Meet Our Certified Pommeliers™

Hard cider’s popularity has dramatically increased in the last several years, but that doesn't mean the food and beverage community understands this exciting beverage category. That's why we've created a way for food and alcohol industry professionals to prove their cider knowledge through our Certified Cider Professional program (CCP).
There are two levels of certification available in the CCP program. Level 1 CCP is designed for people who would benefit from a deeper but still introductory level of cider knowledge. The ACA has created a bundle that includes an on-demand webinar, study guide, and two online test attempts. The more advanced Certified Pommelier™ test covers more in depth cider knowledge, including sensory evaluation. Successful completion of Level 1 CCP is required to sit for the in-person Certified Pommelier™ exam.
The intro-level certification (CCP Level 1) is an online test that can be taken at any time. The more advanced level of certification--the Certified Pommelier™ exam--is a sit-down hand-written exam: part short answer, part essay questions, and part sensory and taste evaluation questions. *CCP Level 1 is a prerequisite for Certified Pommelier.
Certified Pommeliers™ must have a fundamental understanding of all topics covered in CCP Level 1, but must also be able to think critically and use the basics to demonstrate a higher understanding of the elements of cider. The exam consists of five types of questions: short answer, fill in the blank, matching, essay and blind sensory (based on tasting).
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As one of the founding cidermakers, Aaron is responsible for your original favorite Ash & Elm Cider Co. flavors. He…
Read MoreAdam Snyder is a cider enthusiast from Cary, North Carolina. He works and uses his cider knowledge as a server…
Read MoreAlexsis Cassady is a cider influencer who can be found on Instagram @ciderminded. Becoming a Certified Pommelier™ has been one…
Read MoreAmie is a co-founder and Director of Sales and Brand Development at Botanist and Barrel Winery & Cidery in central…
Read MoreBridget Fields discovered her passion for horticulture while a student at the University of Pittsburgh, where she volunteered at the…
Read MoreCharles McGonegal started AEppelTreow Winery (pronounced “apple true”) in 2001 as an elaborate ploy to buy his wife more jewelry. …
Read MoreChase Rochon is a hospitality professional and cider enthusiast currently living in his home state of Maine. He fell in…
Read MoreDan Schreffler is the President and Winemaker at Space Time Mead & Cider Works which opened in Dunmore, Pennsylvania in…
Read MoreCider expert and author of Cider Cocktails – Another Bite of the Apple, Darlene Hayes has traveled throughout the world interviewing…
Read MoreDavid and his wife Ann Marie started an orchard of Southern heirloom apple varieties on their farm in central North…
Read MoreAfter uprooting her life and moving to the Hudson Valley in January of 2021, Elissa’s only plan was to finish…
Read MoreErik Madrid is a cider enthusiast and hobbyist cidermaker from Seattle, WA. He and his wife Storie (also recently certified)…
Read MoreJamie’s passion for cider began in 2014 when curiosity led her through the door of Liberty Ciderworks, a small urban…
Read MoreJana Daisy-Ensign has spent nearly two decades in craft beverage industry, including experience in distribution, consulting, sales, events, marketing and…
Read MoreJeannie Dubois first fell in love with cider on a trip to the British Isles in the 1990s. Since then,…
Read MoreJenn Smith runs Grow-NY, a food and ag startup program, for Cornell University, where she draws on her background in…
Read MoreJennie Dorsey is founding member of Pomme Boots Society for women in the Cider Industry and has held numerous positions…
Read MoreBorn and raised in the Hudson Valley, Joe has always had a deep-rooted passion for fermentation. A member of the…
Read MoreWhat started for Joshua Corl as a home brewing and cidermaking hobby led to an internship and then employment as…
Read MoreKate Pinsley is a cidermaker with Schilling Cider based in Seattle, Washington. Kate decided to pursue her Pommelier™ certification to…
Read MoreKatie is a passionate cider maker, tester and appreciator. Katie’s mind was blown after trying Eve’s and ANXO ciders, and…
Read MoreKyle Degener is an orchardist, cidermaker and the creator of Holy Beez, which is the only cider specific orchard in…
Read MoreMarina is an international finance professional who converted to wine religion. She has been working in the wine industry, mainly…
Read MoreMatt began his cider journey as a part-time tour guide and bartender at the Angry Orchard Cider House in Walden,…
Read MoreMatthew Ostrander is on a mission to be a leading educator and advocate in the craft cider movement by doing…
Read MoreMeredith Collins is the blogger behind Along Came A Cider, where she has been tasting and reviewing hard cider for…
Read MoreMichelle joined the American Cider Association as executive director in July of 2016. Her rich history includes non-profit management, membership…
Read MoreNova Scotia has a rich history in apple production (one of the oldest in North America). Growing up in the…
Read MoreNicole Wheeler is a founding partner and owner at Treehorn Cider in Marietta, Ga., just outside Atlanta, and runs the…
Read MorePaige’s journey into hard cider began with a chance introduction to the beverage at an Irish pub in Queens, NY…
Read MoreRob Durham is a cidermaker with durham cider + wine co. They utilize nature’s generosity through the magical meanderings of natural…
Read MoreRoland is an orchardist, home cidermaker, and cider enthusiast living in the Capital District of New York. He is in…
Read MoreSara Cravens is the Taproom Manager and Donation Coordinator for 2 Towns Ciderhouse based in Corvallis, Oregon. She became a…
Read MoreStorie Madrid is a longtime cider enthusiast from Seattle, WA. She and her spouse, Erik, are in the planning stages…
Read MoreSuzannah Klaniecki is a cidermaker with Schilling Cider based in Seattle, Washington. She decided to take the Certified Pommelier™ exam…
Read MoreTim Godfrey is the owner of Godfrey Beverage Solutions based in Michigan. He became a Certified Pommelier™ to demonstrate his…
Read MoreTim Powers is a cider enthusiast and educator who works at the Commonwealth Wine School in Cambridge, Masschusetts. Tim has…
Read MoreWill Loughlin started his career in cider as a pourer at a regional New York cider company and moved his…
Read MoreY. Dave Klawer is a cidermaker, orchardist, cider advocate, educator and enthusiast. He is completing a Masters Degree in Agriculture…
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Be the first Certified Pommelier™ in your state! Click here to learn more and sign up for our next Certified…
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