Josue is a culinary professional and cider enthusiast with a profound interest in the world of beverage. Graduating Summa Cum Laude from Johnson & Wales University in 2024, his passion for cider ignited in his final years of school when he took a class focusing on cider craft, history, and appreciation. His curiosity and ambitions have since increased, becoming a BJCP Cider judge shortly after graduation.
His interests do not stop at cider; his explorations and pursuits led to obtaining the WSET Level 3 in Wines Award, Certified Cicerone, and Certified Specialist of Spirits titles. In his off time, Josue likes to expand his horizons in both beverage novelties and craft through brewing his own meads and ciders at home. He actively serves as a BJCP Mead and Cider judge in homebrewing competitions, always excited to see the fascinating creations from talented brewers. He loves to share such creations with his colleagues, aiming to open their minds to the potential of cider, just as his own views have been broadened.
He became a Certified Pommelier™ to expand his knowledge of beverages and to discover ciders with unique characteristics that set them apart from those more commonly recognized by the general public. I hope to extend this knowledge to others as my career progresses.
Certified Pommelier™ Josue Herrada earned his advanced certification at CiderCon® 2026 in Providence, RI.
Talia Haykin
In 2017, Talia Haykin and her husband Daniel founded Haykin Family Cider in Colorado, though their cider journey began in 2013 as hobbyists in their living room. As they fell deeper into the history of apples and hard cider in America, their cider became strongly focused on single varietals and the family farms with whom they have personal relationships.
Today, Haykin's single-variety ciders, Méthode Ancestrale, ice cider, and pommeau pour at Michelin-starred and James Beard-recognized restaurants. As Chief Everything Officer, Talia runs every corner of the business - from sales and shipping to HR, lugging hoses and checking gravities, with the occasional emergency label-machine repair.
A Denver-based writer and former nonprofit CMO, she brings storytelling to everything Haykin makes. She lives in Denver with Daniel; their three children, who already fight over who gets to run the cider house one day; their fluffy Schnoodle, Soba; and their Betta, Lox.
