Posts Tagged ‘home’
January 10: Taste Like a Pro Workshop at Alchemy Cider
Join us at Alchemy Cider in Portland on January 10!
Join us for a sensory deep dive into the world of cider and learn to taste cider like a pro! Whether you’re preparing for the Certified Pommelier™ exam or just curious how pros taste cider, this immersive, hands-on session will give you the tools to sip and share with confidence. You’ll learn how to detect flavors, spot faults, and describe cider like a seasoned cider professional. Walk away prepared for your exam, or to wow your friends with a sharper palate and a deeper love for the world’s most diverse fermented beverage.
Price: $45 Non-members, $35 ACA members (Member Discount can be found in the Resource Hub)
Location: Alchemy Cider, 818 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214
Schedule:
- Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
- Part 1: Foundations of Sensory Tasting (25 min)
- Part 2: Structured Tasting Practice (60 min)
- Part 3: Identifying/Understanding Common Cider Faults (20 min)
- Part 4: Elevate Your Tasting Vocabulary (15 min)
- Wrap-Up + Q&A (20 min)
December 13: Taste Like a Pro Cider Sensory Workshop at Meriwether Cider
Join us for a sensory deep dive into the world of cider and learn to taste cider like a pro at Meriwether Cider on December 13, 2025! Whether you’re preparing for the Certified Pommelier™ exam or just curious how pros taste cider, this immersive, hands-on session will give you the tools to sip and share with confidence. You’ll learn how to detect flavors, spot faults, and describe cider like a seasoned cider professional. Walk away prepared for your exam, or to wow your friends with a sharper palate and a deeper love for the world’s most diverse fermented beverage.
Price: $45 Non-members, $35 ACA members (Member Discount can be found in the Resource Hub)
Location: Meriwether Cider, 224 N 9th St., Boise, ID 83702
Schedule:
- Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
- Part 1: Foundations of Sensory Tasting (25 min)
- Part 2: Structured Tasting Practice (60 min)
- Part 3: Identifying/Understanding Common Cider Faults (20 min)
- Part 4: Elevate Your Tasting Vocabulary (15 min)
- Wrap-Up + Q&A (20 min)
November 29: Taste Like a Pro Cider Sensory Workshop at Yonder Cider
Certified Pommelier™ Sensory Training Workshop at Yonder Cider in Seattle on November 29!
Join us at Yonder Cider for a sensory deep dive into the world of cider and learn to taste like a pro! Whether you’re preparing for the Certified Pommelier™ exam or just curious how the pros taste cider, this immersive, hands-on session will give you the tools to sip and share with confidence. You’ll explore the aromas, flavors, and nuances that make cider so unique. Learn how to detect flavors, spot faults, and describe cider like a seasoned cider professional, all while experiencing Yonder’s distinctive approach to cider making. Walk away prepared for your exam, or ready to wow your friends with a sharper palate and a deeper love for the world’s most diverse fermented beverage.
Price: $45 Non-members, $35 ACA members (Member Discount can be found in the Resource Hub)
Location: Yonder Cider / Balebreaker Taproom, 826 NW 49th St, Seattle, WA 98107
Schedule:
- Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
- Part 1: Foundations of Sensory Tasting (25 min)
- Part 2: Structured Tasting Practice (60 min)
- Part 3: Identifying/Understanding Common Cider Faults (20 min)
- Part 4: Elevate Your Tasting Vocabulary (15 min)
- Wrap-Up + Q&A (20 min)
October is National Cider Month: ACA is a Supporting Partner
National Cider Month is back for 2025! Founded by Schilling Cider in 2022, National Cider Month has grown into an industry-wide celebration of cider, cidermakers, and the apple harvest season. Held throughout October, this is a powerful opportunity to elevate the craft, connect with consumers, and shift perceptions about cider.
A number of cider companies have participated in a variety of ways in the last few years – from organizing promotions at the store shelf to drawing consumers into their tap rooms with special events. According to IRI data, cider sales saw a 5% lift during National Cider Month in its first year, highlighting the impact of coordinated consumer-facing promotion.
As we’re all about moving more cider, the American Cider Association is proud to be a supporting partner of National Cider Month. Leading up to – and throughout the month of October, we will be amplifying National Cider Month and member events as well as securing media coverage to help drive visibility and excitement for cider.
More than 160 cideries and counting have signed on to participate in National Cider Month. Once signed up you can access National Cider Month logos and other promotion materials as well as have your cidery and special events listed. Visit www.nationalcidermonth.com to learn more, register, and get involved. Scroll to the bottom and click Participate in NCM to start the sign up process.
Let’s work together to make sure it’s cider’s time!
November 15: Taste Like a Pro Cider Sensory Workshop in Port Angeles, Washington
Join us for a sensory deep dive into the world of cider and learn to taste cider like a pro! Whether you’re preparing for the Certified Pommelier™ exam or just curious how pros taste cider, this immersive, hands-on session will give you the tools to sip and share with confidence. You’ll learn how to detect flavors, spot faults, and describe cider like a seasoned cider professional. Walk away prepared for your exam, or to wow your friends with a sharper palate and a deeper love for the world’s most diverse fermented beverage.
Price: $45 Non-members, $35 ACA members (Member Discount can be found in the Resource Hub)
Location: PNWonderland Wine, 222 N Lincoln St., Port Angeles, WA
Schedule:
- Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
- Part 1: Foundations of Sensory Tasting (25 min)
- Part 2: Structured Tasting Practice (60 min)
- Part 3: Identifying/Understanding Common Cider Faults (20 min)
- Part 4: Elevate Your Tasting Vocabulary (15 min)
- Wrap-Up + Q&A (20 min)
October 26: Taste Like a Pro Cider Sensory Workshop at Schilling Cider
Taste Like a Pro Cider Sensory Workshop at Schilling Cider in Portland on October 26!
Celebrate National Cider Month with us by diving deep into the world of cider! This special session is the perfect way to honor cider’s diversity and craftsmanship while sharpening your tasting skills. Whether you’re preparing for the Certified Pommelier™ exam or simply curious about how pros taste cider, this immersive, hands-on workshop will give you the tools to sip and share with confidence. You’ll learn how to detect flavors, spot faults, and describe cider like a seasoned cider professional. Walk away prepared for your exam or ready to wow your friends with a sharper palate and a deeper appreciation for the world’s most diverse fermented beverage.
Price: $45 Non-members, $35 ACA members (Member Discount can be found in the Resource Hub)
Location: Schilling Cider, 2800 SE Division St, Portland OR
Schedule:
- Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
- Part 1: Foundations of Sensory Tasting (25 min)
- Part 2: Structured Tasting Practice (60 min)
- Part 3: Identifying/Understanding Common Cider Faults (20 min)
- Part 4: Elevate Your Tasting Vocabulary (15 min)
- Wrap-Up + Q&A (20 min)
Unlocking Cider Education: A New Study Resource Partnership Between ACA and Press Then Press
The American Cider Association (ACA) is proud to announce a new partnership with Press Then Press, a leading online cider retailer with a passion for education and community-building. This collaboration is centered around one shared goal: making cider and cider education more accessible to enthusiasts, professionals, and Certified Cider Professional™ (CCP) candidates across the country.
Through this partnership, Press Then Press will now offer curated study boxes with resources and digital downloads supplied directly from the American Cider Association. This partnership supports the Certified Cider Professional™ Program, starting with Level 1, Certified Cider Guide™ and carrying through to L2, Certified Pommelier™. These materials include practice exam questions, completed sensory analysis forms, sensory videos, and other helpful tools designed to build confidence and cider knowledge in a flexible, engaging format.
Why It Matters
The Certified Cider Professional™ Program is the first and only certification program dedicated to the international cider industry. It empowers service professionals, retailers, distributors, and cider lovers with the knowledge to confidently understand and share the nuances of cider, from apple varieties and production methods to food pairing and sensory evaluation.
By teaming up with Press Then Press, the ACA is extending the reach of these resources and giving learners a trusted shipping hub to find the large array of ciders needed for sensory evaluation expertise.
More resources are on the way, including enhanced digital tools, flashcard decks, and sensory evaluation aids.
Where to Find It
Visit the Press Then Press website to explore cider bundle options and visit the American Cider Association website for the growing catalog of CCP-certified resources.
Together, We’re Building a Stronger Cider Community
This partnership marks a major step forward in making cider education approachable and enjoyable for all. Whether you’re brushing up your knowledge or taking the next step in your cider career, ACA and Press Then Press are here to support your journey.
September 17: Level 1 CCG Workshop in Wallington, Australia
Join us in Wallington, Australia this September!
The world’s finest cider education programme, the Certified Cider Professional (CCP) Programme, will be at Flying Brick Cider Co., located in Wallington, Victoria, Australia for a Level 1: Certified Cider Guide (CCG) classroom session on Wednesday 17 September. Leisurely run over the course of the afternoon, this L1 CCG training has been developed specifically for those who work directly with consumers and trade customers, namely those working in retail and hospitality, importers, distributors, wholesalers and employees of cider producers. It is also the programme for cider fans, aficionados and drinkers can showcase their extra weight of knowledge and passion. It is designed to enable participants to have a professional standard of knowledge and appreciation for different types of cider and how they are achieved, an approach to assessing cider and the different sensorial qualities they have, and guidance on the best practice principles for serving, storing and selling.
Candidates will receive an email containing a downloadable study guide and a link to the online exam in advance of the workshop. The day itself will consist of a presentation of the materials from the study guide, with extra elaboration and, of course, the opportunity for questions. There will also be a guided sensory session of at least three ciders clearly demonstrating the key structural characteristics within cider, and utilising a structured approach to their assessment.
Cost: $189 USD per person. (ACA Members can find their discount code in the Resource Hub.)
The topics covered in Level 1: CCG are:
- Apples, Pears and Orchards
- Cider Production
- Families and Flavour
- Evaluating Cider
- Keeping and Serving
- Cider and Food
- Social Responsibility
September 15: Level 1 Certified Cider Guide Workshop in Sydney, Australia
Join us in Sydney, Australia on September 15!
The world’s finest cider education programme, the Certified Cider Professional (CCP) Programme, will be in Australia for two Level 1: Certified Cider Guide (CCG) classroom sessions! The first will take place at Tafe! Ultimo in Sydney on Monday 15 September. Leisurely run over the course of a day, this L1 CCG training has been developed specifically for those who work directly with consumers and trade customers, namely those working in retail and hospitality, importers, distributors, wholesalers and employees of cider producers. It is also the programme for cider fans, aficionados and drinkers can showcase their extra weight of knowledge and passion. It is designed to enable participants to have a professional standard of knowledge and appreciation for different types of cider and how they are achieved, an approach to assessing cider and the different sensorial qualities they have, and guidance on the best practice principles for serving, storing and selling.
Candidates will receive an email containing a downloadable study guide and a link to the online exam in advance of the workshop. The day itself will consist of a presentation of the materials from the study guide, with extra elaboration and, of course, the opportunity for questions. There will also be a guided sensory session of at least three ciders clearly demonstrating the key structural characteristics within cider, and utilising a structured approach to their assessment.
The topics covered in Level 1: CCG are:
- Apples, Pears and Orchards
- Cider Production
- Families and Flavour
- Evaluating Cider
- Keeping and Serving
- Cider and Food
- Social Responsibility
Schedule:
12:45 PM: Arrival and Check-in
1:00 – 4:00 PM: Presentation
4:00 – 5:00 PM: Tasting Experience
5:00 – 5:45 PM: Take the online CCG 1 test (bring your own laptop)
Cost: $189 USD per person (ACA Members can find their discount code in the Resource Hub.)
September 11: From Orchard to Label: Cider Compliance Essentials
This webinar will walk through the most common compliance issues cider producers face when they have a TTB investigation. We will discuss key TTB compliance issues such as carbonation and alcohol thresholds, proper labeling and flavor designations, formula approval, when a COLA is required, and common tax class errors. We’ll also touch on record keeping, standard of fill updates, and what cidermakers need to know when making cider. Overall, this session provides practical insights to help you stay on the right side of TTB rules and regulations.
About Our Speaker:
Aniko Kasprian is the Industry Education Technical Advisor in the Office of Outreach at TTB. Previously, Ms. Kasprian was part of the Office of Special Operations group, where she worked as a Special Operations Investigator for 4 years working on FAA Trade Practice cases. Ms. Kasprian was also an investigator for the Western II District for 6 years, primarily focusing on wine and tobacco. Before joining TTB, Aniko served in the United States Air Force and was a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Kasprian’s primary area of expertise is in the alcohol industry. Ms. Kasprian has a BA in International Relations and Foreign Policy and an MS in Criminology with a focus on Forensic Profiling.