Meet the Cidermakers!

Josh here.  I have always appreciated craftsmanship, creativity and nature.  I think we can find all three in a glass of cider.  My influence in Chester County Ciders is a blend of west and east coast.  I attended college in San Diego in the early 2000’s.  During that time the craft beer movement was exploding.  West Coast style IPAs were flowing from local taps or under development in home brew garages all over southern California.  Hoppy beers were everywhere.  It seemed I rode the wave of the craft beer movement back to the east coast as local breweries began popping up everywhere and beer stores flooded with styles of every type, eventually birthing the East Coast style IPAs popular today. 

I ventured to Vermont with my wife on the hunt for some of the top-rated beer in the nation under the guise of a ski trip.  I managed to fill our car with a variety of rare beers on that trip.  When considering the effort one might go to find the perfect beer, I recall some friendly advice from a local Chester County beer connoisseur/old friend of mine who said “the best beer you can find is the one you’re drinking”.  I like that advice. 

The hotel where we stayed had some local cider on tap.  I had always liked cider.  It made sense to me.  Us locals to the Brandywine Valley frequent apple orchards every fall.  They seem as familiar to us as vineyards to visitors in Napa Valley.  I also liked that it was gluten and grain-free.  The bartender poured me a beautifully clarified glass of sparkling cider and sat it in front of me.  That first sip was serendipitous.  I was immediately transported to the vineyards of northern California and then to the local apple orchards of Chester County I had grown accustomed to visiting each harvest season.  The effervescence on the palate followed by the fruit forward profile of the crisp, fresh apples enlightened me in that moment.  I wanted to make cider!

I had discussed this desire with my friend Manly on several occasions and he eventually introduced me to Greg aka “The Professor”.  The three of us hit it off and decided to delve into the art of cidermaking.  What once was a hobby founded in my driveway has become a love of the craft by the three of us and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.

My influence in cidermaking is guided by my experience with craft beverages across the nation at a truly pivotal time for the industry.  I see our region as the Napa of the Northeast.  I am driven to explore the myriad of apple varietals and leverage our small-batch mentality to produce high quality and very drinkable, dry ciders.  I enjoy testing the symbiosis of hops and apple varieties.  Something truly special happens between apples and hops - they dance together and age even better.  I find it very exciting to test formulas and improve our skills at this aged craft over time.  And I am grateful to our ancestors whom have paved the way for us to carry on.

I invite you to join us on this journey as we showcase each apple variety and the wonderful farmers that grow them across our region.

With gratitude,

Cheers!

Josh