CiderCon® 2021 Fact Sheet
While CiderCon® 2021 may have had a different feel due to the necessity of transitioning to a virtual platform, it was undoubtedly an unparalleled success!
- CiderCon® 2021 took place on the virtual platform Hopin from February 3-5, 2021. The schedule can be downloaded here. Instagram Highlights available here.
- 793 people attended the conference via their computers from around the world.
- 41 states and the District of Columbia were represented, with Oregon, New York, California, Colorado, Michigan, Virginia, and Washington having the most attendees.
- 18 countries were represented, with cider professionals from the US, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Italy all in virtual attendance.
- 47 vendors took part in the virtual Trade Show, sponsored by Fruitsmart, with resounding success. Many provided live virtual demonstrations of their product offerings and interviewed cidermakers who were using their goods and services.
- Four keynote speakers graced the virtual main stage, sponsored by Fintech, over the course of the conference. They were:
- Anna Nadasdy of Fintech Infosource who opened the conference with a discussion of what consumer trends in 2021 might look like and how businesses can stay agile in a tumultuous climate.
- Justin Doggett of Kyoto Black Coffee who discussed the need for businesses to support one another during the pandemic and beyond and suggested innovative ways in which to do so.
- Michael Uhrich of Seventh Point Analytics Consulting who discussed, not only the importance of analytics to businesses, but practicable ways in which cider professionals can do assessments in house.
- Dr. J Nikol Jackson-Beckham founder of Crafted for All who closed out the main stage presentations with concrete ways in which businesses can create sustainable inclusion, equity, and justice strategies and put them into practice.
- The Cheers & Chat Networking sessions allowed attendees to be randomly matched with someone for a speed dating style virtual meetup. Hundreds of people took part in Cheers & Chat and new cider professional friends were quickly made.
- The American Cider Association once again partnered with the Cider Institute of North America to develop a range of in-depth, production oriented sessions for cidermakers. Every single session in the production track had more than 100 attendees and several topped 200 people. Sessions included co-fermentation in natural ciders, factors to consider when making sparkling cider, quince fermentation, improving the shelf life of canned ciders and strategies for creating a successful blend. The Cider Institute of North America trains cider makers through their educational programming in partnership with universities like Cornell.
- VIP packages purchased by attendees raised $1000 for the Cider Institute scholarship fund, whose goal is to offer tuition-free education to Black, Indiginous and People of Color covering the fundamental aspects of cider production through their online training.
- The Pomme Boots Society once again partnered with the ACA to provide unique content this year, including a session from Samantha Lee, co-founder of Hopewell Brewery, who shared how her progressive craft brewery flipped the script on traditional craft brewery business by putting people over profits. Pomme Boots Society is a volunteer run organization for women working in the cider industry. The Pomme Boots Society annual meeting featured Lee, and speakers from the Pink Boots Society, and had close to 200 people in attendance.
- Five legal and compliance sessions were also offered. Four of these sessions were led by employees from the TTB, the federal agency responsible for regulating cider taxes and labels. In addition, TTB employees hosted a virtual booth in the Trade Show that saw over 200 attendees stop by to discuss the finer points of legal regulations.
- The American Cider Associations annual board elections happen concurrently with CiderCon®. Newly elected board members were presented prior to the Grand Toast. Soham Bhatt of Artifact Cider was elected to his first term on the board in an At Large seat, Brooke Glover of Swilled Dog Hard Cider was re-elected as an At Large member, and Ryan Burk of Angry Orchard was re-elected as a Large Cidery member.
- In addition, new board officials were installed with Eleanor Leger of Eden Ciders taking the helm as president, Brooke Glover of Swilled Dog Hard Cider as vice-president, Marcus Robert of Tieton Cider as treasurer, and John Behrens of Farmhaus Cider as secretary.
CiderCon® 2022 is scheduled to take place in Richmond, Virginia from February 1-4, 2022.
2021 ACA Board Election Results
The American Cider Association announced the results of its 2021 Board of Director Elections live from CiderCon 2021 today. The ACA membership elected Brooke Glover, Soham Bhatt and Ryan Burk. Burk and Glover are board veterans and Bhatt is excited to be serving on the board for the first time.
The Board also selected its 2021 officers. They are:
Outgoing President Paul Vander Heide will remain on the board and looks forward to working closely with the new officers.
Sam Fitz of ANXO Cider in Washington DC, board member as a Cidery-At-Large, did not run for re-election in 2021. Sam has been a very engaged and contributive board member and looks forward to staying engaged with the association as a member in the next year.
Eleanor Leger shares her excitement to be serving as the 2021 Board Presdient:
I am honored to be newly elected as Board President of the American Cider Association. We have a fantastic new strategic plan with initiatives to strengthen understanding and support in the trade, make innovation and compliance easier, to support cider makers of all sizes and models, and to specifically reach out to Black, Indigenous and People of Color to let them know we welcome them as makers, customers, influencers, trade buyers and suppliers. As we go forward, I pledge to you that as Board President, my email door is always open, that I will work with my fellow Board members and Michelle to strengthen our organization and the value it delivers to you, our members, and that we will do our work in a way that brings us together in our common goal to build a great industry for everyone. – Eleanor Leger, 2021 ACA Board President
For media inquiry about these election results, please contact Michelle McGrath: michelle [at] ciderassociation [dot] org.
ICYMI: CiderCon® Starts Tomorrow!
CiderCon® is literally just around the corner! Virtual doors open at 8:00am tomorrow, Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Are you registered yet? If not, there is still time! Click the button above to be directed to our virtual platform, Hopin, where CiderCon is being held this year, and you can still buy your tickets. Trust us, you don’t want to miss out on all the amazing sessions we have offered this year, nor the super sweet virtual Trade Show! Plus, if you’re a registered attendee you will have access to the sessions long after CiderCon so you can check out sessions you missed at your leisure. Curious about just how awesome these sessions are: Read on for some recent highlights!
At Hopewell Brewing – one of Chicago’s rising brewery stars – success is not defined by bottom lines. Thanks to co-founder Samantha Lee, the brewery measures its performance against the way it treats its employees, and prioritizes being responsible community members and building a culture of good business practices. In this session, Lee shares how her progressive craft brewery flipped the script on traditional craft brewery business by putting people over profits. Plus, hear about how the brewery has maintained that sense of togetherness and hope during the pandemic — through activism, creative connection, and, of course, brewing damn good beer.
Cider producers are facing several issues which impact successful canned packaging, including overcoming reduced aromas due to formation of H2S which can negatively impact consumer opinion upon consumption. Join this session to hear about research from Cornell University using accelerated aging tests to predict corrosion and H2S formation during long-term storage of wine and cider in aluminum packaging. Producers will discuss preliminary results and observations from current trials with Enartis related to reducing the use of SO2 and removing copper-bound sulfides to increase shelf stability and minimize the appearance of sulfur off aromas in the can. The panel will discuss solutions and trends to be aware of and continue exploring.
While keeping our distance has become the norm in 2020, everyone who chooses to visit your taproom for on-premise consumption is accepting that some level of interaction will occur. Even during the shortest, COVID-era encounter, you have the ability to build connections with your guests. In this session, we will show the financial value of engaging at a high level and why it is vital even more so during a pandemic.
Why bother with home cidermaking if you are not going to experiment? This session will explore various ways in which cidermakers can experiment on a small-scale. Darlene and Dana will provide advice regarding experimental-control design that will enable you to more objectively evaluate the effect of your “treatment.” The presentation will include examples of successes as well as failures. If you are interested in experimenting with additions from native plants, we will provide tips for investigating previous uses by Native American tribes and emphasize the importance of doing your research to ensure you do not poison anyone. Finally, Dana will share her own experiences using California native plants such as Manzanita (“Little Apple” in Spanish), Elderberry, Toyon, and Pacific Madrone.
Consumers and commercial food buyers are increasingly interested in products with “sustainable” attributes — products that are local, natural, organic, or claim other social or environmental benefits. This session will review consumer and market research on the demand for sustainable products. We will consider some best practices for making sustainability claims and address the differences between first, second and third party claims. We will also discuss the pros and cons of third-party certification and the roles that certification can play improving operations and supporting the brand and product marketing.
This session will detail how cidermakers in the United States are presenting single variety ciders and ciders that specifically call out notable varieties in a blend. We will examine the feedback loop from producer to consumer and chart how this is changing the way producers market their products. We will talk about creating successful tasting notes and how to educate consumers on raw materials.
CiderCon® 2021 Trade Show Word Hunt Game!
Our virtual trade show is 🔥! And to make it sizzle a little bit more, we’ve created a fun word hunt game and a chance for YOU to win awesome prizes.
How to Play: Visit the trade show during the LIVE scheduled hours and ask the vendor for their magic word. Collect the words to complete a phrase. Think you have the phrase solved? Submit your guesses here. Make sure you have collected the magic words from at least these booths before you submit your answer: FruitSmart, Ekos, Fermentis, Fintech, Voran, Juicing Systems, CINA and Cider Culture. All booths have a word—visit them all for our best chance at winning.
The phrase is 4 sentences long, comprised of 44 words. There is a bonus prize for the first person to submit the right answer: a CiderCon hoodie! All correct guesses will be entered into a raffle for 4 nights hotel and 1 conference registration for CiderCon 2022 in Richmond, Virginia.
Submit your words and make your guess here! Game closes at 10:45 AT PST on Friday. Winners are announced during the grand toast. GOOD LUCK!
Hint: Apple Mythology
2021 ACA Board Candidates
As a 501C-6 non-profit membership-based trade association for the US hard cider industry, each year the American Cider Association holds elections for our board of directors. The board members play a critical role in governance and oversight as well as guiding strategic decisions. Our bylaws have established specific seats that include representation for regions and cidery size (gallons produced). Our succession plan rotates which seats are up for election each year to ensure a mixture of new perspective and institutional knowledge. This year there are 3 seats who are up for election—2 are “At Large” and the third is for Large Cidery (>1M g; voted for among ‘Large Cidery’ members only).
Our elections are electronic with a vote by email system. Each cidery gets 1 ballot. Ballots are sent to the Primary Contact email in our database. Members are encouraged to get team input on who your cidery is voting for.
Ballots will go out Wednesday morning and will close Friday morning. Only active ACA members will receive a ballot. As there are two seats available for the At Large Director category, members will have the chance to cast a vote for two candidates.
It is our pleasure to introduce to you the 2021 ACA Board Election Candidates. At Large Candidates: Brooke Glover, James Chuck, Soham Bhatt and Tyler Butcher. Large Cidery Candidate: Ryan Burk. Scroll down to get to know all of these candidates and what they hope to do on the board of the ACA.
>>At-Large Board Candidates
Brooke Glover – Swilled Dog Hard Cider (West Virginia) Watch Brooke’s Candidate Statement and read her words below:
“My name is Brooke Glover, and I am the co-founder of Swilled Dog Hard Cider, a small cidery out of West Virginia. I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Board of the ACA for the past three years, including as Vice-President for the last two, as well as chair of the Marketing Committee and as a member of the Gov’t Affairs Committee. It would be an honor to continue my service to the industry and to our members and I’d like to focus on three things should I be re-elected: 1. Regulatory affairs and lobbying for our industry. We’ve had some significant wins this year in this department and I’d like to continue advocating for our members and keep the momentum to help make regulations fair and logical. 2. Continuing to act as a representative for our smaller cideries. Smaller cideries need to continue to have a voice in the decisions that affect our approach to the industry’s growth. This includes helping to get data that can be used to make business decisions and gain shelf space. 3. Continued growth of the industry. To fulfill the ACA’s mission of having a successful and diverse industry, we need to work together and support each other. Bringing together all cidermakers in this goal needs to continue to be a focus for our organization. Thanks so much! I would love the privilege of continuing to serve you and I appreciate your vote.”
James Chuck – Empire Cider (New York) Watch James’s Candidate Statement and read his words below:
“I know how tough the cider business is. I’m running for an At Large Board position because I want to help you and your company survive COVID and thrive once it’s over. I co-founded the Empire Cider Company in New York State in 2013 to make great ciders from New York apples. We’ve had some successes and failures, won awards and helped others throughout the country do so, too. I’ve served on the Marketing committees of both the ACA and the New York Cider Association, and am a member of the NYCA’s Social Justice Committee. As an At Large member I’d apply my background in hard cider company management, strategy consulting, social entrepreneurship, economic development and digital marketing to: 1) Help us all grow the US cider category by 50% to $2 billion with gains in every region and state; 2) Protect and increase cider shelf-space in off-premise accounts; 3) Support cider’s return to on-premise accounts so that sales and margins post-COVID are better than pre-COVID; and 4) Create tools and templates to help small and medium sized cideries achieve lasting profitability. Additionally, I would support Michelle’s work advocating to ensure an inclusive and successful US cider industry in which you can achieve healthy living-wages and sustainable economic viability in order to continue your passion of cider-making, environmental and land stewardship, and job preservation and creation in your community.
I’m committed to contribution and I’d be grateful for your vote and the opportunity to serve you as an At Large member on the Board of the American Cider Association. Thank you very much.”
Soham Bhatt – Artifact Cider (Massachussetts) Watch Soham’s Candidate Statement and read his words below:
“This past July during an otherwise hilarious monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! comedian Iliza Shlesinger did a bit on hard seltzer brands. She joked, “the hard seltzer race, too many contenders!…we saw this gold rush with the flavored water game and hard cider game”. [cringe]. While it might be true that hard seltzer is getting saturated, I know for a fact that “the hard cider game” is anything but a gold rush. Having started my cidery with my best friend and our paltry pooled life savings, it was dispiriting to think that the mainstream understanding of this beverage had been reduced to a flash-in-the-pan, forgettable fad drink. Even after untold fits, starts, and the motivation pulverizing life of small business, I’m still optimistic about the promise of cider. I’m optimistic about the diversity of approaches we have in the United States and how we can collaborate with our peers across the globe. I’m excited about everything from exploring terroir in cider to the coolest co-ferment on the block. But I think that on the most fundamental level, it’s still a broadly and tragically misunderstood beverage. So my goal, if honored with the opportunity to serve on the board of the ACA, is a simple and focused one. I’d like to contribute and expand the work currently being done to figure out new and novel ways to educate the trade and our drinkers about cider, our different approaches, the value of diversity in those approaches, and why cider is not a fad. Despite our differences, there are a number of things that all cider producers can agree on and industry materials should reflect it. Perhaps someday as a result of these efforts, Iliza will know the difference between the ‘gold rush’ she referenced and the Gold Rush we care about.”
Tyler Butcher – Kekionga Cider Company (Indiana) Watch Tyler’s Candidate Statment and read his words below:
“Hello all. I am the co-founder of Kekionga Craft Company, which opened in July of 2017. We are a farm winery that is located within a historic apple mill, dating back to the late 1920’s. Cider is our primary focus, as we can and bottle for distribution in the 10-county area of northeast Indiana. I recently joined our company full time to manage all the business operations. I have 10+ years of experience in the accounting and finance industry. I have worked for companies with revenues that range from 12 mil up to 6 billion. Currently, I hold the position of treasurer for the Northeast Indiana Beer Trail. I am hoping that my passion for small business and the alcohol industry, combined with my financial background, would be a great fit for the American Cider Association.”
>> Large Cidery Board Candidate
Ryan Burk – Angry Orchard (New York) Watch Ryan’s Candidate Statement and read his word’s below.
“Hey, American Cider Association! Ryan Burk here from Angry Orchard. I am asking for your vote for my third term on the ACA board. I’m really excited to continue my work on the board, and to contribute at a high level to the cider industry at large. I definitely appreciate being able to be a bridge between CINA, that’s the Cider Institute of North America, and the American Cider Association Board. Education in the cellar is something that I’m personally interested in and invested in, not just for myself but for other cidermakers. Certainly education as relates to the CCP and the Certified Pommelier program, connecting with our friends in the bars, at the wholesaler, etc, provides an opportunity to elevate their own education and become experts in cider. We can continue to develop a shared language about what cider is. All of these things are really interesting to me, and I think are our greatest opportunities as we move forward with our dynamic and growing industry.
I think that I can share a local‑here in New York‑national, and global perspective, with the board, and with the industry, and I’m happy to continue to get that opportunity. Cheers and happy CiderCon!”
CiderCon 2021: Sustainability Leadership Action Group
This CiderCon session will take place Thursday, February 4, Noon to 1PM PST.
This facilitated Leadership Action Group breakout session begins the process of exploring the practices and metrics that are – or could be— the call signs of a sustainable cider enterprise and industry. This interactive session kicks off with a brief orientation on sustainability and measurement with sustainability strategy and reporting expert Lisa Spicka of Maracuja Solutions. With this background as reference, participants will share sustainability successes and challenges with peers. Finally, the group will work through a series of discussions to identify how sustainability might be leveraged to elevate the performance and reputation of the cider industry and its businesses, with a focus on the metrics that might be measured to help tell the story. You won’t want to miss being a part of this Thought Leadership initiative!
Pre-Registration Requested: To enhance session outcomes, we request that participants pre-register via this Google Form by February 2nd. The Form (@ 5-10 minutes to complete) includes simple background questions. However, you won’t be turned away if you “show up” the day of the session!
Buy Cider Direct from CiderCon® 2021 Featured Speakers
While we may not have our normal tasting sessions at CiderCon® this year, you CAN purchase the ciders made by our wonderful speakers to sip on while you participate in a virtual CiderCon® from the comfort of your home. We’ve compiled this helpful guide (listed by session, cidery, and speaker) of where you can buy cider online from the cidermakers speaking at CiderCon® 2021. Make your purchases today so they will arrive in time to enjoy during the conference—or, purchase them later to enjoy during a replay of one of the 35+ recorded CiderCon 2021® sessions.
Factors to Consider When Making Sparkling Cider
- Angry Orchard – Ryan Burk (Walden, NY Pick Up Only)
Strategies for Creating a Successful Blend
- Silo Distillery – Nicole Leibon
- Eve’s Cider – Autumn Stoscheck
- Horse & Plow – Chris Condos
Quince Fermentation
- Art + Science – Dan Rinke and Kim Hamblin
- South Hill Cider – Steve Selin
- Little Pomona – James Forbes
- Pilton Cider – Martin Berkeley
Co-Fermentation in Natural Cider
- Zafa Wines – Krista Scruggs
- Wildcraft Cider Works – Sean Kelly
- Botanist & Barrel – Kether Smith
Improving the Shelf Life of Canned Cider
- 2 Towns Ciderhouse – Dave Takush
- Austin Eastciders – Brittnay Perlo
How to Build the Financial Section of Your Business Plan
- Artifact Cider – Jake Mazar
Cidernomics 102: Evaluating Sales Channel Economics
- Eden Ciders – Eleanor Leger
Consumer Expectations of Single Varietal Ciders
- Alpenfire – Philippe Bishop
- Blue Bee Cider – Courtney Mailer
Winter Orchard Care 101
- James Creek Cider House – David and Ann Marie Thornton
Cider Clubs: Growth, Opportunities, & Tools
- Haykin Family Cider – Talia Haykin
CiderCon® Mainstage Presentations
We are stoked to have these 4 amazing mainstage speakers join us at CiderCon® 2021! Our mainstage is sponsored by Fintech.
This engaging seminar will consist of a robust presentation of current market trends impacting craft cider sales. How was your business impacted by shifts in consumer behavior in 2020? How well did you adapt to the dramatic changes? We will discuss how craft suppliers are using consumer demand data to stay agile, and what you need to look out for in 2021.
Have you made a commitment and embarked on the journey toward improved diversity and inclusion outcomes but find your efforts to be disjointed and running out of steam? In this talk, Dr. J guides attendees through building a comprehensive strategic plan for inclusion, equity, and justice (IEJ) work; creating a responsibility structure to foster accountability and transparency; and addresses the challenging realities of implementation.
Justin Doggett, owner of Kyoto Black Coffee, will be taking a retrospective look at the effects of the SARS-CoV 2 pandemic on the food industry and offering insights on some of the unique challenges and opportunities to thrive that have been created by this event.
The cider industry is thirsty for analytics, but just like a new cider drinker we’re not all sure which flavor we want to invest in. Beverage alcohol analytics veteran, Michael Uhrich, will give a taste of insights in alcohol competition, pricing, assortment, and more to help your business today and inspire you to up your analytics game.
ACA Launches 2nd Annual Dry Cider January
The American Cider Association (ACA) is once again launching their month long campaign called Dry Cider January to celebrate ciders containing 0 grams of residual sugar. The ACA hosts a dry cidery directory on their website to promote their members’ ciders. The association is encouraging others to join the campaign through social media with the hashtags #dryciderjanuary and #pickdrycider.
The ACA’s Dry Cider Directory will be updated as members submit new product releases. The directory can be found here on ACA’s website. The list can be filtered and sorted so consumers can find no-sugar ciders local to them.
Alcohol is created when yeast converts sugar into alcohol through fermentation. A cider that contains no residual sugar has been fermented to absolute dryness. Sometimes cidermakers will blend a completely dry cider with fresh juice for acid/sugar balance, but other times they leave the cider entirely dry. These dry ciders are what the association is listing on their website for the campaign.
“The brain has a hard time distinguishing fruity from sweet. Many ciders with absolutely no sugar in them can still be fruit-forward,” explained the association’s executive director, Michelle McGrath. “You’ll find there are a multitude of dry ciders available when you start seeking them,” she added.
The list of ciders on the association’s website demonstrates the flavors and styles possible not only in the cider category, but in ciders with 0g sugar. From single varietal ciders showcasing specific apple varieties and served in a 750ml bottle to ciders aged on rose and hibiscus petals and served in a 12 oz can, the range is impressive.
Follow the association on their Instagram account @pickcider to learn more about the campaign.
Are you a cidermaker and want to add a cider to the directory? Fill out the form HERE! Have a picture and description of your cider ready to go before you fill out the form.
ACA Board of Directors Election Announcement
The American Cider Association is accepting nominations for joining their board of directors. Nominations are due January 22. These are volunteer positions with a three year commitment. Active membership of the association is one of the few requirements. There are three seats in this year’s election. Incumbents whose terms are up for renewal may choose to run for these seats again. The three seats up for renewal are:
- At Large 1 (Open to any permanent salaried employee of US-based ACA member cidery in any region – no size restrictions)
- At Large 2 (Open to any permanent salaried employee of US-based ACA member cidery in any region – no size restrictions)
- Large Cidery (Open to any salaried permanent employee of US-based ACA member cidery in any region where 2020 production was more than 1 million gallons of cider)
Interested candidates should complete the self-nomination form here:
Have questions about board service? Reach out to Michelle. She can send you an informational video that she recorded last year and schedule a time to chat.
Do you know who is on the 2020 board? Meet them HERE.
Developing a more diverse and equitable cider industry and association is a long-term project that requires conscious iterative investment at every stage. Our board is actively working toward goal development in this area (read a recent blog post from our board vice president, Brooke Glover). We believe that representation matters in reaching those goals and we are thus encouraging diverse candidates including women, BIPOCs, LGTBQIA+, veterans and people with disabilities to run for the board of directors.