Rio Connelly
Rio Connelly has been the General Manager and Cidermaker at Scion Cider in Salt Lake City, Utah since opening the groundbreaking bar in December 2021. With over 225 craft ciders on the menu at any given time, Rio has curated the bar’s fine cider offerings and provided tasting notes for hundreds of ciders imported from around the world.
In addition, he developed the establishment’s complementary food program for cider pairing, which includes premium imported bar snacks, tinned seafood, gourmet cheeses and artisan charcuterie from local, regional and international purveyors.
Bringing his fermentation expertise from over 10 years in the Utah craft beer scene, as co-founder of Proper Brewing and Assistant Production Manager in the early days of Epic Brewing, Connelly has produced over 35 small batch cider releases under the Scion Cider label from Utah and PNW apples since March 2023.
He previously served as Vice President and then President of the Utah Brewers Guild from 2016 to 2018. Connelly now adds the designation of Certified Pommelier to his BJCP Recognized Judge and Cicerone CBS certifications.
Marcio Buffolo
Marcio Buffolo is the first Brazilian to earn the title of Certified Pommelier. A trained biologist with a Master’s degree in Cell Biology, he spent six years working as a Brewmaster before transitioning to the world of cider in 2022. Since then, Marcio has focused on advancing the cider industry in Utah as the cidermaker at Mountain West Hard Cider, while also promoting the beverage in his home country of Brazil. His dedication to improving and innovating ciders reflects his deep passion for the craft and his commitment to shaping the future of cider.
Matthew Ostrander
Matthew Ostrander is on a mission to be a leading educator and advocate in the craft cider movement by doing his civic duty to taste test as many ciders from around the globe as humanly possible and share that information with the general public. A chemical engineer by trade, he is not only fascinated by the fermentation science behind cidermaking, but he also has a deep appreciation for the art and history behind US and international cider production. Since 2018, as Chief Cider Curator and founder of Ibantik Craft Beverages, Matthew has been diligently working to expand the craft cider selection available through the Utah state-controlled system. Ibantik Craft Beverages represents ciders from more than 25 different producers and is the only cider-focused brokerage in the state.