Posts by Woodley Smith

Member Registration Information 

• Conference Registration – $479 per person (September 30th – November 3rd)
• Late Registration – $549 per person (November 4th – February 3rd, 2026, or until conference space is full)
• On-site Registration – $695 per person, as space allows
• Are you a student or academic, or registering more than ten people from your company? Contact info@ciderassociation.org for discount details

Non-Member Registration Information – save money by joining the American Cider Association before registering!

• Conference Registration – $875 per person (September 30th – November 3rd)
• Late Registration – $945 per person (November 4th – February 3rd, 2026, or until conference space is full)
• On-site Registration – $1095 per person, as space allows

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Included with your Registration

• Full access to all CiderCon® programming, from the expanded opening general session to the wide range of educational tracks packed with insights and information from industry experts and peers
• Full access to the Trade Show presented by FruitSmart
• Tuesday long sessions including TTB Bootcamp, Newcomers Networking Event and LQBTQIA+ Social 
• Lunch on Wednesday and Thursday
• Coffee in the Trade Show presented by Amoretti
• Wednesday Happy Hour in the Trade Show 
• Scion Exchange/Orchard Networking Session
• Free Conference App presented by Juicing Systems – download EventMobi: Event code: JuicingSystems26
• A wide selection of educational workshops covering cider production, business practices, and insights from industry experts and fellow cider professionals.

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Optional Add-Ons

TOURS – Monday, February 2nd

Connecticut Cidery Tour – $150 per person 8:30am – 6:15pm Spend the day exploring the rich cider traditions of Connecticut on this exclusive CiderCon tour. You’ll visit four standout cideries, meet the makers, and taste the diverse styles shaping the state’s cider scene.

Rhode Island Cidery Tour – $127 per person 9am – 4pm Ease into CiderCon with a day trip through Rhode Island’s cider country. This tour balances cozy tastings, farm-fresh flavors, and conversations with the makers who bring Rhode Island apples to life in the glass.

Prohibition in Providence: A Drinking History Tour – $79 per person 1:30pm -3:30pmThis downtown cider and spirits tour brings guests back to prohibition in Rhode Island, which was a bootlegger’s paradise! Includes three restaurants cider & spirit tastings with food provided. Walking tour – dress appropriately.

Culinary Arts Museum Tour & Demonstration – $20 per person  2pm – 4pm Join us for a behind-the scenes experience at Johnson & Wales University’s Culinary Arts Museum, a world class facility celebrating the history, craft, and future of food and beverage. This free tour is a change to explore an incredible resource in Providence and see culinary education in action. This tour includes transportation to the venue, tour, and demonstration. Attendees will be responsible for return transportation. 

Tuesday Workshops:

Understanding & Unlocking the Chemistry of Cider Aroma $90 8:30am – 12pm  Unlock the hidden language of cider aroma in this interactive sensory workshop. Using a base cider spiked with key aroma compounds, participants will explore how different chemical families shape a cider’s character—from bright top notes of fruit, floral, and perfume, to complex layers of spice, smoke, and earthy tones. Designed for both newcomers and seasoned cider professionals, this workshop blends hands-on tasting with practical insights. You’ll sharpen your ability to identify and describe sensory attributes, link aromas to fermentation and production choices, and gain confidence in influencing the aromatic profile of your ciders to achieve stylistic goals.

From Vision to Viability: Start-Up Cider Business Bootcamp $75  8:30am – 12pm  Where to begin? There are so many hurdles and challenges that face a startup cidery in today’s economy that it is hard to even know the right questions to ask. We can help! We’re going to spend three and a half hours addressing the fundamentals of the startup process through the experience of people who have been there before and done things “mostly right”. We’ll take you from start to finish in a cidery startup lifecycle and go over business plan development including:  Financing; Real estate/buildout decisions; Branding; Licensing and compliance; Employee/equipment acquisition; and more! This will be a moderated panel discussion led by industry experts, followed by a Q and A with cideries of different sizes who can provide insights on models that may be similar to your own. Our hope is that you walk away feeling confident in your startup strategies and armed with the tools needed to operate a sustainable cider company for years to come.

Certified Pommelier Exam – $350 Are you ready to take the next step in your professional development in the cider industry? If you have already passed the Certified Cider Professional Level 1 Certification and are looking for that next challenge, Register here for the Certified Pommelier Exam.  

CiderCon® Welcome Reception: 
Cider Share – Sponsored by Voran – 5:00pm – 7:30pm $25 for a tasting ticket. Join the world’s largest Cider Share and the official kickoff of CiderCon! Featuring 50 cideries pouring cider from all over the world, delicious food, and all of your cider friends in one room. If you would like to pour your cider at Cider Share, you can apply here. If you are accepted to pour at the event, two complimentary tasting tickets are included for the people pouring your cider.

Tasting Sessions – Please note that sold out tasting sessions will have limited room in the back for those who want to listen to the lecture but not taste (free of charge). These are offered on a first come, first serve basis as space allows. Please be patient while ticket holders are seated first.  Note: Some tasting sessions overlap!  Don’t purchase tickets to every session – save some tickets for others, please. We charge a nominal fee for tasting sessions to create ticket-holder accountability, support our drink coordinator staff, buy our volunteers coffee, and cover any shipping costs for our generous speakers. Tasting session tickets are refundable and transferable before a session has taken place.

Wednesday, February 5th:

11am – Building a Responsive Wild Fermentation Program $20 This panel brings together four cidermakers to share detailed, practical insights into their wild fermentation programs—from fruit to final packaging. Each will walk through their unique approach, focusing on how they adapt to shifting conditions, including the impacts of climate change, while maintaining quality and consistency. Attendees will gain real-world strategies, hands-on techniques, and a deeper understanding of how to build or refine a wild fermentation program that is resilient, adaptable, and responsive to evolving challenges.

11am – Regional Identity in Eastern Cider $20  Taste the magic of how place and style transform cider. In this unique panel, Eastern cideries craft their own expressions from the same blended apple juice grown at Ricker Hill Orchards. Attendees will taste side-by-side ciders while learning about regional influences, fermentation choices, and stylistic intent. A rare chance to experience the artistry of cider through a shared starting point.

2pm – Who Put the Band-Aid in the Barnyard? $20  This session will attempt to tease apart the relative effects of apple character and yeast activity when it comes to phenolic aromas in cider. Many ciders, especially those produced using bittersweet and bittersharp apples, exhibit aromatic profiles described as clove, Band -Aid, barnyard, etc. These aromas, lumped into a category described as “phenolic” by Peter Mitchell and others, are very similar to those found in wines and beers that have been exposed, intentionally or not, to certain yeast strains, most notably Brettanomyces species.  What kind of aromas are possible in apples with very low polyphenolic concentrations?  What effect does yeast choice have on bittersweet and bittersharp apples?  What are the most effective levers to pull when seeking to increase or decrease the phenolic aromas in a cider?

2pm – Going Still: The Resurgence of a Style $20  Still ciders are making a comeback, celebrated for their elegance, depth, and ability to showcase fruit and terroir. In this guided tasting, cideries from across the globe will share their approaches to crafting still cider, from cellar techniques to cultural traditions. Panelists will discuss why these quiet ciders are special, how they fit into their portfolios, and what makes them resonate with today’s drinkers. Attendees will taste along while exploring the artistry behind this resurgent style.

3:45pm – Golden Russet: A Northeast Terroir Showcase $20  Golden Russet is a storied American heirloom apple, beloved for its rich tannins and complex character in cider. In this session, a panel of Eastern cideries will showcase single-varietal Golden Russet ciders, highlighting how regional terroir shapes its expression. Attendees will taste and compare styles while learning about orchard practices, fermentation choices, and traditions that influence the final glass. This session is a rare chance to explore the depth and diversity of one iconic apple.

Thursday, February 6th:

10:30am The Traditional Method – The Why and The How $20  Traditional Method cider, which originated in England before Champagne, relies on natural fermentation to create its signature sparkle. This approach offers numerous benefits: elegant bubbles, minimal equipment needs, scalability from home to commercial production, preservation of fruit character, and the ability to achieve high carbonation without gushing. In this session, a panel of micro, medium, and large-scale producers will demonstrate the equipment and techniques suited to each production level, with guided tastings comparing Traditional Method to other styles. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge and key process insights to apply at any scale—from home cidermaking to professional production.

10:30am Taste of the North: Ontario Craft Cider $20  Ontario, Canada is a massive province with a huge range of soils and climates. We range from zone 7 to 0 and have every type of soil imaginable. Join a panel of cider makers from distinct ecoregions to discuss their orchard’s terroir and its impact on their apple and cider flavours. How this Northern climate makes for distinct ciders and distinguishes Ontario cider from the rest of the world.

2pm Evaluating Cider for the Certified Pommelier Exam $20  Participants will practice blindly evaluating two ciders using the ACA’s Structured Sensory Evaluation process guided by Certified Pommelier and ACA Director of Education and Program Development, Jennie Dorsey and a panel of Certified Pommeliers. This session will teach you how to objectively assess any cider, empowering you in the cidery and in assisting customers to find a cider they love while also helping you to prepare for the sensory portion of the Certified Pommelier exam.

2pm Essentials of Apple Brandy Production: Capturing the Spirits of your Orchard $20  Ever wondered what it would take to turn your cider into gorgeous brandy? Unfortunately, not every cider you make would work. Learn the differences between fermentation for cider versus brandy. How different equipment, fruit, aging and other techniques impact the final product. How to work with your local distillers and regulations in your region. And what it takes to craft spirits from your orchard.

3:45pm World of Cider: The Baltic Region $20  Cider is a global tradition with deep regional roots and distinctive expressions. In this international tasting panel, producers from Ukraine, the Baltics, Portugal, France, and the United Kingdom will share their ciders and perspectives, offering attendees a unique opportunity to explore how history, culture, and terroir shape cider around the world. From heritage-rich regions to emerging cider scenes, this guided tasting will highlight both the diversity and common threads that connect global cider traditions. Come ready to taste, compare, and be inspired by cider’s European story.

The ACA is proud to partner with the Cider Institute to develop a robust offering of production workshops at CiderCon 2026. Many of these sessions include a tasting component. Other tasting sessions focus on sensory lexicon, flavor and terroir. 

CiderCon® Tee-Shirt $25 –  Must be attending the conference – no shipping available.

Don’t forget! Use this link to book your hotel room at the Omni Providence – our host hotel and it’s connected to the Convention Center!

Note: Tours, Tastings and Sessions are subject to change. Space is limited. In the event of a session cancellation, fees will be refunded.

Important! Cancellation Policy:

In the event of cancellation by attendee (in writing to info@ciderassociation.org with receipt acknowledged by CiderCon® staff): Before November 1, 2025 – all fees paid less $100 for processing will be refunded.  If cancellation occurs between November 1st, 2025 and January 20th, 2026, 50% of fees will be refunded – the remaining 50% will be forfeited.  After January 20th, 2026 – the full cost will be forfeited.  No refunds will be processed after this date.