CiderCon
CiderCon® 2020 in Oakland Declared Resounding Success
Photo by Brandon Buza.
Facts & Info for CiderCon® 2020
Media can contact us for images, assets and interview requests.
- The 10th annual CiderCon® took place in Oakland, California from January 28 to January 31, 2020. The program can be downloaded here.
- 35 states were represented, with California, New York, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and Virginia bringing the most attendees.
- Members from 11 countries attended, including cider professionals from Canada, South Korea, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia, Kazakhstan, Spain and Switzerland.
- 1029 people attended. The conference has attracted more than 1000 people each year since 2016. The association moves the conference around the country to allow cideries from different regions the opportunity to participate.
- This year’s trade show was the largest CiderCon® trade show to date. The association has plans to continue growing the show. New features this year included an apple art gallery and chair massages. The Michigan Cider Association sponsored the cider game lounge in the trade show once more.
- Jill Giacomini of Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. was the conference’s keynote speaker. She discussed the creamery’s value-based approach to innovation for growth. The general session included a selection of the creamery’s cheeses paired with a single varietal Gravenstein cider from Golden State Cider. The apples for the cider were grown less than thirty miles from the creamery.
- The featured international cider makers this year were from Ireland. Tempted, Cider Mill, Legacy and Stonewell shared their ciders with attendees during the grand toast, including a keeved cider and a dessert cider made in the style of a digestif.
- There were 14 total tasting sessions at CiderCon® 2020.
- The American Cider Association offered its Certified PommelierTM exam at CiderCon® 2020, an advanced second level designation of its Certified Cider Professional program geared toward beverage and hospitality industry professionals. More than 40 people sat for the challenging test that includes a sensory evaluation section. Certification passage rates will be announced later this month. This was the third seating for the test.
- Nearly 200 people participated in CiderCon®’s tours this year. Buses took attendees to explore the terroir of Sonoma County & Pajaro Valley cideries and orchards. Additionally, a tour of East Bay’s Filoli Gardens explored the history of Californian orchardist Albert Etter, including tasting ciders made from apples he cultivated in the early 1900s. A fourth bus met with individual cideries and cider bars to dive deep into cider and food pairing techniques.
- The American Cider Association partnered with the Cider Institute of North America to co-develop a large production oriented and technical-in-nature workshop track with 11 sessions on topics from developing an in-house sensory evaluation program to aging ciders. The Cider Institute of North America trains cider makers through their educational programming in partnership with universities like Cornell.
- Additionally, the American Cider Association had several popular sessions on orcharding that included orchard tours, techniques for elevating apple character, carbon farming, dry farming, seedling identification, grafting and more. The association was thrilled to expand its orchard-based education at CiderCon® and is excited by how popular it was.
- Nielsen, Social Standards and ISWR presented in three separate sessions on market trends data at CiderCon® 2020.
- Nielsen reported that the cider market is 10 times bigger than it was 10 years ago. Regional/local ciders sales are up +15% YOY and their share is now 40% nationally in off-premise sales. Regional/local ciders are almost half of on-premise sales. Many, many top brands are growing and seeing double digit growth.
- Five legal and compliance sessions were also offered in addition to a ½ day workshop with the TTB, the federal agency responsible for regulation cider taxes and labels.
- The Pomme Boots Society partnered with the Association to offer unique content for CiderCon® this year. Pomme Boots Society is an organization for women working in the cider industry. Susanna Forbes of Little Pomona Cider in the United Kingdom addressed a packed room as the guest speaker at their annual meeting.
- The American Cider Association was honored to have “Dr. J” Jackson-Beckham present techniques and strategies for authentically engaging underrepresented populations in the cider industry. Dr. J is the Diversity Ambassador for the Brewers Association and the Founder and Executive Director of Craft x EDU.
- CiderCon® 2020 took place during the first annual Bay Area Cider Week, a series of cider-based entertainment and education events throughout the greater Bay Area. More than 50 events were coordinated by California’s cider community.
- The Cider Association’s annual board elections happen concurrently with CiderCon®. Newly elected board members were announced during lunch on Friday and include: Phillippe Bishop of Alpenfire Cider in Washington (At Large seat), Nicole Todd of Santa Cruz Cider in California (Pacific Coast chair), Talia Haykin of Haykin Family Cider in Colorado (Mountain West chair), John Behrens of Farmhaus Cider in Michigan (Midwest Chair), and Dave Takush of 2 Towns Cider House in Oregon (Large Cidery seat).
CiderCon® 2021 will be in Chicago, Illinois – February 2-5.
CiderCon® was created to offer the commercial cider industry an outlet to meet, share ideas, collaborate and affect positive changes in cider making and cider fruit production best practices, the cider market and cider regulations. CiderCon® is organized by the American Cider Association whose mission is to grow a diverse and successful U.S. cider industry by providing valuable information, resources and services to our members and by advocating on their behalf.
CiderCon® Giveaway!
Bottles cling-wrapped and insulated in a sweatshirt. Cans sealed and stowed in empty bread bags and stuffed in socks. Or shoes. Most of us have taken extreme risk and sketchy measures to get cider to and from CiderCon® and other cider events. Did you know there is a better way? Behold, the cider case (ok, it has another name, but this is what we’re calling it).
This case comfortably holds up to 8 bottles (750ml) of cider. Designed to accommodate clothes or other personal items by removing one or more inserts. Additional inserts for magnum available. We have direct reports that cans and smaller format ciders also pack well.
We love this case so much, we’re giving THREE of them away!How can you enter this giveaway contest? Each of these actions gets you tickets to win!
CIDER CASE GIVEAWAY RULES
>Register for CiderCon® 2020 by January 6 (the last day for early bird pricing, by the way!). (earns 3 tickets) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
>Reserve your hotel room at the Oakland Marriott by January 6. (earns 2 tickets) CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR ROOM
>Post to Instagram that you are excited to be attending CiderCon® and tag us in your post (@pickcider #cidercon2020) by January 6. (1 ticket per post)
>Tweet that you are excited to be attending CiderCon® and tag us in your tweet (@cidercon). (1 ticket per post) CLICK HERE TO TWEET
>Share any of our posts or tweets about CiderCon® (1 ticket per share).
>Tag a friend on one of our posts about CiderCon® (1 ticket per tag).
All entries must be completed by 12PM Pacific on January 6. CiderCon® registration and active association membership are the baseline requirement for winning. You are not eligible to win without meeting the baseline requirements by January 6.
If you’ve already registered, don’t sweat it–you’ll be automatically entered to win. Must be 21+ to participate.
Good luck!
CiderCon® Seminar: Orcharding in the West
About 6 months ago, Jake Mann of Five Mile Orchard in California called me. He shared that what he loved most about CiderCon® hadn’t happened in a few years, and he wondered if it might be able to return? I didn’t need convincing. I missed it too, and this was a chance for American Cider Association to be responsive to member feedback (which we love). Jake raised his hand to help bring it back.
Jake and dedicated American Cider Association volunteer and cider expert, Darlene Hayes, have worked to bring you this year’s orcharding seminar: Orcharding in the West.
We decided to keep this seminar free for CiderCon® attendees, and there will be a scion exchange. RSVP for the workshop when you register for CiderCon®. Oh–and Jake’s orchard is featured on the Parajo Valley tour happening on January 28th!
Orcharding in the West
Wednesday, January 29th 8am – 12:30pm
FREE
Carbon Farming: Plans and Practicalities – Ryan Johnson, Consulting Team Lead for Landscape Analytic Solutions and Regen Wise
Cover Crops and the Western Orchard – Joanna Ory, Post-doctoral Fellow, U. C. Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Regulated Deficit Irrigation for Increasing Efficiency and Fruit Quality – Travis Alexander, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Washington State University, Mount Vernon NW Washington Research and Extension Center
Hardy Heirloom Apple Varieties from Gold-Rush Era Orchards – Amigo Bob Catisano, Founder, Felix Gillet Institute
A scion exchange will take place after the presentations. Please bring your own bag and labeling materials for collection, as well as scions from your favorite varieties.
CiderCon® 2020 is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
You can now register to attend CiderCon® 2020–the world’s premiere industry event for the cider community. It’s taking place in sunny and happening Oakland, California at the Marriott from Tuesday, January 28-Friday, January 31.
What’s new at CiderCon®? We are glad you asked!
- After a brief hiatus, the 1/2 day orcharding seminar is back! This will happen on Wednesday morning and will explore questions specific to growing apples in the western US.
- We’ve partnered with the Cider Institute of North America to offer an expanded technical production track. Cidermakers: this is for you!
- We’ve tailored a track focusing on sales, so whether you are the only employee or one of many sales reps, we can brainstorm how to sell more cider.
- Brain dates will allow attendees to schedule 15 minute sessions with expert consultants on a range of topics.
- Meet-ups will offer curated yet informal information sharing and networking opportunities. Meet-up topics on the docket so far include apple spirits production, perry production, influencer marketing, and sustainability. Want to pitch a meet-up topic? Let’s hear it!
- We’re offering 4 tours this year! Whoa! Whether you’re exploring the terroir of Sonoma County or the Parajo Valley, deepening your knowledge of pairing cider with food in the sizzling hot culinary scene of California’s East Bay, or digging into the history of Albert Etter and apple production in Northern California, you’re sure to learn a lot and have a blast while doing it.
- The featured international cidermaker guests of honor this year are from Ireland!
- And we are thrilled to welcome a keynote speaker, Jill Giacomini Basch from Point Reyes Creamery. We’re kicking off Thursday morning with a cheese and cider pairing!
Returning events include:
- TUES: Charles McGonegal’s Elements of Style workshop offers an in depth look at how to experience a cider.
- WED: The opportunity to become a Certified Pommelier™. Sign up for the exam when you register.
- WED: The TTB’s in-depth workshop covering labeling and tax policies.
- WED: The second annual meeting and gathering for Pomme Boots.
- WED: The roaring welcome reception and cider share featuring 50+ cideries!
- THURS-FRIDAY: Seminars galore! Production, tasting, marketing, apples, sales, business and compliance. As always, CiderCon® tasting sessions delve deep into cider production, evaluation, and philosophy.
- THURS-FRIDAY: An even BIGGER trade show than the year before, now sprinkled with cider sample offerings. Thank you, FruitSmart for your sponsorship.
- FRIDAY: The grand toast and bottle share.
- And more!
Visit the CiderCon® website to review more schedule details.
The base registration fee for CiderCon® 2020 is $395. This includes access to workshops on Wednesday-Friday, a ticket to the Welcome Reception/Cider Share on Wednesday night, the keynote address on Thursday morning, two delicious lunches, the BIGGER trade show happening Thursday & Friday and the grand toast on Friday night! (Tours and some workshops have an additional registration fee.)
Let us know if you have questions about registering for this event. See you in Oakland, cider friends!
P.S. CiderCon® 2020 is excited to be a part of Bay Area Cider Week! Have a cider event to submit? Do that here.
The Gravensteins of Sonoma County
“What can I get for you?” I ask the next customer at the bar. “I don’t know. Do you have any cider made with Gravenstein apples?”, comes the reply. “All the ciders on our menu have some Gravenstein in them. What sort of cider do you like?”
That’s a typical beginning conversation at the Craft Cider Tent of the Gravenstein Apple Fair, an annual fundraising event benefiting the local agricultural non-profit Sonoma County Farm Trails. Most of our customers are not regular cider drinkers, and have generally just tried one or another of the large nationally distributed brands. Confronted with a menu of 18 local ciders, from almost as many producers, they are understandably a bit flummoxed. We talk about what they typically drink, do a little sampling, and eventually find something they love.
When most people hear “Sonoma County, CA” they think wine, but apples have been a part of the commercial landscape there since northern Europeans arrived in the mid-19th century. Chief among them was, and is, the Gravenstein, an apple whose 18th century origins (said to be Italy, Denmark, or Germany) are shrouded in mystery. It’s an apple that expresses itself marvelously in the area’s loamy soils, warm, dry days, and cool summer nights. Nineteenth century pomologists had it right when they described the Gravenstein as having “that refreshing admixture of sweet and acid which characterize our most esteemed apples” and declaring it good for cider.
Cider makers in the area take full advantage of everything the Gravenstein has to offer making ciders that cover all possible flavor and texture bases – wild and tart native-ferments (Old World Winery and Coturri Winery); dry and fruit forward (Sawhorse Cider and Horse & Plow Winery); clean and crisp (Goat Rock and Ethic Ciders); semi-dry single varietals (California Cider Company and Golden State Cider), and complex blends (tannic from Tilted Shed Ciderworks, aromatic from Dutton Estates). The 10-fold increase in local cider companies over the last seven years has been a boon to local farmers, too, allowing them to resist the economic pressure to grub up their orchards in favor of wine grapes.
While the range of flavor possibilities seems almost endless, what these ciders all have in common is their use of local fruit, typically dry-farmed and organic, harvested and pressed in season. They also rarely make it outside of Northern California, and most can only be found within Sonoma County itself and the handful of counties that surround it. To experience all this place has to offer, you have to go there.
The American Cider Association is making it easy for the attendees of CiderCon 2020 in nearby Oakland to do just that with a pre-conference orchard and tasting tour. For cider lovers, it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
American Cider Association Note: Registration for CiderCon 2020 and associated tours will open soon! Darlene Hayes will be the guide for the Sonoma Country tour.