Archive for October 2020
Economics and Demographics of the Alcohol Consumer (webinar recording)
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Get to Know Your Board Member: John Behrens
Welcome to our next installment of Get to Know Your Board Member! This time we’re featuring John Behrens, who represents the Midwest region, including the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.
Where do you work and what is your position?
I am the owner of Farmhaus Cider Co. located near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Do you work in cider full time?
Yes, I work in cider full time.
How did you get into cider?
I started out as a CPA, so it has been an adventure getting here. Cider for me started out as a fun challenge with friends, turned hobby, turned side project, turned business, turned full on way of life. I enjoyed the fact that it was niche and you couldn’t go to the store and purchase anything similar to what we were making, which was very different than was the case with beer at the time.
Why did you decide to run for a position on the board?
I believe there is still tremendous opportunity in cider. To see that opportunity we need to clear some legislative hurdles and focus strategically on how we as an industry market our products. I see the work of the American Cider Association in these two areas as critical to the long-term success of the industry.
What are your hopes for the future of the US Cider Industry?
I want to see much more diversity in the industry: diversity in the styles of cider commercially available, diversity from the people involved in the industry, and diversity in how we position our products. To do this, we must continue to focus the majority of our efforts and energies as an industry outward instead of inward.
How do you describe your cider region?
The Midwest Region is fortunate in that we grow a huge amount of apples here, and apples that make fantastic ciders. The challenge is that the Midwest is also a very beer-heavy region which leads to a huge amount of choice for consumers in the beverage space.
What’s your favorite apple to work with and why?
That is a tough question because I prefer a blend of apples, but I have a soft spot for apples with a story. Forced to choose I would probably go Spitzenburg.
What is your favorite cider/food pairing?
Risotto made with a dry cider pairs perfectly with an off-dry keeved cider.
What is your favorite nature/cider pairing?
Sitting under a shady tree on the shores of Lake Michigan drinking a dry, sessionable cider is tough to beat.
What would you like our members to know about you that they might not know?
I love a great adventure – whether running with the bulls in Spain, bungee jumping in New Zealand or doing volunteer work with Elephants in Thailand – I’ve had many great adventures and look forward to many more!
Get to know the rest of your board members at Who We Are.
CiderCon® 2021 Will Be Online!
Is CiderCon® 2021 happening? YES!! CiderCon® 2021 will take place online in our exciting virtual platform from February 3-5, 2021. (New to CiderCon®? Check out our fact sheet for last year’s CiderCon® to get an idea of what we’re all about!)
When can I register? Registration is open! Check out all the latest updates and register on our CiderCon® 2021 website!
What will CiderCon® be like next year? The same informative mix of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and trade show from the ease and comfort of home!
Will there be a trade show? Yes! We are very excited to be offering a trade show as part of CiderCon® 2021. If you’re interested in a virtual exhibit and the leads that come with that, please get in touch with our coordinator, Ellen.
Much more info is coming soon!
Get to Know Your Board Member: Nicole Todd
Five new board members joined the American Cider Association in 2020. We wanted to give you a chance to get to know them better. First up is Nicole Todd, who represents the Pacific Region, including California and Hawaii.
Where do you work and what is your position?
Santa Cruz Cider Co. in Santa Cruz, California. Owner/cidermaker/janitor.
Do you work in cider full time? If not, what is your other job?
Yes, I do full time cider for my company and part time brewer for a friend’s local brewery.
How did you get into cider?
We were looking to buy a house and toured a property with over two acres of apples and a tiny house. We did not end up buying it, but there was no one living in the house and it was harvest time, so we went back at night and filled our truck bed with apples. We pressed them into about 80 gallons of cider and shared with friends. Everyone liked what we were making so we went back and helped ourselves to more apples. Soon after, our friend Dave ended up buying that same piece of property and gave us free reign over the apples. It was then that we learned about the different varieties and qualities of each type and my love for apples blossomed.
Why did you decide to run for a position on the board?
I love the cider industry and everyone in it! All of the folks I have met in the industry are down to earth, hard working, real people. I wanted to be more involved in the cider community and help it grow.
What are your hopes for the future of the US Cider Industry?
That it will continue to grow and educate consumers about the wide variety of ciders available.
How do you describe your cider region?
I live in Apple City. No joke, a hundred years ago Watsonville, CA was the number one grower, packer, shipper of apples in the whole world, thus its nickname of Apple City. We have a lot of old apple orchards with 5th generation apple farmers still growing apples. While a lot of the orchards have since been taken out to make room for berries, we still have Martinelli’s being made locally and keeping the demand for our local apples. The Pajaro Valley is mostly flat with some rolling hills that lead into the Santa Cruz mountains. Orchards are planted all over the county with sizes ranging from one acre to 200 acre orchards.
What’s your favorite apple to work with and why?
I think there is something really special about the way Newtown Pippins grow in our area, I think there is a true terroir here. They are a good blending apple as well as good on their own. They cold store well and are great fresh off the tree too!
What is your favorite cider/food pairing?
Cider and cheese for sure! Especially a nice hard, salty cheese.
What is your favorite nature/cider pairing?
Beach and a dry cider on a hot day.
What would you like our members to know about you that they might not know?
I love dogs! I have always had them at home and the favorite part of my bar shifts is getting to pet the dogs other people bring in.
Get to know the rest of your board members at Who We Are.