result without having to back-sweeten.

The report details statistics such as the 31 million pounds of fruit grown for cider, the $238,000 donated to good causes, and the number of members who have their own orchard. “I think that the contents of this report demonstrate a simple truth: this is a great time to be a part of the NW Cider Industry,” says NWCA Board President Eric Jorgensen, co-owner of Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Washington.

 

The full report can be found here.

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About the NWCA:

NWCA’s mission is to raise the PNW cider industry from a niche market into mainstream. Collectively they work to increase demand for cider while constantly increasing the quality of cider made within the region. NWCA’s members can be found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

A Weeklong Celebration of Montana Cider September 28 – October 7 2018!

September 18, 2018

A Week-long Celebration of Montana Cider

Back for its third year, Montana Cider Week will celebrate the craft of hard cider with events across Montana from September 29th through October 7th. Take part in over 30 events across Montana. The week will include cider tastings, parties, cider dinners, orchard tours, tap takeovers, a Cider Professional Certification class at Western Cider, and more. This follows last year’s Montana Cider Week where over 4,000 Montanans participated in celebrating the state’s growing craft cider industry.

This year, the week kicks off with the Bigfork Cider Festival on Saturday the 29th. Throughout the week, participants will have the opportunity to taste award-winning ciders from Montana makers including Western Cider, Montana CiderWorks, Lockhorn Hard Cider, BetterRoot Cider, and Backroad Cider at participating tasting rooms, bars, and restaurants across the state.

The final weekend will include Liquid Apple Night in the Bitterroot Valley where Montana cideries will pour in support of the Ravalli County Museum, as well as the chance to visit some of the orchards where the apples are grown.

For more information about Montana Cider Week and event details, visit @MTCiderWeek on Facebook.

Contact:

Jon Clarenbach

jon@westerncider.com

Matthew LaRubbio

matt@westerncider.com

Portland Cider Co. to Participate in Washington Cider Week Events

August 29, 2018

The Northwest Cider Assn.’s eighth annual Washington Cider Week, an 11-day craft cider celebration, will take place Sept. 6 through Sept. 16 at locations throughout the state. Although not located in Washington, Portland Cider Co. distributes all of its bottled ciders and many of its draft products throughout the state and will participate in a number of highlight events, including:

Snakebite Showdown at Hellbent Brewing Co., Sept. 9 through Sept. 16
Snakebites are a popular English refreshment that blends equal parts beer and cider. Portland Cider Co. will join Elemental Cider, Locust Cider, and Seattle Cider, each featuring a cider on tap that will be paired with a Hellbent Brewing beer. Portland Cider will be competing with Hop’n’Oatrageous, a blend of Portland Cider’s Hop’rageous­­ – a balanced dry cider infused with fragrant Citra hops and bitter orange peel – blended with Hellbent’s Hop & Oats beer.

Cocktail Night at Schilling Cider House, Sept. 12 (6pm to 9pm)
Portland Cider will be pouring its Sangria Cider, Mojito Cider, and a Greyhound Cider, while offering stickers, coasters and conversation. Sangria Cider is a year-round fruit cider that blends the delicious juices of orange, strawberry, pear, passion fruit, elderberry, and lime; it’s fruit punch, for grown-ups! Mojito Cider is a limited release fruit cider featuring hand-muddled Oregon mint and juice from whole limes. Greyhound Cider is also a limited release herbal cider, featuring fresh grapefruit juice infused with gin botanicals from Trail Distilling in Oregon City.

Schilling Cider House Pentathlon, Sept. 15 (12pm to 4 pm)
Five cideries, including Portland Cider Co., challenge the public to complete in leisure skill events for fame and glory.

9th annual Cider Summit Seattle, Sept. 7 and Sept. 8
The ninth annual Cider Summit Seattle will take place at South Lake Union Discovery Center Lawn, 101 Westlake Ave. N. The event will feature over 150 ciders, including Portland Cider Co.’s Hop’rageous, Sangria, and Pumpkin Spice ciders. The cidery will also be taking part in the Oregon Fruit Products and Enartis Fruit & Oak Cider Challenge, featuring pilot batch fruit and oaked ciders from participating cideries with a consumer vote to determine the champion. Portland Cider will be serving a marionberry and rhubarb cider with oaked gin botanicals and black currants.

Learn more at WashingtonCiderWeek.org. For more information, visit PortlandCider.com and follow @PortlandCider on social media.

About Portland Cider Company
Portland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. It has two taproom locations: Portland Cider House at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; and Portland Cider Co. Taproom & Cidery at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015. Drink it, it’s good!

LONGDROP CIDER CO. RELOCATES TO WASHINGTON

August 25, 2018

Longdrop Cider Co. in May opened its new wholesale, production, packaging and distribution operation in Cashmere, WA to be closer to its processing and growing partners who reside in the Wenatchee Valley. “It’s where our partners are, where the people and market are, where the fruit is . . . Washington State just gets this industry and is great to work with – it’s a great move for us,” said company Co-Founder Chris Blanchard.

Founded in 2014 in Boise, Idaho the company underwent rapid growth, more than doubling its production space between 2015 and 2017 and selling into markets in Idaho, WA, OR, and Wisconsin. To continue the growth trajectory in late 2017 the company sold a majority stake to a family with significant growing and processing operations in the Wentachee Valley. Longdrop continues to operate its popular tasting room and nano cidery in downtown Boise, Idaho and has secured a space along Highway 2 in historic Leavenworth, WA for a second tasting room, opening later this year. “I couldn’t be more happy with the direction of the company. I’m a Washington native so it’s great to be here and to get the company settled into North Central Washington,” noted Blanchard.

The company is currently self-distributing in the Wenatchee Valley, and hopes to expand distribution to the Westside and eastern portion of the state later in the year. For more information contact Chris at chris@longdropcider.com or check out their website at www.longdropcider.com

Locations:
Production facility: 300 Apple Annie Ave. Cashmere, WA 98815
Future Leavenworth location: 894 U.S. 2 Leavenworth, WA 98826
Boise tasting room 603 S. Capitol Blvd. Boise, ID 83705 208-392-8726

NWCA Members Featured in Sunset Magazine “11 Great Craft Cider Tasting Experiences”

August 22, 2018

Several NWCA members are featured in the recent Sunset Magazine article about great craft cider tasting experiences. Here is the link to the full article but below are the highlights featuring our members!

11 Great Craft Cider Tasting Experiences

 

In peak apple season, decamp for these star cider mills, where farmers and producers are setting the pace of America’s craft cider movement

STEPHANIE GRANADA

 

Craft Cider Is Having a Moment

Wine has never really fallen out of favor, craft beer has boomed in recent decades, and now craft cider is on the rise again as U.S. imbibers rediscover the founding fathers’ drink of choice. When done right—and so many in the West do—this alcoholic (and, yay, gluten-free!) drink expresses the complex flavors of the apples, which are usually sourced locally and often foraged. There’s a lot of room for experimentation, too: the brew plays well with other fruit and botanicals, resulting in enough range to satisfy the geekiest of drinker. We’re raising a pint glass to these fantastic cideries around the West.

2 of 12 Courtesy of 1859 Cider Co. / Lizz Wells

1859 Cider Co., Salem, OR 

A wine barrel stave sign leads the way to this back alley cidery that’s churning out some of the best drink in the state. With seven generations of farming under their belts and a background in winemaking, Patricia and Dan Fox produce stellar ciders that are fermented for months and sometimes blended, drawing out characteristics more commonly found on wine lists. While the craftsmanship is meticulous here, you don’t have to worry about encountering any snobbery. 1859 is a true social spot with a regular lineup of events, from storytelling to salsa dancing. 

 

3 of 12 Courtesy of Finnriver Farm & Cidery/ Jen Lee Chapman 

Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum, WA 

Finnriver—located two hours north of Seattle—has nearly a dozen sub-labels spanning from the traditional styles (like a Spanish sidra) to small-batch, contemporary varieties spiked with flavors like habanero, ginger, and lavender. It’s a Certified B Corporation, which means the owners are also committed to help better the world through sustainability efforts and community projects. Patrons are never in a rush to leave thanks to the welcoming set-up that includes a 60-foot community table outside the quaint barn tasting room; the 10-acre, organic orchard open for self-guided (and guided) tours; and an expansive, family-friendly lawn. 

 

4 of 12 

Art + Science, Cider + Wine, Yamhill County, OR 

While Kim Hamblin’s and Dan Rinke’s apple and pear trees mature, they’re relying on neighbors and foraging excursions for the bulk of Art + Science’s cider and perry fruit. The couple used to host tastings in their kitchen, and although they’ve opened a tasting room (one of the few in the state that’s actually on the farm), the experience remains personal. For now, tastings are by appointment, and that’s why we love it. On a visit, you can meet the cider makers, walk around the organic farm, taste limited-run styles, and learn all the nitty-gritty behind this operation that’s a true labor of love.  

6 of 12 

WildCraft Cider Works, Eugene, OR 

From the start, this Eugene operation has proven that it’s not just about a bottom line. Instead, WildCraft was built to help restore local agricultural lands and make use of food resources that were going to waste. The crew works with nearly 200 properties within a 35-mile radius (many of which are unmanaged and wild) to help harvest all the apples, plums, pears, and botanicals that go into making the ciders. “We aim to utilize homestead fruit and other agriculture that’s been ignored,” says founder Sean Kelly. Eugene locals get in on the action, too. Through an ongoing drive, neighbors donate unwanted fruit from their backyards in exchange for fresh-pressed juice or cider. A community spirit is palpable in the tasting room, where you can also fuel up on authentic Southeast Asian fare, made by a Thai family who leases the kitchen space. 

8 of 12 

Western Cider, Missoula, MT 

Western Cider’s congenial tasting room is surrounded by dozens of apples trees offering a taste of what’s happening nearby at the orchard, where the team tends more than 5,000 trees and 50 apple varieties. Within just a few months of opening in 2017, the crew took home a Best in Show award at the Portland International Cider Cup—a testament to the care that goes into this brand, built to reclaim part of the Bitterroot Valley’s apple growing history and support local agriculture. Food trucks rotate through the cidery and follow the same line: for example, Take it or Leave It, a mainstay, doles out juicy burgers with meat from its own farm and veggies from its neighbors.  

9 of 12 

Meriwether Cider Co., Boise, ID

Since opening in 2016, Meriwether (named after the famous explorer with whom the owners share ancestry) has been flipping the script on what Idaho thinks about cider—not a syrupy poor-man’s beer made from concentrates, but a carefully crafted, nuanced beverage with as much depth as any other craft beverage. Soon, they’ll expand on that education at a new cider house in downtown Boise. You’ll have to go to the Garden City flagship to see the cider makers in action; but if you want to expand your repertoire, the downtown location will offer flights with Meriwether’s own and other artisan ciders. 

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Tieton Cider Works, Yakima, WA 

To say Tieton Cider Works has been on a meteoric rise is an understatement. What started out as a test project with two acres of cider apples and 200 cases in 2009 is now the largest cider apple farm in Washington, with 55 acres and a booming craft beverage business that shells out 100,000 cases annually. That’s what you get when you combine a family with almost a century of orchard keeping experience (the Campbells, who own Harmony Orchards—the birthplace and still-supplier of TCW) with the savviness of a beverage industry pro (cider maker Marcus Robert). While business is booming, Tieton hasn’t lost its down-home feel: the team regularly hosts behind-the-scenes tours at their Yakima location and lets guests test out new recipes to determine what will end up in the bottle. 

https://www.sunset.com/travel/culinary-travel/craft-cider#apple-varieites

 

2018 Cider Cup Award Winners Announced!

June 29, 2018

Thirteen Pacific Northwest cideries recently took home sixteen gold medals in total at the Awards Party for the Northwest Cider Association‘s 6th Annual Portland International Cider Cup (PICC). For first time, a cidery from Saanichton, British Columbia, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, took home the competition’s highest honor and Cup—the Best of Show Award.

The party unfolded at the Lagunitas Community Room in NE Portland and drew in over 100 cidermakers and industry friends, who celebrated ciders crafted in the Pacific Northwest—the largest cider market in the United States for consumption and home to a quarter of the country’s cidermakers. The competition itself was hosted at Square Mile Cider on March 25 and was so popular that it increased exponentially this year, growing to almost 170 ciders from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The event featured 60 experienced industry judges from across the nation.

Within the 19 categories sampled, judges found ciders in sixteen categories worthy of gold medals:

  • Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, British Columbia: Bittersweet (English Sweet), Best of Show
  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Oregon: Brightcider (Modern Dry)
  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Oregon: Nice & Naughty (Spiced/Herbed Cider)
  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Oregon: Traditions 2015 La Mure (Wild/Non-Sac)
  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Oregon: Traditions 2016 Cidre Bouche (French)
  • Bauman’s Cider, Oregon: Clyde’s Dry (Heritage Dry)
  • Cider Riot!, Oregon: Shaken Tree (English Dry)
  • Dragon’s Head Cider, Washington: Perry (Traditional Perry)
  • Draper Girls Cider Co., Oregon: Aronia Berry (Fruit Cider – Other)
  • Elkhorn Brewery, Oregon: Very Perry (Modern Perry)
  • Liberty Ciderworks, Washington: Manchurian Crab Single Varietal (Specialty)
  • Montana CiderWorks, Montana: Darby Pub Cider (Heritage Sweet)
  • Portland Cider Company, Oregon: Sorta Sweet (Modern Sweet)
  • Rack & Cloth, Oregon: Pêche (Fruit Cider – Stone)
  • Square Mile Cider Co., Oregon: Hopped Apple Cider (Hopped)
  • Swift Cider, Oregon: Marionberry (Fruit Cider – Cane)

These sixteen ciders went on to compete in the Best of Show round, in which the head judges from each table found the Sea Cider Bittersweet to be the best of the best.

“We are thrilled that Bittersweet has been awarded Best of Show at PICC! Bittersweet reflects our farm: it is 100% estate grown, pressed, fermented and bottled at Sea Cider. Bittersweet is also one of our most traditional ciders. It showcases the earthy, spicy phenolics of the traditional bittersweet and bittersharp apples that we grow,” said Kristen Needham, founder of Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse.

Draper Girls Cider Co. (Mt Hood, OR) won the Best New Cidery award, which carried with it a $500 prize. Awards were given to Montana CiderWorks (Darby, MT), Swift Cider (Portland, OR) and 2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis, OR), respectively, as Small, Medium and Large Cideries of the year. Montana CiderWorks was also the runner up for the cup for the second year in a row! The full list of medalists and past cup winners can be viewed on the Northwest Cider Association website.

“Our Northwest cidermakers make such a wide range of flavorful ciders, innovating from what our ancestors used to make in America’s early days. Next time you’re in the grocery store, try one of the medalists,” says Emily Ritchie, executive director of the Northwest Cider Association.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

 

Portland Cider Co. releases Pineapple seasonal cider just in time for summer luaus

June 1, 2018

CLACKAMAS, Ore. (May 30, 2018) – Summer is almost here, and with it comes the release of Portland Cider Co.’s beloved Pineapple Cider in 22-ounce bottles. Sweetened with fresh pressed pineapple juice, this seasonal cider is like a sun filled day at the beach; it might as well come with a little paper umbrella.

Portland Cider blended fresh pineapple juice from Costa Rica to its cider after fermentation to reach the perfect balance of sweetness. With a semi-sweet finish, this six-percent ABV fruit cider pairs beautifully with barbacoa pork quesadillas, Asian chicken salad and, of course, traditional Hawaiian foods like mac salad and Kahlua pork.
 

“We’ve made our Pineapple cider to pay equal tribute to both the pineapple and the Northwest apple,” explained Deron Davenport, head cider maker at Portland Cider Co. “You’ll be able to clearly taste the apple, while still getting the incredible tropical notes from the fresh pineapple juice. There are no artificial flavorings or concentrates used here, keeping the flavor of the pineapple delicate and delicious.”

Portland Cider is celebrating the release of Pineapple Cider with a summer luau at its Clackamas Pub & Cidery, located at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, on Saturday, June 2 from 11am to 11pm. The event will feature Hawaiian dancers, island and luau tunes, a pineapple bar serving select ciders in whole pineapples, a special Hawaiian food menu, a Hawaiian shirt contest and a tropical photo booth. Pineapple cider bottles will be available to purchase. Minors are welcome at the family friendly event, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/172859793375155 for more details.
 

Portland Cider Co.’s Hawthorne location will also have Pineapple cider on tap starting June 2, but will not feature any of the Luau festivities due to space constrictions.
 

Portland Cider Co.’s Pineapple is available June 2 through August in 22-ounce bottles and draft kegs. It can be purchased at either of the company’s two taprooms, as well as at select retailers in Oregon and Washington. Visit Portlandcider.com/pineapple for more information.

About Portland Cider Company
Portland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. It has two taproom locations: Portland Cider House at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; and Taproom & Cidery at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015. Visit www.PortlandCider.com and follow @PortlandCider on social media.

Bauman’s Cider Company Wins Best in Class Award at GLINTCAP, Partners with Maletis Beverage

June 1, 2018

 

Bauman’s Cider receives a “Best in Class” award for their Loganberry Cider and expands distribution throughout NW Oregon and SW Washington via a new partnership with Maletis Beverage.

May 30, 2018 (Portland, OR) – Bauman’s Cider Company entered four ciders, winning medals with all four, in the 2018 Great Lake International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP), the largest cider competition in the world with nearly 1,400 entries from 11 countries. Most significantly, Bauman’s Loganberry was rated the third best cider out of 154 entries in the Fruit Cider category and received both a Gold Medal and Best in Class award. Furthermore, Clyde’s Dry and Citrus Hop both received Silver Medals while Peach Raspberry received a Bronze.

In addition, Bauman’s Cider is proud to announce their partnership with Maletis Beverage to expand distribution throughout NW Oregon and SW Washington. “Maletis Beverage is excited to begin our new partnership with Bauman’s Cider Company. It’s not very often we find an Oregon company that is older than our 83 years in the business…but we did!” noted Rob Maletis, President and owner of Maletis Beverage. “Bauman’s began farming on the very property they reside on today way back in 1895, making them 123 years old with five generations of family members working on the farm. When Christine began to sample our team with their ciders and share the Bauman’s cider making history we knew we could have a lot of fun expanding their current distribution to our many valued retailer customers.”

Christine (Bauman) Walter, owner and head cider maker adds “Our goal is to stay authentic to our Oregon roots which is why we strive to source as many ingredients as possible from our family farm. Partnering with Maletis, another family with a long history in Oregon, fits perfectly with our values, and we could not be more thrilled to start this partnership together.”

About Bauman’s Cider Company

Bauman’s Cider Company was started in 2015 by Christine (Bauman) Walter on her family’s farm located in Gervais, Oregon. The Bauman Family homesteaded in Oregon in 1895 and has been farming in the Willamette Valley ever since. Christine’s great-grandfather Stephen Bauman was known to make hard cider in one of the old barns. While the original recipe has long been forgotten, Christine strives to make cider Stephen would have been proud of, using as many fruits and other ingredients from the farm as possible in her cider. Bauman’s Cider production and taproom is located at Bauman’s Farm & Garden (12989 Howell Prairie Rd NE, Gervais, OR 97026). For more information visit www.baumanscider.com.

About Maletis Beverage

Founded in 1935 by Chris Maletis, Senior, Maletis Beverage is a locally owned and operated distributor of domestic, craft and import beers. The company also distributes a world-renowned portfolio of cider, wine, champagne, mead and sake, as well as an extensive portfolio of non-alcoholic products.

Under the leadership of Chris Maletis, Junior, the company saw tremendous growth as it built a portfolio of brands that have established Maletis Beverage as the preeminent beverage distributor in the Portland metropolitan area.

Since 2000, Rob Maletis has continued to grow Maletis Beverage while also keeping the company true to the principles established by his grandfather and father. Under his guidance, Maletis Beverage has grown into one of the largest beverage distributors in the Pacific Northwest, leading the industry in service, quality products and customer satisfaction.

Media Contact: Christine Walter, christine@baumanscider.com

 

Cider Association Releases Updates to Certified Cider Professional Program

March 2, 2018

Cider Association Releases Updates to Certified Cider Professional Program
Updates Add Material Important for Service Industry

Portland, OR— The United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) released updates to its Level 1 Certified Cider Professional (CCP) exam this week. The updated test, official USACM cider style guidelines, and new preparatory materials are accessible on the association’s website. USACM has already certified over 400 people, and they anticipate surpassing the 1,000-person benchmark in 2018. The updates are designed to make the test more relevant to the target audience of the CCP program—the front line of cider sales. USACM members receive discounts on exam purchases. 

“We’ve removed much of the more technical cider making content and replaced it with material more important in the world of beverage and culinary professionals,” explained Michelle McGrath, USACM’s Executive Director. 

The updated exam sections are: (1) Apples, the Orchard & History (2) Cider Making (3) Flavor & Evaluation (4) Cider Styles (5) Keeping & Serving (6) Food & Cider. The ‘Cider Styles’ section follows the USACM cider style guide, which was released just this last fall by the association’s board of directors. The guide has already had a noticeable impact on the language used by the industry to describe the extensive variety of the cider category.

Paul Vander Heide, USACM’s Board President and CCP spokesperson, shared that, “Cider is a fascinating beverage with deep historical roots and a vast culture, but outside of cider makers themselves, few people know about it. Our goal is to educate distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and bar and restaurant professionals. We believe their education will result in increased cider sales.”

CCP was launched initially in Portland, Oregon at the 2016 CiderCon, the association’s annual membership meeting and industry conference. The original visionary architect of the program was David Cordtz of Sonoma Cider. It was designed to be akin to the Cicerone program for the beer industry or the sommelier program for the wine industry. 

In fall of 2017, USACM added a working group of four industry professionals to help further develop the CCP program. The committee includes Jennie Dorsey of Schilling Cider, Eric West of the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, Brian Rutzen of The Northman and Eric McCrory of Angry Orchard. The committee taught an exam prepartion workshop at CiderCon 2018 in early February. 

The association is working with regional cider groups throughout the country to offer workshops in their areas. The goal is to help test takers gain the cider knowledge they need to pass and to be better cider stewards. Just this week, the Minnesota Cider Guild taught a workshop and purchased 50 tests for their cider community.

 “Cider’s rebirth is young and the industry lacks a unified language,” shared McGrath. “When the working group gets together to create direction for the CCP exam, they are making history. The industry is moving toward a shared lexicon, and CCP is a big part of that.” McGrath added that many other industry experts have helped build the CCP program, “It’s been a community-wide effort.” 

The working group will rotate appointees on a biannual basis. The association plans to roll out levels two and three over the next two years. For more information on CCP you can visit the association’s website at www.ciderassociation.org/certification. Inquire with the association for bulk discounts on exam purchases.