When Johan Sjöstedt founded Pomologik the goal was clear, the mission was to give the apple recognition as the grape of the Nordics. A work that is still in progress but has come a long way. Committed to spontaneous fermentation and always searching for new wild varieties, the quest for new terroir expressions is a core raison d’être. By innovation and breaking new grounds within the Swedish craft cider community Pomologik has become one of the leading forces in the cider revolution. Pomologik started the first Nordic Craft Cider Festival in Sweden to bring producers closer to consumers and start the groundwork for a closer Nordic community. It’s now an annual event in July and takes place at Johan’s family farm. His background as a sommelier and wine journalist has served him well both in terms of quality control and blending but also when it comes to judging panels.

As one of the founding cidermakers, Aaron Homoya is responsible for your original favorite Ash & Elm Cider Co. flavors. He is especially interested in forging long-term partnerships with Indiana’s apple producers and hopes to one day have an orchard of his own to supply the company with heirloom apples. He gets excited about introducing new people to the diverse world of cider, partnering with local orchards, and spreadsheets. He enjoys spending time with his family and traveling to other cider-producing regions.

Nichola Hall has a Ph.D. in Yeast Physiology and a BSc(Hons) in Microbial Biotechnology. Dr. Hall has held various positions in the wine industry: Director of Microbiology at Bronco Wine Company, Ceres, CA (2002-2007), Technical Consultant at Vinquiry, Inc., Windsor, CA (2007-2009) and is currently at Scott Laboratories, Petaluma, CA employed as General Manager for the Fermentation and Enology Department (2009-present). From 2009-present, Dr. Hall is a co-winemaker at Mathew Bruno Wines and is very involved in the American Society of Enology and Viticulture serving as president in 2016-2017. She is a past chair of the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium and a long-standing member of the AVF grant management Enology committee. Since 2019 she has taught the Quality Control and Analysis in winemaking course as part of the UC Davis’s winemaking certificate program.

Brighid O’Keane is the Executive Director of the Cider Institute – previously Cider Institute of North America (CINA) – which provides global education and certification for cider and perry producers. Since 2017, she has judged at eleven international competitions and collaborated with cidermakers and researchers worldwide to advance cider quality and knowledge. Originally from Western New York, Brighid now lives in Western North Carolina and continues to follow cider wherever it takes her.

Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider and Perry is a cider & perry maker and farmer in Ocle Pychard, Herefordshire in the UK. He grows many varieties of cider apple and perry pear and produces a wide range of ciders and perries from his own fruit, as well as cider apples and perry pears from a select group of partner farmers and orchardists in the county. The ciders and perries are made from 100% fresh pressed fruit, fermented spontaneously by wild yeasts, emphasising a very traditional approach of seasonality and vintage but utilising an imaginative approach to blending and a cautious use of technology and science where appropriate. The co-ferments with Jonny Mills of Mills Brewing have become some of the most widely anticipated releases in the UK. Tom is also a partner in The London Cider House at Borough Market. A cider showcase in the thriving market in central London. He is also the co-founder of the annual tasting of fine cider in the UK “The Cider Salon” in Bristol. Tom rediscovered the long lost “Coppy” perry pear some 25 years ago and is a founder member of the Slow Food Presidium “Three Counties Perry”.

Greg Peck is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture in Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science. He has conducted research in fruit-crop production systems in California, Washington, New York, and Virginia. Dr. Peck’s academic training spans horticulture, plant physiology, soil science, entomology, food science, plant pathology, ecology, agricultural economics, and education. His research program is designed to support and improve the sustainability, productivity, and profitability of tree-fruit producers. Current projects focus on hard cider production, sustainable soil and groundcover management for apple orchards, and improving crop-load management in apple trees through the use of a pollen tube growth model.

Dave Takush is the Head Cidermaker and co-owner of 2 Towns Ciderhouse. Dave earned a Master’s Degree in fermentation science at Oregon State University and has almost over a decade of experience in the craft beer, wine and cider industries. His passion for fermentation led him to join two childhood friends in starting 2 Towns Ciderhouse in Corvallis, Oregon. Now one of the largest craft cider producers in the nation, 2 Towns has over 100 employees and is dedicated to producing quality craft cider from 100% fresh-pressed Pacific NW apples. Dave is the current board secretary for the American Cider Association, and also a board member of the Cider Institute of North America.

Steve Selin is the owner-orchardist-cidermaker at South Hill Cider in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Steve has been foraging apples and making cider since 2002. For South Hill Cider, Steve sources fruit from varied sources such as wild pippins and abandoned trees, his own cider orchard, leased orchards, and a contract-orchard planted in cider apples. He directly manages 20 acres of apples. South Hill Cider, founded in 2013, has a tasting room including local farm-to-table food menu, U-pick flowers, event space for weddings and music events.

Nick Gunn is a native of Oregon, born and raised in Eugene. In 2000, Nick earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with minors in Biology and Geology from the University of Oregon. With a passion for sustainable agriculture and fermentation, Nick planted a cider apple orchard with his wife Mimi in 2003. Shortly after in 2004, Wandering Aengus Cider was born with a goal of producing world class european styled ciders as well as breaking ground on new american styles. Nick is a past president of the Northwest Cider Association and has spearheaded projects such as the “Cidermakers Toolkit”, a wiki to help cider professionals get their business off the ground. Currently, Nick is the founding Board Member of the Cider Institute of North America, and continues to offer consulting to startup cider companies through his company BenchGraft Consulting.

An upstate New York native, Dan Pucci began his exploration of beverage through wine in New York City as a sommelier before jumping down the cider rabbit hole. He was the beverage director at Wassail, New York’s first cider bar/restaurant. He is a co-founder of Wallabout Hospitality, specializing in culinary and hospitality consulting and operations. He continues to work with cider education, awareness, and research.