Episodi

  • 517: What Made ACE Cider Brand Worth $40+ Million

    517: What Made ACE Cider Brand Worth $40+ Million
    Oct 14 2026
    Jeffrey House and his wife Angela founded the California Cider Company in 1993 and built ACE Cider into a nationally distributed brand before selling the company in 2021. In this Cider Chat, Jeffrey gets into what it actually takes to build a cider business: distribution, margins, product development, persistence, scaling, knowing when to sell, and why making great cider is only part of building a valuable company. Mentions in this Cider Chat - Boston CiderFeast – November 14, 2026 - French Cider Blossom Time Tour – April 24–May 1, 2027 – Find out about Totally Cider Tours: https://ciderchat.com/totally-cider-tours/ - eCiderNews – This week's story features the new Somerset cider box collaboration from Wilding Cider and Rawlins Family Cider- Wilding and Rawlins Team Up on Somerset Cider Box Time Stamps 00:00 Cider Without Overthinking 02:13 The ACE Cider Origin Story 03:19 Out & About in Ciderville 06:05 Cider Events, Tours & News 09:31 Meet Jeffrey House 11:18 From Local Apples to National Scale 15:52 Building a Cider Company to Sell 18:58 Immigration & the Early Hustle 24:19 Finding Product Winners 30:34 The Reality of Cider Distribution 33:37 Building the Brand & Planning an Exit 37:21 Location, Costs & Business Decisions 38:32 Serendipity, Timing & Luck 39:58 The Entrepreneurial Mindset 41:58 Building a Product vs. Building a Business 42:29 The Pareto Principle & Persistence 44:41 Scaling, Cash Flow & Margins 46:38 Standing Out with Fruit Ciders 47:35 Selling ACE Cider 52:26 The Reality of Corporate Ownership 54:11 How the Cider Market Has Evolved 56:07 The Origins of ACE Fruit Ciders 58:36 Jeffrey House on Cider's Future 01:00:43 The Cider King 01:01:52 Ria's Wrap & Totally Cider Tour 01:03:17 Closing Song Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts🎧 Spotify▶️ YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/517-what-made-ace-cider-brand-worth-40-million/ 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews Support Cider Chat If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat. 🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat Stay Connected 📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    1 ora e 6 min
  • 516: Tasting Time | Totally Cider Tour '26 - France

    516: Tasting Time | Totally Cider Tour '26 - France
    Oct 7 2026

    What does time taste like?

    Join Cider Chat MC Ria on the 2026 Totally Cider Tour through Normandy, Domfrontais and Brittany, where cider, poiré, Pommeau and Calvados become a way of experiencing place, people and time.

    The journey begins with a reconnaissance adventure near Étretat and continues into orchards, cellars and conversations with makers, including Jacques Perritaz of Cidrerie du Vulcain and Eric Bordelet. At Eric's table, a tasting across vintages reveals how cider, poiré and Cormé continue to transform in the bottle.

    Then hear directly from the people who traveled on the tour about what surprised them, what they learned and what they'll remember from cider country in France.

    Mentions in This Cider Chat

    Totally Cider Tours

    Bent Ladder Estate Ciders & Wine | Episode 392

    Giard | 13 Generations Making Cider, FR | Episode 177

    France Blossom Time Tour 2027
    Interested in joining the next Totally Cider Tour to France? Email info@ciderchat.com

    Timestamps

    Note: Cider Chat uses dynamic ad insertion. Depending on the ads served, actual playback times may vary slightly from the timestamps below.

    00:00 Lost After Dark in Normandy

    01:16 Finding the Trail Back

    03:02 Welcome to Cider Chat

    04:07 Reconnaissance in Étretat

    08:25 La Mer à Boire with Jean-François Bougeant

    10:05 An Unexpected Normandy Dinner

    10:50 The Totally Cider Tour Begins

    12:46 Meeting Jacques Perritaz

    14:06 Learning to Work with Tannins

    14:52 Drought, Deep Soil and Healthy Trees

    16:04 Tasting Time with Eric Bordelet

    18:43 Argelette Across the Years

    23:27 Cormé and Transformation in the Bottle

    25:48 Ted's France Tour Reflections

    33:16 The Magic of Low-ABV Cider and Poiré

    33:43 Carla and Galen's Tour Reflections

    34:46 What the Calvados Cellar Teaches You

    37:03 Learning from the Distillers

    38:53 Discovering the Range of Calvados

    40:28 Joyce and Andy's Tour Reflections

    42:21 Discovering Poiré and French Towns

    44:41 Discovering Pommeau and Calvados

    46:58 Martin on Aged Perry and Access

    54:57 France Tour Wrap and Blossom Time 2027

    Listen & Subscribe

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    Learn More

    🌐 Episode show notes:
    https://ciderchat.com/podcast/516-totally-cider-tour-france/

    📰 eCiderNews:
    https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner:
    https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips:
    news@ciderchat.com

    📱 Instagram:
    @ciderchatciderville
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    56 min
  • 515: World of Cider: The Baltic Region

    515: World of Cider: The Baltic Region
    Sep 23 2026
    What happens when a cider region has the apples, but not centuries of rules telling cidermakers what cider is supposed to be? Recorded at CiderCon 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island, this World of Cider session brings together three Latvian cider makers and Asnāte Ziemele of Baltic Cider. The Baltics have a long apple-growing heritage, but their modern cider movement is remarkably young. That gives today's makers room to experiment with local heirloom apples, wild seedlings, European cider varieties, pét-nat, still cider, wild fermentation and more as they develop their own Baltic cider identity. In This Cider Chat Why Baltic cider is something of a blank slate Northern climate, orchards and local apple varietiesWild seedlings, crab apples and European cider varieties Pét-nat, still cider and wild fermentation Building consumer understanding of real cider Organic orchard practices and wildlife pressure Cider regulations, ABV and taxes Food pairings and where to find Baltic cider Building a Baltic cider identity without fixed traditions Featured Panel Asnāte Ziemele | Baltic Cider Jānis Matvejs | Abuls Cidery Mārtiņš Knipšis | Pienjāņi Cidery Māris Plūme | Mr. Plūme Cidery Timestamps 00:00 Baltic Cider Blank Slate 01:16 Host Intro and Cider Tours 03:17 Why the Baltics Now 04:05 Meet the Baltic Cider Association 04:52 Origins After 1991 05:57 Climate and Growing Conditions 08:17 Orchards and Apple Types 10:22 Styles and Ingredients 11:39 Challenges and Marketing 12:07 Abuls Cidery Story 14:36 Abuls Orchard and Pét-Nat 16:30 Pienjāņi Orchard Journey 19:47 Conservative Dry Cider Approach 21:51 Mr. Plūme Philosophy 26:17 Wild Fermentation Method 28:01 Audience Q&A and Sweet Cider 28:45 Real Cider Education 29:59 Selling Sweet and Natural Cider 30:16 Restaurants Build Awareness 31:09 Organic Orchard Practices 33:03 Wild Apples and Bitters 33:46 ABV Limits and Taxes 35:37 Building a Baltic Cider Identity 36:49 Apples in Latvian Life 38:54 Food Pairings with Cider 40:01 Where to Drink Baltic Cider 41:17 Market Niches and Bottles 43:11 Baltic Cider Association Communication 44:28 Regulations and Labeling 47:20 Fences and Wildlife Pressure 47:57 Grafting and Tree Sourcing 48:58 Closing Thanks and Signoff Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cider-chat/id1054230417 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/25z9PBrbF5ERsv8X0SDWIV ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CiderChat Learn More Cider Chat: https://ciderchat.com/ eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews/ Support Cider Chat Support independent cider media and become a CiderGoingUP patron: https://ciderchat.com/cider-going-up/ Stay Connected Cider Chat: https://ciderchat.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciderchat/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciderchat Send story tips: news@ciderchat.com
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    52 min
  • 514: Doing More With Lees | Ryan Monkman

    514: Doing More With Lees | Ryan Monkman
    Sep 9 2026
    Lees are more than sediment at the bottom of a tank. Recorded at CiderCon 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island, cidermaker and fermentation consultant Ryan Monkman explores how cidermakers can put lees to work throughout fermentation, élevage, and bottling. Ryan digs into fine and gross lees, cracking lees, bâtonnage, autolysis, oxygen management, fault correction, bottle conditioning, and practical ways to decide which lees to keep and which to let go. Timestamps 00:00 Cider Is Sensory 02:25 News From Ciderville 04:29 Back To CiderCon 05:29 Fine, Gross And Cracked Lees 07:58 Passive To Active Uses 09:29 Harvesting And Storing Lees 13:16 Cracking Lees 18:53 Why Crack Fresh Lees 21:46 Using Lees In Fermentation 26:15 Bâtonnage And Élevage 28:30 Using Lees To Correct Faults 31:10 Bottling, Canning And Kegging 35:22 Dosing Lees For Ancestral Cider 36:41 Traditional Method And Sur Lie 38:07 What To Watch For With Lees 39:55 Bâtonnage Timing And Technique 41:55 Bâtonnage And Oxygen 43:25 Cracked Lees And Autolysis 44:26 Building Three Cider Styles 47:03 Élevage Strategies 48:17 Bottling The Three Ciders 49:35 Lees, Yeast And Terroir 50:54 Ryan Monkman Wrap Up Mentions in This Cider Chat eCiderNews Cider led the August Beer Purchasers Index for the first time, coming in ahead of imports.Michigan's important fall cider seasonAn update to the remembrance of cider author and advocate Ben Watson, with additional reflections from his longtime friend Annie Card.Subscribe to eCiderNews for the latest cider news and analysis. Totally Cider Tours | France Ria is heading back to France with Totally Cider Tours for an autumn journey through French cider country, with more stories from the orchards and cideries coming to Cider Chat. CiderFeast Brooklyn CiderFeast returns to Brooklyn on October 3, bringing cider makers and cider fans together in New York City. Listen & Subscribe 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify: Spotify ▶️ YouTube: YouTube Learn More 🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/514-doing-more-with-lees/ 📰 eCiderNews: eCiderNews Support Cider Chat If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat. 🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: Patreon Stay Connected 📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com 📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    54 min
  • 513: Still Cider, Single Apples and Time | Sowams, Rhode Island

    513: Still Cider, Single Apples and Time | Sowams, Rhode Island
    Aug 26 2026

    What happens when a cidermaker decides to do less and give cider more time?

    Spencer Morris of Sowams Cider Works in Warren, Rhode Island, makes cider with more than 70 apple varieties, old mechanical rack-and-cloth presses, glass demijohns and a remarkably hands-off approach.

    Explore still cider, single-varietal apples, long aging on the lees, native fermentation, and why some Sowams ciders aren't released until they are three or four years old.

    Timestamps

    00:00 Doing Less and Giving Cider Time

    00:25 Meet the Guest

    01:59 Single Varietal Cider

    05:25 News from Ciderville

    08:24 Fall Cider Festivals

    10:29 Arriving in Rhode Island

    12:55 Inside Sowams Cider Works

    14:38 Spencer's Cider Story

    18:38 Orchard and Rootstocks

    22:37 Harvest Timing

    24:55 Fermenting in Demijohns

    31:59 No Sulfites, No Filtration

    35:15 Aging Cider and Favorite Apples

    37:07 Storing Apples Before Pressing

    37:49 Concentrating the Fruit

    38:30 Culling Apples and Sediment

    40:53 Hands-Off Fermentation

    42:07 Customers and the American Palate

    46:15 Rhode Island Heritage Apples

    48:53 Tasting the Orchard Blend

    51:44 Serving Cider and Batch Numbers

    55:03 Blending Apples at the Press

    58:04 Tasting Rhode Island Greening

    01:01:13 Weather and Vintage Variation

    01:02:17 Visit Sowams and Final Thoughts

    Listen & Subscribe

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    Learn More

    🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/513-sowams-cider/

    📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com

    📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    1 ora e 7 min
  • 512: Plant the Damn Apple Tree | Special Edition

    512: Plant the Damn Apple Tree | Special Edition
    Aug 24 2026

    Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller reads her August eCiderNews editorial, Plant the Damn Apple Tree, reflecting on entrepreneurship, uncertainty, abundance, and what an apple tree might teach us about the time in between.

    FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK: SUMMER 2026 NEWS CYCLE REFLECTIONS

    Cideries close. People in our community are passing. The weather is never dull.

    And somewhere in all of that is a question:

    Knowing how uncertain the outcome is, would you choose otherwise?

    READ THE ORIGINAL eCIDERNEWS EDITORIAL

    Plant the Damn Apple Tree
    https://ciderchat.com/plant-the-damn-apple-tree/

    EPISODE 512 TIMESTAMPS

    00:00 Editorial Welcome
    01:08 Maybe and the News
    02:16 Why We Keep Trying
    02:43 Cidery Closures Context
    03:56 My Entrepreneur Ledger
    05:45 Choosing Abundance
    07:01 Plant the Apple Tree
    07:52 Time and My Mom
    08:48 Deal and Sign Off
    09:50 Ciderville Outro Chant

    🍎 Subscribe to eCiderNews

    🎙️ Listen to Cider Chat

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com
    📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    10 min
  • 511: Hungarian Cider Comes of Age | Bright Cider

    511: Hungarian Cider Comes of Age | Bright Cider
    Aug 12 2026

    Hungary may not have a centuries-old cider tradition like England or France, but that is exactly what makes its modern cider movement so exciting.

    In this episode, Cider MC Ria Windcaller travels to Budapest to meet András Kovács and Marcell Lukatsi, founders of Bright Cider, who are helping shape what Hungarian cider can become. From traditional method sparkling cider and heirloom apple varieties to the newly formed Hungarian Cider Association and the country's first-ever Cider Salon, discover how a new generation of makers is defining a distinctly Hungarian cider identity.

    Along the way, you'll hear how two friends turned a shared love of cider discovered on ski trips into one of Hungary's most innovative cideries, why forgotten local apple varieties matter, and how cider can open the door to unexpected discoveries in art, history, and culture.

    Timestamps

    00:00 Hungary Cider Surprise

    01:14 Show Intro and Guests

    02:40 Ciderville News Roundup

    04:48 French Cider Tour Preview

    06:48 Tea Room Interview Setup

    10:27 Bright Cider Origin Story

    12:14 Naming Bright Cider

    13:52 Founders' Backgrounds

    19:29 Pandemic Launch and Team

    20:31 Traditional Method Focus

    22:07 Hungary's Heirloom Apples

    26:17 Rosie and Product Lineup

    29:24 Vranja Quince Blend

    29:58 Cider Lineup Overview

    30:43 Ice Cider Cryo Method

    31:30 Yeast Choices Explained

    32:47 Stainless Steel and Eco Focus

    35:50 Events and Finding Bright Cider

    37:45 Hungarian Cider Association

    39:10 Defining Cider in EU Law

    43:03 Apples, Pears and Orchards

    47:13 Future Plans in Etyek

    50:48 Travel Reflections and Signoff

    Listen & Subscribe

    🍎 Apple Podcasts
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    ▶️ YouTube

    Learn More

    🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/511-hungarian-cider-comes-of-age/
    📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews

    Support Cider Chat

    If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.

    🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat

    Stay Connected

    📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com
    📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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    54 min
  • 510: From Barrels to the Pub | The People's Cider Co., Michigan

    510: From Barrels to the Pub | The People's Cider Co., Michigan
    Jul 29 2026

    Most cider makers dream of expanding their barrel program. Jason Lummen did the opposite.

    In Episode 510, Ria Windcaller visits The People's Cider Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Jason explains why he shifted from barrel-aged ciders to dry, sessionable ciders that keep people coming back for another round. Along the way, they discuss local apples, pub culture, changing American tastes, and what it means to build a cidery around community rather than complexity.

    Time Stamps


    • 00:00 Craft Palate Lightens

    • 01:04 Meet Jason Lummen

    • 02:06 Welcome to Cider Chat

    • 04:02 GLINTCAP Reunion Story

    • 06:43 Ciderville News Roundup

    • 10:09 Totally Cider Tours

    • 11:27 Sessionable Success Shift

    • 12:21 Cheers with Pommeau

    • 12:45 Fruit Ridge Apple Sourcing

    • 15:13 Old Orchards vs. Trellis Systems

    • 18:29 Cider Maker Origin Story

    • 23:44 The Pressing "Aha!" Moment

    • 25:49 Tiny Pub, Big Vibe

    • 30:10 House Yeast and Wild Ferments

    • 31:04 The Flavored Cider Debate

    • 32:14 A No-Sulfites Philosophy

    • 33:19 The Shift to Sessionable Cider

    • 33:38 Brick Street Nightclub

    • 35:32 Rethinking the Barrel Program

    • 36:57 Why American Palates Are Changing

    • 39:02 A Toast with Pommeau

    • 39:45 The People's Cider Company Origins

    • 42:24 The Raised Fist Logo

    • 46:16 Winning Over New Cider Drinkers

    • 50:44 COVID and the Patio Lifeline

    • 52:28 Life as a Publican

    • 53:28 The Best Part of the Job

    • 56:37 Contact Info for The People's Cider Company

    • 57:23 Closing Reflections

    🍎 Find the full show notes for Episode 510 at CiderChat.com

    Direct Link:
    https://ciderchat.com/podcast/510-the-peoples-cider-company/

    🎙️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville.

    ▶️ Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.

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    Become a patron at:
    https://patreon.com/ciderchat
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    1 ora