Posts by Woodley Smith
CCP On Demand Now Available!
We are thrilled to announce that our introductory level Certified Cider Professional program is growing! CCP Level 1 training is now available online for the first time. Starting now, you can order the new Level 1 certification bundle.
Pricing
The Level 1 bundle is $99 for non-ACA members, $75 for members. The bundle includes:
- Detailed, updated study guide
- On-demand online training webinar (1.5 hours)
- Level 1 exam (2 attempts)
Test & Test Prep
The training and exam cover cider-specific facts in these key areas: (1) Apples, the orchard & history (2) Cider making (3) Evaluation (4) Families & Flavor (5) Keeping & serving (6) Food & cider (7) Social Responsibility. The closed-book exam has 60 multiple choice questions. The training materials include an updated, detailed study guide and a 1.5 hour webinar. Careful review of the study guide and webinar should prepare you to pass the exam!
Who Should Become a CCP?
First and foremost, if you sell cider, this program is for you. If you write about alcohol or food, this program is for you. If you just really love drinking cider, this program is for you. Maybe you run a beer-focused bottle shop with a cider section and want to learn more about cider? Maybe you hope to prove to your community’s cider drinkers that your shop knows its fermented apples? Maybe you are a sommelier or beverage director and want to be able to chat more about cider with customers? Maybe you are a distributor that wants to better understand the diversity and range of the cider category?
We target the front line of cider sales as our primary audience for CCP, but anybody is welcome to take the test. There is no pre-requisite for the Level 1 exam.
Meet Our New Team Member
We are also excited to announce that Jennie Dorsey has joined ACA as our part time Cider Education Outreach Manager. If you have questions about CCP, please do connect with Jennie!
Sponsors
Thank you to our 2021 CCP presenting sponsor, Petainer, and to our summer training sponsor, Arryved!
DEADLINE EXTENDED! Volunteer on ACA Committees!
UPDATE: Application deadline extended until June 1, 2021 at 12:00pm Pacific Time!
As a small membership-funded nonprofit, our work is powered by the grassroots cider community. We are blessed to work with passionate and talented people like you that help us grow and support a thriving cider category. Maybe you would like to consider joining a committee?
ACA’s current commitees include:
- Government Affairs
- Education
- Data Insights
- Marketing & Resource Development
- CiderCon
- Antiracism, Equity & Inclusion
Commitment: Committee commitments are two years, except for the CiderCon committee, which is just one year. Committee members are 100% volunteer positions.
Service Expectations: We’ve put together this handbook to detail what the committee experience is. Please read through the handbook if you think you might want to apply for committee membership.
How to Apply: Click here to apply to join a committee. Applications are due on June 1 by 12:00pm Pacific Time. Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Hear from ACA member Sean Tyson of Cider Soms, a volunteer on the Antiracism, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, about what it’s like to serve on an ACA committee by clicking on the picture below.
Fermentis Webinars for Cidermakers
Fermentis has a free webinar for cidermakers. You can check it out below and find links to register. Each webinar has two sessions, one for commercial cidermakers and one for home cidermakers, however, anyone is welcome to attend either session.
Volunteer on ACA Committees!
UPDATE: Application deadline extended until June 1, 2021 at 12:00pm Pacific Time!
As a small membership-funded nonprofit, our work is powered by the grassroots cider community. We are blessed to work with passionate and talented people like you that help us grow and support a thriving cider category. Maybe you would like to consider joining a committee?
ACA’s current commitees include:
- Government Affairs
- Education
- Data Insights
- Marketing & Resource Development
- CiderCon
- Antiracism, Equity & Inclusion
Commitment: Committee commitments are two years, except for the CiderCon committee, which is just one year. Committee members are 100% volunteer positions.
Service Expectations: We’ve put together this handbook to detail what the committee experience is. Please read through the handbook if you think you might want to apply for committee membership.
How to Apply: Click here to apply to join a committee. Applications are due on June 1 by 12:00pm Pacific Time. Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Hear from ACA member Sean Tyson of CiderSoms, a volunteer on the Antiracism, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, about what it’s like to serve on an ACA committee by clicking on the picture below.
GLINTCAP – What You Need to Know
Please read below for the latest updates on GLINTCAP 2021 from competition director Eric West including tentative scheduling for 2021 and how to submit your entries.
Based on what is currently known about the pace of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the US, the 15th Annual Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) will be rescheduled for late July to early August. This postponement will ensure the safety of our judges, stewards, and staff, and allow the judging to be held as normally as possible.
When the rescheduled event dates are confirmed with the venue, we will make an official announcement via email and social media. Until then, we ask that potential volunteers not commit to specific travel plans.
Entry registration for the 2021 event is open from now until Friday July 2nd at https://glintcap.org/register/. Entry fees are frozen at their 2020 levels: $75 per Commercial Division entry and $22.50 per Noncommercial Division entry. There will be no Early Registration window or Late Registration window for 2021.
There is no limit to the number of entries you may register in 2021, and you may register additional entries until registration closes on Friday July 2nd, simply by submitting a new entry form. You may not, however, enter the same product into multiple style categories. Visit https://glintcap.org/rules/ for a complete list of rules and regulations.
Samples must arrive at a designated collection point no later than Friday July 16th. Collection points in the United States (Vander Mill) and Canada (Twin Pines) remain the same as in recent years. Visit https://glintcap.org/shipping/ for complete details.
Entrants who registered in 2020 can make changes to their entries at no cost by emailing me (eric@ciderguide.com) between now and Friday July 2nd. These changes include swapping out one cider/perry for another, or editing details for an existing entry such as apple/pear varieties and ABV. Search your email account for the subject “GLINTCAP 2020 Entry Confirmation” for a record of what you have previously entered.
If you already shipped your samples in 2020 and wish to send fresher samples for the July 2021 event, we are offering a $20 refund per Commercial Division entry and a $10 refund per Noncommercial Division entry to offset your costs. Please email me (eric@ciderguide.com) to confirm whether you intend to send new samples for the July 2021 event.
We are now accepting judge applications for this year’s competition. There are also volunteer opportunities available for stewards, who pour samples for judges and help organize paperwork. Please visit https://glintcap.org/volunteer/ and complete the questionnaire if interested. If you registered to volunteer in 2020, please email me (eric@ciderguide.com) to confirm whether you intend to participate in the 2021 event.
We appreciate your understanding of yet another postponement. We will reach out again when the rescheduled dates for the judging are confirmed, and will notify you of any changes that may impact the timing or format of the 2021 event.
Eric West
Competition Director
Cornell Cider Supply Chain Survey
David Zakalik, a grad student under Greg Peck, has developed a survey to assess cider supply chains across North America. He is asking for the help of ACA members to take the survey to create a larger base from which to glean information. Please read below for the description of the survey from David and to find the link to the survey form.
The Peck Lab Group at Cornell University has been collecting data from cidermakers across North America about apple supply, what varieties folks are fermenting/growing, and how apple supply affects cider style. We’re doing one final push for responses (180 and counting so far) from all sizes and styles of commercial cideries. We would greatly appreciate your participation to help us understand how what we’re researching affects the cider industry.
The more responses, the more representative the results will be of the industry as a whole. If you’d like your cidery’s needs to be heard by researchers, please take a few minutes to fill out this Google Questionnaire. All info will be anonymized; a report will be coming out later this year. Responses will be accepted through May 15th.
Please direct any questions to David Zakalik at dlz27@cornell.edu. Thanks in advance!
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Webinar Now Available!
The recording of the Restaurant Revitalizaiton Fund (RRF) Webinar with the U.S. Small Business Association that took place on April 21, 2021 is now available to American Cider Associations members.
For more information regarding the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, check out our blog post!
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Webinar Recording
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Restaurant Revitalization Fund Webinar with SBA
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If you were a member and are now seeing this message, please Renew your membership to continue.
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Update
UPDATE 04/27/2021 Registration for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will begin will begin Friday at 9am and the application period will start on Monday, May 3 at 12pm ET. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.
UPDATE 04/22/2021 SBA has announced technology partnerships with several point-of-sale (POS) service providers to help streamline the application process for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). Partnerships have been established with Clover, NCR Corporation, Square, and Toast so far. Once SBA announces when applications will be accepted, qualifying businesses can work directly with these POS service providers to help them apply for RRF. The POS service providers will help in different ways, from providing an integrated application process, to supplying pre-packaged POS documentation, to hosting webinars. Check with your POS system to see what they are offering.
While SBA encourages applicants to use the POS ecosystem, applicants without access to point-of-sale service providers can submit their applications electronically at restaurants.sba.gov.
Who is eligible?
- Restaurant, Food Stand, Food Truck, Food Cart
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bar
- Caterer
- Bar, Lounge, Saloon, Tavern
- An Inn*
- Brewery, Brewpub, Microbrewery, Taproom, Tasting room*
- Bakery*
- Winery*
- Distillery*
- A licensed facility or premise of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products
- Other similar place of business in which the public or patrons assemble for the primary purpose of being served food or alcohol.
*Inns, bakeries, breweries, brewpubs, microbreweries, taprooms, tasting rooms, wineries, and distilleries are limited to those that have onsite sales to the public of 33% or more of gross sales.
What is the maximum grant amount for the RRFG?
The maximum grant amount is $5M per location and $10M total for the eligible businesses with more than one location.
Is a business that applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan eligible to apply for an RRFG?
Yes. However, the RRFG will be reduced by the total amount of PPP Loans.
What documents will an eligible business need to prepare to apply for a RRFG? (Please remember that while you can begin to compile information, you cannot yet submit your application to the SBA.)
- SBA Form 3172
- Verification for Tax Information: IRS Form 4506-T, completed and signed by Applicant. Completion of this form digitally on the SBA platform will satisfy this requirement.
- Gross Receipts Documentation: Any of the following documents demonstrating gross receipts and, if applicable, eligible expenses will satisfy this requirement.
- Business tax returns (IRS Form 1120 or IRS 1120-S)
- IRS Forms 1040 Schedule C; IRS Forms 1040 Schedule F
- For a partnership: partnership’s IRS Form 1065 (including K-1s)
- Bank statements
- Externally or internally prepared financial statements such as Income Statements or Profit and Loss Statements
- Point of sale report(s), including IRS Form 1099-K
- For applicants that are a brewpub, tasting room, taproom, brewery, winery, distillery, or bakery:
- Documents proving that onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33.00% of gross receipts for 2019, which may include Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Forms 5130.9 or TTB. For businesses who opened in 2020, the Applicant’s original business model should have contemplated at least 33.00% of gross receipts in onsite sales to the public.
What will the RRFG rollout schedule look like?
| Priority Period Days 1 to 21 | SBA will accept applications from all applicants but priority will be given to small businesses that have women, veterans, and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals that have 51% ownership. |
| Open to all Applicants Day 22 through funds exhaustion | SBA will accept applications from all eligible applicants and process applications in the order in which they are approved by SBA. |
Are some RRFG funds set aside for specific groups?
Yes, there are funds set aside for specific groups. They are as follows:
- $5 billion is set aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $500,000
- An additional $4 billion is set-aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts from $500,001 to $1,500,000
- An additional $500 million is set-aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $50,000
What can my RRFG funds be used for?
- Business payroll costs (including sick leave)
- Payments on any business mortgage obligation
- Business rent payments (note: this does not include prepayment of rent)
- Business debt service (both principal and interest; note: this does not include any prepayment of principal or interest)
- Business utility payments
- Business maintenance expenses
- Construction of outdoor seating
- Business supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials)
- Business food and beverage expenses (including raw materials)
- Covered supplier costs
- Business operating expenses
For more information you can check out the RRFG Info Page at SBA or sign-up to receive updates about the RRFG from SBA. In addition, you can download the National Restaurant Association’s FAQ Guide for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants