Posts by Jenn Root Martell

In a year marked by political uncertainty, agency slowdowns, and a federal shutdown, cider still advanced—and your engagement made that possible. 

New Leadership, Renewed Focus

At the American Cider Association, 2025 began with a leadership shift that sharpened our advocacy work. Monica Cohen stepped into her role as CEO, while Jenn Root Martell took the lead on federal advocacy efforts. Together with the ACA Government Affairs Committee, we revisited and strengthened our policy priorities at both the state and federal levels.

A renewed emphasis was placed on advancing the Bubble Tax Bill, alongside ongoing engagement with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau on cider labeling and geographic indicators. The year kicked off on a high note with the culmination of a long-fought advocacy effort at the TTB to modernize and expand the standards of fill for wine, including the addition of new approved sizes – 180 mL, 300 mL, 330 mL, 360 mL, 473 mL (16 oz), 550 mL, 568 mL (19.2 oz), 600 mL, 620 mL, 700 mL, and 720 mL – that better reflect today’s marketplace. At the state level, ACA took a more proactive role supporting member cideries to align state cider definitions with the federal standard while also pushing back against neo-prohibitionist efforts to introduce new alcohol taxes in multiple states.

The Bubble Tax Bill Moves Forward

Throughout the year the ACA remained in steady contact with Congressional offices to ensure cider didn’t fall off the radar. We arranged regular meetings with Hill staff, cultivating new relationships, and reinforcing why cider deserves regulatory parity with other beverage alcohol categories—especially when it comes to the Bubble Tax Bill.

The reintroduction of our priority legislation in the House of Representatives by Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6) and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3) gave us a critical window to raise visibility for fruited ciders and the producers and growers behind them. (Find the press release of the reintroduction here.) We expanded our co-sponsor outreach to include Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), Rep. JimmyPanetta (D-CA-19), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR-4), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) and Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11). On the Senate side Sen. Chuck Schumer continues to support the bill as we recruit additional members to co-sponsor. We deepened conversations with tax and trade staff and worked to keep the bill firmly positioned as a pragmatic, targeted fix – not a sweeping regulatory overhaul.

Supporting Industry-Wide Initiatives

In 2025, the ACA remained engaged not only on cider-specific issues but also on broader initiatives affecting the entire alcohol industry. We advocated for dietary guidelines grounded in unbiased, science-based research that emphasize moderate drinking while avoiding prescriptive quantity recommendations, helping ensure public health guidance is both responsible and practical. Additionally, the ACA supported the CHEERS Act (Creating Hospitality Economic Enhancement for Restaurants and Servers) – a bipartisan bill designed to provide targeted tax relief and incentives to bars, restaurants, taprooms, and entertainment venues that install and use energy‑efficient draft systems. We also backed efforts to allow USPS alcohol shipping, which enables cideries to safely and legally reach customers across state lines – an increasingly important tool for small and mid-sized producers. Through these efforts, the ACA continues to amplify the voice of cidermakers while advancing policies that benefit the wider beverage alcohol community.

Members Make the Difference

This year made one thing clear: advocacy works best when it’s personal. The Do Gooder Campaign launched in July sent more than a hundred emails to Congressional offices and constituent meetings with Hill staff during the shutdown led to Bubble Bill co-sponsorship commitments and great connections between our cider community and their representatives. 

In August, the ACA submitted comments to the TTB on proposed Alcohol Facts and allergen labeling rules, advocating for practical, clear, and cost-conscious approaches that work for cider producers of all sizes. Our input, built on member comments and suggestions, emphasized minimizing regulatory burdens while ensuring consumer transparency, helping to shape federal guidance that reflects the realities of our industry.

Lawmakers listen carefully to constituents, and every email, meeting, and story shared by a cidermaker strengthens our case. Your voices not only drive policy progress but also help shape the ACA’s advocacy strategy, ensuring it reflects the real needs and priorities of our members.

Looking to What’s Next

As Congress turns toward end-of-year appropriations and we look ahead to 2026, cider is better positioned than it has been in a long time. With renewed focus on tax reform in Washington, there will be multiple legislative opportunities to advance the Bubble Tax Bill in the year ahead.

To strengthen our presence and effectiveness, the American Cider Association will be partnering with a government affairs firm to elevate our visibility on Capitol Hill and advance our legislative priorities. This partnership will allow us to build capacity for larger, more impactful initiatives that benefit the entire cider community. In parallel, ACA is enlisting the financial support of forward-looking cideries from across the country to help invest in this work and ensure sustained momentum. At the same time, we will continue to support state-level advocacy efforts and the important work being done by our members nationwide.

With the TTB, we will continue building strong relationships with agency staff, support a renewed focus on developing geographic indicators, and work toward further revisions and greater clarity in wine labeling to better serve cider producers.Now is the moment to stay engaged: attend CiderCon® to learn more about our advocacy efforts, meet with your elected officials, respond to action alerts, and keep sharing your story. Thank you for helping elevate cider at the federal level. We’re heading into the new year with real momentum and we can’t wait to build on it together.

Now is the moment to stay engaged: attend CiderCon® to learn more about our advocacy efforts, meet with your elected officials, respond to action alerts, and keep sharing your story. Thank you for helping elevate cider at the federal level. We’re heading into the new year with real momentum and we can’t wait to build on it together.

The American Cider Association (ACA) is excited to share that the Bubble Tax Modernization Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 4613 on July 22, 2025 by Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6) and Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3), with original co-sponsorship from Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19). The full press release can be read here.

What Is the Bubble Tax Modernization Act?

While the “Bubble Bill” or “Bubble Tax Bill” does not alter the excise tax structure for fruited ciders, it takes an important step toward parity by aligning allowable carbonation levels with those permitted for wines and meads—raising the limit from 0.39 CO₂/100ml to 0.64 CO₂/100ml.

The ACA has been working to get this bill reintroduced for quite some time as this technical change would allow producers greater flexibility to craft a wider variety of carbonated ciders without triggering the burdensome “Bubble Tax”—which can add up to $3.40 per gallon.

Help Us Keep the Momentum Going!

Now that the Bubble Bill has been introduced in the House, our next step is to recruit champions in the Senate and work toward reintroduction there before the end of the fiscal year.

In the meantime, we need your help! Your Members of Congress need to hear from you so they can consider adding their support. Please use the link below to contact your Congressional Representatives and add your voice to this important industry effort:

👉Click here to email your representatives!

Thank you for helping spread the word and pushing for this critical change for the cider industry! Stay tuned for more advocacy updates and action alerts as the Bubble Bill moves through Congress. For questions, please reach out to Jenn Root Martell at jenn@ciderassociation.org.

Across the country, a rising wave of neo-prohibitionist legislation is threatening the progress and vitality of the alcohol industry—including craft cider. Backed by well-funded advocacy groups, these efforts seek to restrict access to alcohol through steep increases in state excise taxes and burdensome packaging and labeling requirements.

While often framed as public health initiatives, many of these proposals rely on alarmist messaging, disproportionately punish small producers, and overlook data on responsible consumption, economic impact, and industry accountability. Some are more subtly introduced but carry significant consequences all the same.

In Washington, current proposed legislation (HB 2079) would substantially raise the total tax burden on cider. The proposed increase of $0.2128/gal would create a total new tax rate of $0.5208/gal, or a 69% increase, creating a compounding and disproportionate financial strain on cider producers.

In Oregon, legislation introduced earlier this year proposed both a hike in beer and wine excise taxes and an additional five-cent charge on every beverage container—effectively creating a non-refundable tax on small producers and consumers alike.

The American Cider Association has submitted formal letters of opposition to these proposals and joined coalition efforts with our bev-alc industry partners. We are actively monitoring similar efforts in Colorado, New Mexico, and Illinois, and remain committed to defending fair and balanced alcohol policy nationwide.

Our priorities are clear:

• Defend fair and equitable tax policy
  
• Promote responsible enjoyment and education
  
• Protect cider producers’ rights to grow and market their businesses
  

The ACA will continue to engage with lawmakers, mobilize grassroots advocacy when needed, and keep you informed every step of the way.

If you become aware of concerning legislation in your state or region, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your insights and local perspective are vital to ensuring we’re able to act quickly and effectively.Together, we can push back against fear-based narratives and protect the future of American cider.