Board
Meet Your 2023 Board of Directors
The American Cider Association is pleased to announce the results of this year’s board elections. Congratulations to new board members Sarah Hemly and Breanne Heuss, and welcome back returning board members Dave Takush, Philippe Bishop, Marcus Robert, Talia Haykin, and John Behrens.
The board also re-elected Eleanor Leger as Board President, Brooke Glover as Board Vice President, Dave Takush as Board Secretary, and John Behrens as Board Treasurer.
Visit our About Us page to learn more about all your American Cider Association board of directors.
2023 ACA Board Candidates
The 2023 ACA Board Elections are around the corner. If you have an active and current membership with the ACA and you are a bonded active cidery, we will email the principal contact as they are designated on your account with an electronic ballot on Thursday, February 2, 2023. Please read below to meet the 2023 candidates for the ACA Board.
Midwest Chair:
Candidate Statement: My goal and the number one priority for the ACA is to help cideries sell more cider. This needs to be accomplished using a variety of strategies. These include providing educational opportunities to continuously improve the overall quality of cider in the marketplace and encouraging new faces to join the industry, promoting the diversity of cider and cider styles so consumers realize there is a cider for everyone, engaging with media to promote what makes cider unique and working with elected officials and agencies to create and promote common sense legislation that is fair and reasonable.
I am proud of the work of everyone on the current board and I look forward to continuing that work. I am also proud of my work as Treasurer to put the ACA back on a path of financial sustainability, creating our first reserve fund to help us better weather future economic downturns and approach those situations from a position of offense. My goal is for that to continue to ensure the long term viability of the organization.
About John: John Behrens is the Founder and President of Farmhaus Cider Company located in Hudsonville, Michigan. This company was founded in 2015 and has gone on to win many national and international accolades and awards. John began his first term as President of the Michigan Cider Association in 2018. Previously, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant for over 10 years at BDO USA and Steelcase. John holds an MBA from Grand Valley State University, in addition to degrees in Accounting and Finance.
Mountain West Chair:
Candidate Statement: Serving on the ACA board since 2020 has taught me so much about the broader cider industry and cider legislation. I have enjoyed learning how impactful the work that the ACA has done is on cideries of all sizes. I also enjoy being a conduit for the Mountain West Region – both sharing the work the ACA does with member cideries and communicating the unique needs of Mountain West cideries to the ACA. I see such a huge value in coming together as a group and advocating for what we need and want. And that generally starts with the apples. From recognition of different varietals and their unique flavor profiles, to terroir and its impact on cider, to harvest dates and transparency of what we’ve put in the bottle and where it came from. Teaching consumers the value of learning more about their regional apples and cidermakers, is a passion of mine. I can’t wait to keep working with the ACA to promote cider making, cider drinking, and apple literacy.
About Talia: In 2017 Talia, along with her husband Daniel, founded Haykin Family Cider in Colorado. Their cider journey began in 2013 as hobbyists in their living room. As they learned more about the rich history of apples and hard cider in the United States their cider became strongly focused on single varietals and family farms with whom they have personal relationships. In addition to her work with their cidery, which encompasses all business areas, Talia is a Denver-based writer and social media strategist. She formerly was the CMO of large non-profits and worked as a freelancer, prior to managing the cidery (and family) full-time. Talia lives in Denver with Daniel, their three children (who fight over who gets to ‘run the cider house’ one day), and their fluffy pup Soba Schnoodle.
Northwest Chair:
Candidate Statement: The American Cider Association’s mission is to provide valuable information, services, and resources to its members as well as advocate on their behalf. The organizations work has helped the cider industry grow by guiding legislation to reduce taxes and streamline governmental processes, providing vital industry statistics to our members and industry partners, and taking the lead as a voice in all corners of our market. During my time on the Board of Directors I have served on the legislative, membership, and finance committees, as well as serving as Treasurer on the Executive Committee. During my time as treasurer, I helped lead the organization through the toughest financial situation we have ever faced. Now, seemingly on the other side, I’m ready to help keep building the organization to better serve our members and the cider industry.
About Marcus: Marcus grew up on a family orchard, which he still owns and operates in the Yakima Valley. He owns and operates a winery with his wife Amy and has been involved in the beverage business for 20+ years. Marcus is the Cider Maker, President, and Co-owner of Tieton Cider Works where he has helped grow the company for the past 12 years.
Pacific Coast Chair:
Candidate Statement:
My name is Sarah Hemly and I’m President of Hemly Cider in Courtland California (An enormous town of over 140 people just south of Sacramento). In 2015 I co-founded Hemly Cider with an intent to showcase the fruit coming out of our families sixth generation pear and apple orchards. Our passion has been a focus on Perry, and I’d love the opportunity to bring another “pearspective” to the board.
My primary interest in joining the board as the Pacific Coast representative stems from a desire to strengthen the relationships and opportunities between cider and commercial agriculture. The past few decades of exposure to the family business of agriculture has offered me the amazing opportunity to learn about and work with some amazing farmers and diverse crops in our state. I’ve had the privilege to be able to travel and meet farmers through the IFTA (International Fruit Tree Association) and take some side trips to visit cider makers both domestically and globally. From San Diego, down to Tasmania, Germany, Spain, and Tennessee, I’ve seen the importance of growing the cider industry’s connection to commercial agriculture as well as the opportunity cider offers in return.
In California, over the past few years, we’ve seen pear and apple crops become the most expensive crops grown in the state. Coupled with canneries leaving, increases in costs of labor, land, water and added regulations, margins have shrunk while costs continue to rise. This in turn has affected costs of and access to juice for the cider industry. I think we all see potential in the cider industry as a “home” for high-quality culled fruit and seconds as well as an opportunity to convert dessert variety blocks to cider-specific varieties with the potential of reduced costs and increased margins to both farmers and the cider industry as a whole. I look forward to any opportunity to contribute to your organization and would be honored to be the ears of the board for the cideries in the Pacific Coast Region, so we can continue supporting the region appropriately.
About Sarah: In 2015 Sarah launched Hemly Cider with Co-Founder Chris Thomson. With help from her Tasmanian Business partner, Sarah built and grew Hemly Cider into an award-winning cider company that showcases the fruit grown by the family’s sixth generation pear and apple orchards. As the company has grown, the focus has shifted to include fruit from multiple California crops. Previous to Cider, Sarah earned a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California Berkeley. After spending 8 years in architecture and project management, she left the field and now serves full time as President of Hemly Cider as well as on the board of Greene and Hemly, the family orchard and packing company.
At Large Cidery Seat
Candidate Statement: I believe that the American Cider Association (ACA) is very good operating as a megaphone for the U.S. cider industry. This does not happen with out good leadership and a diverse board of volunteers willing to lend their time, discuss issues, share stories and help steer the industry to a place where we can all succeed. My voice comes from the perspective of a very small family run cidery, making under 5,000 gallons a year, growing traditional cider fruit in a maritime climate and trying to sell primarily large format bottles of harvest driven cider in a market that is heavily influenced by the beer world. Not the easiest thing to do, but being able to share this voice with the board members and help steer our decision making for producers like us is why I do it.
I wanted to take a more in active role in shaping the cider industry and was elected to the ACA board in 2020, previously serving on the board of the Northwest Cider Association. I have worked on multiple committees in the past 3 years including the Cider Market Data, Cider Marketing and Lexicon/ CCP as well as co-organizing regional cider maker industry socials the last one with well over 100 cider professionals from 3 states. My main goal is to help educate distributors, trade professionals, and consumers of the intricacies of cider. Not all cider is the same and cannot be presented in the same way. I bring experience from the perspective of owning a small company, spending most of my time on the sales side and having worked for a small craft distributor where I saw the frustration and challenges from both the sales rep and producer perspective. With proper tools, training and education, we can increase cider appreciation helping individual producers sell more cider and the cider industry as a whole. I look forward to continue working toward this goal collectively with Michelle, my fellow board members and everyone who has volunteered their time to committees.
About Philippe: I am a co-owner of Alpenfire Cider in Port Townsend, WA where I was raised. Some of my earliest memories are playing under ancient apple trees, that smell will be with me forever. After bouncing through many different jobs including wildland firefighter, commercial photographer, house salvage and deconstruction, to running the operations for a craft beverage distributor I fell in love with cider, following my folks foot steps. I primarily handle the sales and education side of things, but with any small company I wear many hats. Whether it is pruning or picking apples in our small cider orchard to washing tanks to blending cider in the production room that’s my life now. I live in Seattle, WA with my wife and kids Sierra and Cortland, enjoying a fine beverage or two with friends or hiking deep in the woods when I can find the time.
At Large Cidery Seat
I am so darn excited to be running for the member at large ACA board position. As a board member I intend to help promote positivity and unity within the cider community. I will focus my efforts on encouraging legislative initiatives that will bring positive change for all industry members.
About Dave: Dave Takush is the Head Cidermaker and co-owner of 2 Towns Ciderhouse. Dave earned a Master’s Degree in fermentation science at Oregon State University and has almost over a decade of experience in the craft beer, wine and cider industries. His passion for fermentation led him to join two childhood friends in starting 2 Towns Ciderhouse in Corvallis, Oregon. Now one of the largest craft cider producers in the nation, 2 Towns has over 100 employees and is dedicated to producing quality craft cider from 100% fresh-pressed Pacific NW apples. Dave is also a board member of the Cider Institute of North America.
Large Cidery Seat:
Candidate Statement: While on the ACA board, I want to create more brand awareness of the cider industry; help create guidelines for consumer-facing messages across the category and share the benefits cideries bring to the environmental communities around them. It’s important for the cider industry to become a key player in the beverage category.
I’d love to create more structure regarding how cideries promote fruit-based ciders, the definition of fresh-pressed, and how we talk about additional wellness benefits with consumers. As more consumers today seek “better for you” alternatives it’s important for us as an industry to set the standards of what consumers can expect when they purchase cider. I believe my expertise in brand marketing and leveraging emerging categories will help the ACA extend its influence with key government agencies, companies, and distributors across the US. All the while we continue to evolve as a major industry player within the beverage category.
About Breanne:
Breanne Heuss is a brand marketing leader with a reputation for identifying emerging consumer trends and market opportunities, launching first-to-market products, and establishing early market dominance across multiple beverage categories. With more than a decade of branding experience in the beverage industry, she has worked on everything from established national wine brands including Sutter Home Family Vineyards and FRE Alcohol-Removed Wines to developing new brands within the low/no alcohol space. Breanne currently serves as the Marketing Director for Golden State Cider and Seismic Brewing Company overseeing the marketing department driving new consumer acquisition, new brand development, and growth within direct-to-consumer channels.
Born and raised in California, she is happy to combine her love for supporting local agriculture with brands that expand consumer occasions and experiences. Breanne is enthusiastic about cider-making and looks to bring more Millennial and of-age Gen Z consumers into the cider category. She is excited to make this wonderful beverage a staple in every household.
Cheers to 10 Years: ACA Celebrates Its Tenth Year Since Incorporating
It’s time to raise a glass and cheers to the American Cider Association’s first 10 years of success!
Thank you, dear members, for working with us over the last decade to grow the status and connectedness of the cider industry. On this anniversary, we want to express our gratitude to the growers, the harvesters, the makers, the go-getters, and the storytellers. Without the contributions of members like you, the ACA doesn’t work. Thank you for sharing your time, showing up, and pouring your passion into our industry.
“Cider Is Stronger Together” is our motto, and by working these past ten years as a community, we’ve proven it true. We are proud of the cider industry’s greatest strength: our collective grassroots nature.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on all we’ve done in the last 10 years.
Thanks to the vision of our founding board and members, the American Cider Association officially incorporated in 2013. Since forming the ACA, the board, the staff, and our members have made huge impacts in the cider world:
- Changed the definition of hard cider for federal excise taxes to include all ciders less than 8.5% ABV, less than 6.4 g/L CO2, and made from apples or pears.
- Ushered in the permanent passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which saved our industry millions of dollars by expanding the Small Producer Tax Credit and allowed sparkling cider producers to receive the credit for the first time.
- Advocated successfully for three new standards of fill for wine and cider: 355 ml (12 oz), 250 ml, and 200 ml. Without ACA’s work behind the scenes, 355 ml and 200 ml would not have been included in this 2020 update.
- Educated thousands of beverage pros across the country and the world about the diversity of U.S. cider’s flavor, apples, and styles. We’ve also helped over 2,100 professionals to level up by certifying them as Cider Professionals and Certified Pommeliers™.
- Nurtured relationships with food and beverage media to champion three core messages: (1) cider has a wide range of flavor possibilities; (2) cider pairs better with food than beer, wine, or spirits; and (3) cider is fundamentally about apples.
- Invested in gathering market data, surveys, and research to highlight the nuances and segments of the cider category, so that wholesalers, retailers, and media could see the industry as more than a single number. We are a category, not a beverage!
- Initiated the work to understand the demographics of cider professionals and cider consumers and ensure that cider is a safe and welcoming community for all.
- Collaborated with regional cider guilds to promote cider to beverage consumers from coast to coast, through sponsorships, grants, and strategic initiatives.
- Joined together each year for CiderCon®, the world’s premier professional cider conference and trade show, so we could network, learn and celebrate the greatness of our industry.
- Grew our industry and our association to band together for a long, sustainable future as a thriving, collaborative cider community.
We’re just getting started! We expect big things to come about in our 11th year and beyond. Thanks to your support, we have big plans underway:
- Create TTB-approved language to include harvest years on labels with COLAs.
- Add 16 oz and 19.2 oz to wine and cider’s standards of fill.
- Eliminate the bubble tax for all cider and wine under 8.5% ABV.
- Create marketable and consumer-recognized cider regions.
- Introduce additional data resources and benefits to our membership package.
- Launch a new member portal that adds resources for cideries each quarter, making critical information, such as rules and regulation compliance, accessible and clearly stated.
- Advocating for cider’s place in emerging market trends like plant-based food pairings, natural wine, climate-friendly goods, better-for-you products, ready-to-drink canned beverages, and more.
Those are just the plans for this year–new initiatives beyond 2023 are up to all of us. It may be a challenging year for cider, but together we’ll prevail. If the cider community continues to come together and prioritize collective impact, the industry will reap rewards for years to come.
We’ll have more to say about our first decade and all we have accomplished together, but for now, we just want to say thank you, members!
Let’s celebrate all we’ve done. CHEERS TO 10 YEARS!
Sincerely yours,
Eleanor Leger, ACA Board President
&
Michelle McGrath, ACA Executive Director
Sarah Hemly Joins ACA Board as Interim Pacific Coast Chair
The ACA is happy to announce that Sarah Hemly has been temporarily appointed as the Interim Pacific Coast Chair from November 16, 2022 through to CiderCon 2023. Sarah launched Hemly Cider with Co-Founder Chris Thomson in 2015. The cidery and farm are located in the The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta region of Northern California, a unique fruit growing area. Hemly Cider has grown into an award-winning cider company that showcases the fruit grown by the family’s sixth generation pear and apple orchards. Sarah serves full time as President of Hemly Cider as well as on the board of Greene and Hemly, the family orchard and packing company.
Sarah joins as Interim to temporarily fill in for the former regional chair, Nicole Todd of Santa Cruz Cider Company. Nicole served a three year term as the Pacific Coast Chair. She was an engaged member that led with curiosity and courage, and we are extremely appreciative of her service to the American Cider Association the the Pacific Coast member region. We thank Nicole for asking great questions and being a committed member of our team.
ACA Board Nominations Due January 17
Are you full of energy and ideas on how to support the ACA and grow the industry? Perhaps you’d consider running for the ACA Board of Directors? Our annual nomination window is now open. Elections take place during CiderCon–electronically, so all U.S. member cideries may vote (1 vote per cidery). Although it is not required, we strongly encourage candidates to have an ACA volunteer history before running for office. A couple more things to know about service:
- To qualify for candidacy, you must be a permanent employee of a bonded cidery producing cider in the U.S.
- Each seat has unique requirements. The seats open for elections this year are:
- Northwest Chair – Open to Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Alaska cideries producing under 1 Million gallons of cider a year
- Mountain West Chair – Open to cideries producing less than 1 Million gallons of cider a year in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas
- Pacific Coast Chair – Open to California and Hawaii cideries producing under 1 Million gallons of cider a year
- At Large – Open to any U.S. cidery regardless of size
- Large Cidery – Open to any US. cidery producing over 1 Million gallons of cider a year
- Incumbents may be running for their seats again.
- Terms are three years.
- Candidates will receive further instructions on developing their platforms and what board service includes.
Have more questions about board service? Schedule a chat with executive director, Michelle by clicking here.
To submit your nomination by the January 17 deadline:
Meet Your Board Member: Christine Walter
Where do you work and what is your position?
I am the owner and head cidermaker at Bauman’s Cider in Gervais, Oregon. I started the company in 2015, making cider on my family’s farm.
Tell us about your family farm/orchard.
My Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth homesteaded the original property back in 1895, having come from Austria-Hungary by way of North Dakota, with her two sons. Today we have nearly 1000 acres under cultivation, and about a dozen family members playing one role or another in farming, operating the farm store, and now, making cider!
We grow a wide variety of crops, including many cane berries, hazelnuts, fruits and vegetables. Currently we have about 22 acres of apple orchards.
How did you get into cider?
The first time I drank a bottle of cider was around 2013. I was on a fishing trip in rural Alaska and the beer selection was pretty slim. I ordered an Angry Orchard and it literally shocked me that it was basically fermented apple juice. Upon returning home to Portland, I began searching out all of the local craft options and just fell in love. I immediately started trying to convince my family that one of them should make cider on the farm with our own juice. In attempting to make the case for cider, I met makers and heard their stories, and began taking home gallon jugs of my family’s cider, experimenting and developing recipes.
My cousins didn’t get the cider bug right off, the way I did. But I convinced them to trust me and let me get a license and start with a little corner of one of the barns. Now I can’t get enough space and I take more than half of the apples grown on the farm to make cider, and I love it!
Why did you decide to run for a position on the board?
I really appreciate the role that the ACA plays in advocating for cidermakers. It is really important work and mustn’t be taken for granted. In my short tenure as a cidermaker, I have seen some really significant changes to the rules regarding land use, alcohol production and labeling, and taxation. Those changes don’t happen on their own, and not without a lot of work and planning from people who really care about the industry. I want to be part of that work. If we don’t fight for our own interests and values, no one will.
Additionally, I see that webinars and events like CiderCon® are what shape the future of the industry in keeping cidermakers and cider sellers at the top of their games professionally and educationally. If we are all left in our own little islands of knowledge and experience, we miss out on a lot of growth opportunities. CiderCon® is a big part of what will keep us as an industry moving forward, growing, adapting and innovating.
What are your hopes for the future of the US Cider Industry?
Of course I want to see it continue to grow, but also to be seen as a success story with regard to adaptation to changing climate and market conditions. We are perfectly poised to thrive. Apples have an amazing and diverse biological history. They have stood the test of time again and again, both through natural evolution as well as human-aided adaptation and hybridization/breeding programs. I hope that cidermakers can be as resilient and creative as an industry as our dear fruits have shown to be.
How do you describe your cider region?
I feel pretty darned fortunate to be from the Pacific Northwest. We not only have a nearly rogue sense of adventure, but the market supports this level of innovation and aversion to staunch traditionalism. Just as nature favors adaptation and evolution, the craft beverage market in this beautiful corner of the US appreciates and even demands that we always push the edge of what has been done before, in search of new frontiers of culinary and beverage experience.
At the risk of seeming irreverent, the culture of cider in the PNW can be said to take traditional methods and turn them on their heads, or maybe interpret them through a lens of kaleidoscope.
What’s your favorite apple to work with and why?
That’s a big old three-way tie between Porter’s Perfection, McIntosh, and Mountain Rose (aka Airlie Red). And even in saying this terribly non-committal response, I feel guilty for not saying Yarlington Mill, or Golden Russet, etc. I’m not good with decision making. Maybe my favorite apple is the one I’m picking or fermenting right at the moment…and I spent yesterday mulching my McIntosh trees, then cracked a bottle of last season’s McIntosh SV, so we can say that one for today.
What is your favorite cider/food pairing?
Ok, I think I can commit here: CHEESE! and most any cider. One specific favorite combo is a French Comte and a juicy acidic Porter’s Perfection Cider.
What is your favorite nature/cider pairing?
Summer paddle boarding on the river with dear friends, sipping a Cosmic Crisp by 2 Towns (in a life jacket.) Doesn’t get much better.
What would you like our members to know about you that they might not know?
Once I spent the night in a hammock, alone, in the jungle of Tikal, Guatemala so that I could watch the sunrise from the top of Temple IV. I am certain that the only reason I was not eaten or attacked by wild animals was that they were in complete awe at my stupidity. I could see their eyeballs watching me.
Meet Your Board Member: David Glaize
Where do you work and what is your position?
Co-owner of Glaize & Brother Juice Co. and Old Town Cidery
Tell us about your family farm/orchard
Glaize Apples are grown in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Since the early 1900s, four generations of Glaizes have added to the history of premium fruit harvests between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains
How did you get into cider?
In 2012 my brother and I convinced our dad to top work existing trees into cider specific fruit. Around that same time I started experimenting with 5 gallon carboys and fell in love with the natural chemistry, and history, of the process. In 2017 we put in a juicing facility to service the cider/wine/beer industry with fresh pressed juice. In 2019 we hired a cidermaker (Stephen Kelly), and in 2020 launched Old Town Cidery.
Why did you decide to run for a position on the board?
I wanted to represent our region not only as a cidery but also as a grower. I want to help promote the growth of cider but also the expansion of apple orchards. It is important for me to keep the land in apples and working directly with cideries, orchardists, and law-makers can help achieve that goal.
What are your hopes for the future of the US Cider Industry?
I want to see the US Cider Industry continue to grow and establish itself as a leading producer of top notch cider throughout the world. We also need to better understand the demand for fresh juice vs concentrate, and the global supply/scale of apples and concentrate. The US Cider Industry has potential to play a large role in helping promote sustainable growing/juicing practices.
How do you describe your cider region?
Our cider region is dense with apple varietals, rich in history, and very complex. Virginia offers mass produced sweet ciders, fruity adjunct ciders, and also traditional single varietals of heirloom fruit. Virginia is home to some of the oldest apple varieties in the US, and some would argue Virginians were the first to drink, and perfect, the craft.
What’s your favorite apple to work with and why?
The Idared and Black Twig. The Idared is one of the first to come off the trees so it is early to the press. It is my favorite to ferment. Its flesh is straight white and loaded with fruity notes plus the perfect touch of acidity. The Black Twig is one of the last apples we pick and stores very well in cold storage. It showcases a thick body with an earthy aroma that is hard to find in any other apple. Both the Idared and Black Twig produce amazing single varietals, but also do well blended.
What is your favorite cider/food pairing?
In my eyes, it all pairs well together. I’m not too picky when it comes to food nor drink. But if I had to say something, it would be pork.
What is your favorite nature/cider pairing?
Its hard to beat drinking a cider while walking through the orchard that helped produce it.
ACA Announces Board Election Results
Last Friday, the American Cider Association (ACA) announced the results of their annual board of directors election at their 2022 industry trade conference called CiderCon®, held this year in Richmond, Virginia. The ACA is the nation’s non-profit trade group working to protect and advance the hard cider industry. Christine Walter of Bauman’s Cider in Gervais, Oregon was elected by members to the ACA board as a director-at-large and David Glaize of Old Town Cidery in Winchester, Virginia was elected as the Southern Chair, tasked with serving as the liaison for the ACA’s Southern members and the Board of Directors.
Notably, both new board members are multi-generational apple growers in addition to being cidermakers. Apples are a critical ingredient in cider’s production as all hard cider–traditional, bottle-conditioned, fruited or otherwise–is made from fermenting apple juice using the same fermentation methods as wine. Having a substantial grower presence on the board of directors connects the board further with cider’s most important ingredient–apples.
New ACA Board Members
Christine Walter grew up on the family farm, Bauman Farms, in rural Oregon. Raising apples and pressing juice with her family are some of her earliest memories. She studied Biochemistry in college, and eventually made it back to the farm where she now makes award winning Bauman’s Cider in the barn. She is currently a member of the board of The Cider Institute of North America, close partners of ACA. She is energetic, creative, and strategic.
David Glaize is a 4th generation apple grower in Winchester VA, and co-owner of Old Town Cidery. Alongside his brother (Philip) the two convinced their dad to plant cider varieties back in 2010, and to construct a processing facility in 2018. The juice company, Glaize & Brother Juice Co, provides custom juice blends to cideries, wineries, and breweries up and down the East Coast. In working to keep the family business vertically integrated, David and his brother opened Old Town Cidery in 2021. David is a member of US Apple–a trade group for apple producers–and hopes to help deepen the relationship between the two groups. He is passionate about consumer education and farmland protection.
2022 ACA Board Officers
The ACA also announced the results of their 2022 board officer elections. Dave Takush, the head cidermaker of 2 Towns Ciderhouse in Oregon joins the ACA’s executive committee as Secretary. John Behrens of Farmhaus Cider in Michigan served as the board secretary in 2021 and was newly elected as Treasurer for 2022. Brooke Glover of Swilled Dog in West Virginia and Eleanor Leger of Eden Specialty Ciders in Vermont were both reelected as Vice-President and President, respectively.
“I’m excited to work with our fantastic board and our diverse membership to move the cider industry forward with the trade and regulators. Together, we will help American drinkers of all demographics discover and enjoy the amazing range of great ciders in the marketplace,” says Leger.
Retiring Directors
Paul Vander Heide of Vander Mill Cider in Michigan and David Thornton of James Creek Cider House in North Carolina both completed their ACA board service this year.
“Paul and David are both incredibly strong leaders,” says ACA executive director, Michelle McGrath. “Paul and I have worked very closely together to grow the ACA since my hiring in 2016. It’s been an honor to work with him and learn from his mentorship. And David was a force for positive change. I am a better leader for having worked with both Paul and David, and I will miss their presence on the board tremendously.”
Membership Meeting
The ACA will hold its annual virtual membership meeting, with opportunities to meet board member, on March 8, 2022 at 10AM Pacific. Members will be sent meeting details by email.
“Our virtual membership meeting last year was a big success. The board loved it so much we’re going to do it every year now,” says McGrath. “It’s a great chance to talk more deeply about strategic initiatives on the heels of CiderCon® conversations.”
###
ACA Board Elections
Please meet the candidates for the 2022 Board of Directors! We will email active cidery level members their ballots Wednesday and they will close Friday.
At Large Cidery Seat – 3 Candidates
Christine Walter, Bauman’s Cider Company
I know that an organization like the American Cider Association makes a thousand small decisions and hosts hundreds of conversations all along the way to be the effective industry-shaping force that it is. Casting a broad net with regard to diversity and inclusion is no little thing. Spearheading and advocating for the kind of lasting legislation that makes or breaks cidermakers of all sizes is transformative work as well. I want to bring my creativity and energy to the board, to help shape the conversations and lean on my experiences as a small farm-based producer to make the climate of cidermaking more friendly to both big and small cider businesses.
ABOUT CHRISTINE
I grew up on my family’s farm in rural Oregon. Raising apples and pressing juice with my family are some of my earliest memories. I studied Biochemistry in college, and started and ran a small retail company for 22 years before discovering and quickly falling in love with cider. It took me a couple years to convince my family that cider was a real thing and that I might be able to make it on the farm if they would only let me use a small corner of a barn.
I think you can imagine that I have since taken over the whole barn, and created a huge following among my family. And I absolutely love making cider, drinking cider and being around cider makers!
I am currently a member of the board of The Cider Institute of North America and regular guest instructor.
Adam Ruhland, Wild State Cider
I want to see your cidery succeed. The realities of owning a successful cidery extend well beyond making amazing liquid. I’d like to help support the ACA and it’s members by being a champion for practical resources and initiatives for the average cider business owner. This includes increased support and programming around finance/funding, marketing, distribution, product innovation, human resources, and retail strategies.
It’s a tough market out there for even the most established brands, and we need to work together to grow our individual cideries and, in turn, the whole category. Cider exists in a strange and ever-changing place in the alcohol market. Our relevance depends on the strategies used by our members to meet our customers where they are, which involves frequent change and re-thinking how we operate our businesses.
As a board member, I’ll help the ACA maintain a focus on how it can practically support the needs of the average member working hard to succeed in a crowded market.
ABOUT ADAM
Adam Ruhland is the co-owner of Wild State Cider and president of the Minnesota Cider Guild. WIld State is a Duluth, MN based cidery started in 2019 that sells cider in five states and employs 27 individuals. Adam spent five years as a special education teacher before making the jump to entrepreneurship. He believes anything is possible through creativity, hard work, and education. Adam is married with two young children, a dog, and a cat named Kevin. He loves cross-country skiing, trail running, and mountain biking with his kids.
Steve Hance, Number 12 Cider
One thing my experience in serving non-profits has taught me is that there is typically no shortage of great ideas but a great shortage of initiative. Volunteer board members have day jobs that take priority and organizations often struggle to find people that will actually dedicate real time and effort to the organization. For better or worse, I have always been one to raise my hand and volunteer my time when it comes to this kind of service. The reward is seeing the positive impact and being directly involved in something worthwhile.
We all want to see cider grow, and hopefully not just for the bottom line, but because we want to share the joy of cider with everyone. I think a strong ACA is critical for that goal.
The ACA has already made great strides to help cider grow since its inception. CiderCon is an incredible event for us to come together and share ideas. The CCP program is a great way for us to develop our own conventions. Gathering and sharing market data is essential for us to understand how we can fit in to the economy and grow.
Moving forward, I would like to help the Board expand on these and other existing initiatives, but also to find new ways to connect with more of those potential cider-makers and drinkers out there. One thing I see for cider compared to other products, is a lack of resources for people seeking to learn how to start making cider themselves and all of the different styles of cider.
We have a great foundation, lets build on that but also start looking beyond the die-hard cider fanatics and market to the next generation of cider-makers.
I would be honored to serve on the Board if you choose to elect me.
ABOUT STEVE
I am the President of Number 12 Cider in Minneapolis where I live with my wife and our 14-year-old son. I have been making cider for about 25 years. Most of that time I have been “that guy” who always had plenty of cider to share whenever the chance arose. I am a student of history, and I love learning about the tradition and history of cider.
Although I am a lawyer by trade, a few years ago I decided to follow my passion and started an orchard-based cidery in the small town of Buffalo, Minnesota with my friend and business partner Colin. We were one of the first cideries in Minnesota when we started in 2014. Four years later we built a new facility in Minneapolis.
I helped to create the Minnesota Cider Guild where I have served as its President and Treasurer. It has been a joy to see cider grow in Minnesota and nationally since then. Outside of my law career and cider, I have dedicated countless hours to other non-profits as Organizer, Board Member, President and other posts.
Eastern Chair
CT, MA, ME, PA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT.
Eleanor Leger, Eden Ciders
I believe more than ever that cider’s future is strengthened when we draw the connection from apples to orchards to cider. Stories of growers, varieties, and the flavors that apples bring to ciders and to food pairings are what can move people to a greater appreciation of the diversity among cider offerings and a greater openness to considering cider as a choice on the shelf or at the table. These stories will benefit large and small cideries alike, across all price points and methods. Our fruit is what makes our product more expensive than grain or cane sugar-based alcohols. We all must celebrate it if we are to claim the price points we need for economic sustainability across size and method. In this sense, we are truly united in our “big tent” approach. All cider is made from apples and we as a category share pride in that. As passionate as I am about the high end, expensive ciders I make from rare and delicious apples, I want cider as a broad category to succeed, at all price points and across all processes. I am excited to engage with all the wonderful cideries in the large Eastern Region, to seek their input and feedback, to work collaboratively with Michelle and fellow board members to reach sound decisions, and to move us all forward.
ABOUT ELEANOR
Eleanor started producing ice cider with her husband Albert in the basement of their Vermont farmhouse in 2007. For the next eight years they built the business themselves, planting 1,000 trees, developing partnerships with other small local orchards, and working together in the cellar to produce ice ciders, and eventually expanding into dry wine-style ciders and apple-based aperitifs.
Today Eleanor primarily runs the business, the team has grown to six people, and in 2020 they launched a new line of harvest-driven ciders in cans. Before cider Eleanor was an over-educated execu-mom who was underwhelming her potential in corporate america. Now she parses TTB forms and depletion reports with gusto. With spare time she doesn’t have, she occasionally writes about small cidery economics at cidernomics.com.
In addition to serving on the board of the ACA as an At Large Member from 2015-2018, and Eastern Region Chair from 2019 to the present, Eleanor is a founder of the Vermont Cider Makers Association, and was appointed to the inaugural Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board, proving once again that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Southern Chair
AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV, MD, DE, DC.
David Glaize, Old Town Cidery & Glaize & Brother Juice Co.
American Cider Association is the liaison between cider-makers/enthusiasts, and law makers, consumers, and buyers. As a member of the ACA board, David will work as the voice for cideries to promote industry growth and to broaden consumer education. David is a 4th generation apple grower and fresh juice provider. His understanding of the base industry will contribute immensely to supporting sustainable practices that lead to high quality juice/cider and hopefully orchard expansion. In selling fresh juice to over a dozen cideries throughout the South, David will represent the southern region with a strong understanding of what cideries need, and what the consumer wants. David has worked/lobbied with USApple and is familiar with policy making that helps protect our industry. With an end goal to keep the land in apple trees, David will do what it takes to get more people drinking more apples!
ABOUT DAVID
David Glaize is a 4th generation apple grower in Winchester VA, and co-owner of Old Town Cidery. Alongside his brother (Philip) the two convinced their dad to plant cider varieties back in 2010, and to construct a processing facility in 2018. The juice company, Glaize & Brother Juice Co, provides custom juice blends to cideries, wineries, and breweries up and down the East Coast. In working to keep the family business vertically integrated, David and his brother opened Old Town Cidery in 2021. David resides in Winchester VA with his wife Mimi, and two children, Charlotte and Walker.
Large Cidery Seat
Ben Calvi, Vermont Hard Cider
I have served on the ACA board since 2016 as a representative for large producers. Over the years, I have worked on the CCP, Legislative, Financial, and AEI committees. As board treasurer, I advised the ACA on its business plan, financial policies, and tax returns. I continue to work on the legislative committee addressing legal and regulatory issues important to Cider following passage of the Cider Act in 2015. And most recently, I joined the Anti-racism, Equity & Inclusion committee to support its development and outreach to members. There are 2 strategic goals I am most excited to participate in: (1) building Cider’s Political Power and (2) creating a more Sustainable and Inclusive Future for cider. The ACA has a unique position to speak on behalf of the cider industry. From lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. to liaising with state and regional chapters, the ACA must work to ensure regulations align with how cider is made and sold in the U.S. and to make sure laws and regulations allow all our members to remain competitive and well represented in the bev-alc landscape. Cider is a small and niche industry, however, it is not isolated from the broader social and cultural changes rippling through our nation. In the past few years, the ACA has begun to look within our organization, to educate ourselves, and to advocate for a more diverse and inclusive industry. It is not an easy task, nor always a comfortable one, but it is necessary so that cider becomes a beverage for all and a place where all people feel welcome.
ABOUT BEN
Ben Calvi was born and raised in Vermont and is an accomplished cider & wine maker. He joined Vermont Hard Cider in 2015 and now leads operations as COO. At prior roles in California, Germany, and Vermont, he has made wines and ciders for Quintessa, Esser, the Robert Mondavi Institute, Burklin-Wolf, and Champlain Orchards. Ben earned a Master of Science in Viticulture & Enology from the University of California Davis, a post-Bach from the University of Vermont, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Middlebury College. He serves on boards of the American Cider, Vermont Cider, and Vermont Tree Fruit Growers associations, and he was a founding member of the Atletico Middlebury Soccer Club. Ben lives in Cornwall, VT with his wife and two children enjoying music, sport, and anything outdoors.
Nominations for 2022 ACA Board of Directors Open
Running for the ACA board of directors is a great way to get involved in lifting our industry up. We are actively recruiting individuals from US-based cider companies to run for the board of directors. These are volunteer positions with a three year commitment. Active membership of the association is required and candidates must be permanent employees or owners of active bonded-cideries to run. Board seats up for election this year include:
- “At Large” (Open to all regions and cidery sizes)
- LARGE Cidery (>1M gal produced in 2020)
- Southern Regional Chair (AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
- Eastern Regional Chair (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT)
Interested candidates should complete the self-nomination form by January 25:
Have questions about board service? Reach out to Michelle.
Do you know who is on the current 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 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.