Manon Gros was born in Northwest Arkansas to an American chef mother and a French farmer father, and has always taken the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” a little too seriously. After studying food science at Cornell University, she worked in food product development at Sam’s Club before moving to California to join the wine industry. This ignited a passion for fermentation and craft that continues to inspire her path to this day. She currently wears many hats for Brooklyn Cider House and Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz, including running the cider club, labeling & compliance, events, and social media. She is excited to use her Pommelier Certification to further contribute to the cider and agrotourism industries in New York and beyond!

She chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ to pursue her passion for cider and apples.

Certified Pommelier™ Manon Gros earned her advanced certification at CiderCon® 2026 in Providence, RI.

A Tucson native, Kia Hitt has been making cider and wine commercially for 9 years across Pennsylvania, Australia, California, New Zealand, and in the Hudson Valley of New York. She is currently a Cidermaker at the Angry Orchard Cider House in Walden, New York. Kia loves tasting and blending the different varieties of apples that come out of Angry Orchard’s 60-acre orchard. As a cider advocate, she also loves collaborating with other craft beverage businesses and being involved with cider research and development in the orchard and cellar.

Kia Hitt is a current member of the Pink Boots Society, a Certified Cidermaker through The Cider Institute, and now a Certified Pommelier through the American Cider Association. She received a Women in Business award from Hudson Valley Magazine in 2022 for her dedicated work at City Winery. Kia and her husband also co-own and operate ZANY Farm, a permaculture micro-farm with its main focus on bee preservation and honey production across Orange County, New York.

Alex Gill was born and raised in the Capital District of New York just outside of Albany. He’s been the Cidermaker at Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery for 8 years. He has a driven passion for all things cider and fermentation. Alex also plays a role in the New York Cider Association as a board member and is committed to New York Cider and what it represents. Alex looks forward to the future of cider and the future of his cider education.

Hannah Keggins is the Cidermaker at Westwind Orchard. After studying entomology in Northern New York, she made her way to the Hudson Valley in 2017 and found herself working in the orchard and managing the farm store at Westwind. She quickly dove into the world of cidermaking while simultaneously helping establish the orchard’s cidery & tasting room. Hannah has a passion for making ciders with a keen focus on the use of true cider varieties and low intervention techniques.

Full bio coming soon!

Tom Hansen grew up in and still resides in New York State’s Hudson Valley, surrounded by farmland and natural beauty. It wasn’t until he started working at the Angry Orchard Cider House in 2021, that he truly discovered how to share his love for the Hudson Valley. As it turns out, the Hudson Valley’s Cider Industry was the catalyst that combined his passion for craft beverage, agriculture, and the community that Tom had been looking for. At Angry Orchard, Tom has the opportunity to work within the tour and experiential world of hospitality, while also educating guests about cider and the progression of the cider category. Cider is a natural fit for Tom’s skill set, and he fell in love with the world surrounding it almost immediately.

After five years of experience in the cider industry, Brynn Nencetti has stepped down into a role of simple cider cider enthusiast. She hopes to re-enter the cider world one day on the path of education or cider production. In the meantime you can find her making cocktails in Kingston, New York.

Johnny Rice loved the first taste of cider they had. When studying the botany and history of apples, a passion started. Working in horticulture in the black dirt region of New York, Johnny pursued cider as a hobbyist. From buying juice from local orchards to building they’re own press and grinder. They became an assistant at a local winery which put them on the path to being a cider maker at Orchard Hill Cider Mill. Rising to production manager Johnny does bartending, orchard management, making draft, single variety and sparkling ciders, as well as pommeau.

Born in the Bronx, Christian Rodriguez moved to New York’s Hudson Valley at a young age. While he has loved cider since his college days, Christian’s professional journey into cider began when a friend forwarded an ad for a part-time tour guide role at the Angry Orchard Cider House in Walden, NY. Within a month, he fell in love with cider, its industry, and its history. In his current role as Taproom Asst. Manager, Christian manages the full- and part-time taproom and retail staff at the Angry Orchard. He also works alongside members of the Cider House’s sister taprooms to seize training opportunities and ensure the highest quality education for employees and guests alike.

Chris Jackson was born and raised in Florida and then spent nearly 10 years in Southern California, so, upon arrival to New York’s Hudson Valley, he was immediately fascinated by all of the apples growing there. His history involves working as a professional engineer, a musician, an art director and a radio host, so throwing this mixture of science, chemistry and creativity into a blender resulted in a perfect amalgam of all of those things: cidermaker. He began as an Assistant Cidermaker at Treasury Cider on Fishkill Farms in 2018 and was promoted to the role of Head Cidermaker in early 2020.

Bryan Barry, originally from Long Island, currently calls the Hudson Valley his home. His enthusiasm with collecting and learning about spirits ignited a deep interest in the stories and processes behind libations of all kinds, which he loves to share with friends and family. When he saw the opportunity to pursue a job at the Angry Orchard Cider House, this sparked his curiosity even more. Starting as a part-time tour guide in August 2021, Bryan has since progressed to the role of Tour Center Assistant Manager at Angry Orchard where he oversees and manages all tours & experiences for each and every guest, thoughtfully showcasing and educating folks on cider and the category as a whole and offering exceptional hospitality for all. Alongside his professional pursuits, Bryan is actively restoring an abandoned pear orchard at his residence, while simultaneously cultivating a diverse array of heirloom and bitter-sweet apple varieties to make cider at home as well.

Ann Bliss’ enthusiasm for cider stemmed from a shared interest with her sister, and budded into a passion while working at Mullers Cider House: a wonderland of New York State ciders. Her interests have blossomed into learning the cidermaking process from apple tree to human stomach. She gets the most enjoyment though from the time spent sipping cider with others. Anne chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ to learn more about all things cider related, to connect with other cider enthusiasts, and to have opportunities in regards to apple/cider education for others.

Danny Dispo has spent the last decade honing his knowledge of food, beverage and hospitality through the lens of bartending and mixology. He currently presides as bar manager and lead bartender at Hydraulic Hearth, a high volume, fast casual restaurant in Buffalo, NY. At Hydraulic Hearth, Danny has assembled one of the city’s top cocktail programs and has amassed an impressive backbar and inventory, featuring the largest selection of individual rums and ciders by the bottle in the greater Western New York region. 

In addition to running his bar, Danny also consults for many bars and restaurants throughout New York State. With him he brings experience from working in a Michelin-started Chicago restaurant and managerial positions in both Buffalo and Hawaii. Danny is a champion of the Finger Lakes Region, which he considers his ‘back yard’, and is eager to talk about the world class cider and wine being made there by his favorite producers.

Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Joe has always had a deep-rooted passion for fermentation. A member of the team that helped open Angry Orchard’s Cider House in 2015, Joe started as a tour guide and worked his way into the cellar, where he is currently the Cider Maker. In his role, Joe runs the daily production and Orchard operations, aides as an educational resource for new and current team members, and works closely with a variety of cider and agricultural organizations near and far. Playing an integral part in new product development and Orchard innovation, Joe draws inspiration from the rich and diverse history and community cider has to offer

Paige’s journey into hard cider began with a chance introduction to the beverage at an Irish pub in Queens, NY in her early 20’s. Intrigued, she sought more options in the category until finally deciding to open her own shop. Boutique Wines, Spirits and Cider opened in 2017 in the Hudson Valley, NY, featuring an expansive, curated collection of over 300 different skus of hard cider, and New York State’s only tap system in a liquor store. Paige enjoys educating customers, introducing them to hard cider and helping them pair with their meals.

Paige’s other certifications include: Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), Level 2 Wine with Distinction (Wine & Spirits Education Trust), Certified Bourbon Professional (The Council of Whiskey Masters), Certified Sommelier (Wine Education Institute) and Champagne MOOC with Distinction (Comité Champagne).

Meredith Collins is the blogger behind Along Came A Cider, where she has been tasting and reviewing hard cider for almost ten years. In addition to managing her blog, Meredith has judged cider for the Good Food Awards, the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry competition, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and the New York Cider Competition. She has presented at CiderCon® and taught classes on the cider business and America’s cider renaissance. You can find her articles on food and beverage topics in Cider Culture, Libations, and Edible FLX among other online and print publications.

Meredith decided to pursue her Pommelier™ certification because she wants to be a part of the cider industry as we build our language, culture, and educational resources. She loves how vibrant and inventive cidermakers and drinkers are, and she wants to be a part of the process of building knowledge and tradition for the future. Meredith says, “Besides, I’m a tremendous nerd, and I couldn’t resist the challenge of putting my pairing ideas and taste buds to the test.”

Matt began his cider journey as a part-time tour guide and bartender at the Angry Orchard Cider House in Walden, NY. Quickly, he developed a love for everything the cidery had to offer, particularly conducting tours and tastings. This experience, coupled with a brief stint working on several local orchards, has given him a great appreciation for the apple industry as a whole. In Matt’s current role as Tour Center Assistant Manager, he oversees Angry Orchard’s experiential team responsible for educating guests about the orchard, cider and more. He believes that storytelling accompanied by tastings is the best way to introduce people to the expansive world of cider.

Matt chose to become a Certified Pommelier™ because he is passionate about what he does and wants to continue to learn and educate others about what cider has to offer.

Marina is an international finance professional who converted to wine religion. She has been working in the wine industry, mainly focusing on promoting US wines. She has a WSET 3 certificate and was working as a consultant for the USDA representative office in Russia, who commissioned her to write a book on US winemaking – the first book in the Russian language on the subject. She has been working in the cider industry since 2020, spreading the word of cider. She judged at GLINTCAP in 2022. 

The cider industry in Russia has been booming for the last 6 years and since Marina is a big fan of this beverage she had to get involved. Almost three years ago she started researching local production and as a result ended up working for one of the main cidermakers in Russia. She was participating in the first cider festivals and cider conferences, and was also invited to judge the cider competition – Moscow Cider Days. While she was making wine during 2021 harvest at a winery in the US, she decided to try her luck with the Certified Pommelier™ exam. She is excited to be the First Russian Pommelier™.

After uprooting her life and moving to the Hudson Valley in January of 2021, Elissa’s only plan was to finish her Bachelor’s Degree and find a part-time job. A few months later, she started working at Angry Orchard as a Cidery Ambassador, giving tours of the property and guiding tastings. It wasn’t long before she fell in love with the cider industry. With a newly ignited passion for cider, she wanted to learn as much as she could, both for her guests’ sake and her own. She considers herself very lucky to be surrounded by an amazing and talented team who have not only supported, but encouraged her passion.

Elisha took the Certified Pommelier™ exam to establish an increased confidence when sharing cider with guests. Angry Orchard’s tour programs at the orchard are all about educating guests on all things cider. She says this accreditation helps to show cider has its own unique history and deserves its own place in the American consciousness.

Katie is a passionate cider maker, tester and appreciator. Katie’s mind was blown after trying Eve’s and ANXO ciders, and as she sought out other incredible ciders and cidermakers, she fell in love with the cider community. She has apprenticed at both Eve’s and ANXO. Katie has a small cidery, Beau Fleuve Cider, in Buffalo, NY where she makes cider from largely foraged apples found in the City of Buffalo and in abandoned orchards around Western New York.  As a Certified Pommelier™, Katie is always talking to local bars and restaurants about the best ciders to pair with their draft list or menu, hoping to introduce as many people as possible to the wonderful world of cider.

Roland is an orchardist, home cidermaker, and cider enthusiast living in the Capital District of New York. He is in the process of planting a ten acre holding of European and heirloom bittersweet/bittersharp apples as an effort to preserve and propagate good cider fruit in his region. A consultant for government healthcare programs during the week, Roland spends his weekends combing the local area for good craft cider producers and supporting them however he can once he discovers them. Roland makes cider by sourcing both cultivated and wild apples from friends/family as well as state and town parks.

Roland took the Certified Pommelier™ exam because he feels there are a lot of phenomenal small producers of sophisticated and sustainably produced ciders out there that do not get the attention that they deserve. He took this certification so that he could support and promote those cideries and cidermakers in his local area while speaking a common language as other consumers, producers, and enthusiasts across the country. Roland finds everything about cider fascinating from the history, to apple cultivation methods, to the fermentation and blending of varieties. Obviously, consuming it is the best part if he had to pick one.

Will Loughlin started his career in cider as a pourer at a regional New York cider company and moved his way up to Head Cidermaker. Currently he is the Assistant Cidermaker at The Angry Orchard Innovation Center in Walden, New York and a sitting board member of the New York Cider Association. To supplement on the job training he has taken many classes through the Cider Institute of North America and regularly attends CiderCon®. Coming from a teaching background, he believes that if you aren’t trying to innovate and learn you are only hurting yourself. 

Jenn Smith runs Grow-NY, a food and ag startup program, for Cornell University, where she draws on her background in craft beverage market development, most recently as the founding Executive Director of the New York Cider Association and the Director of the New York State Distillers Guild. In addition to working with NYCA and NYSDG, Jenn was an NYC-based consultant to entrepreneurs creating value-added products and hospitality ventures. Before that, she was the marketing director of New York’s largest wine and spirits retailer.