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.
CCP Level 1 Test Prep Is Going On Demand!
SPONSORS: Thank you to our 2021 CCP presenting sponsor, Petainer, and to our summer training sponsor, Arryved!
We are thrilled to announce that our introductory level Certified Cider Professional program is growing! Starting June 1, we’re launching a 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)
Presale
Between now and June 1st we are offering a 10% off pre-sale price. This special intro price is just $89 for ACA Non-Members and $68 for Members.
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. 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 parttime Cider Education Outreach Manager. Tuesday was her first day, but if you have questions about CCP, please do connect with Jennie!
Join the Education Committee
ACA is actively recruiting applicants interested in joining our volunteer committees, including our Education committee. This committee identifies target audiences for ACA’s cider education programs such as CCP, reviews & helps create ACA educational content, brainstorms strategic new educational programming, steers development of the third level of CCP. Applications are due May 26. Learn more about serving and how to apply here.
Visit our website today to reserve your Level 1 CCP Presale bundle!
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.