About Northwest Cider Association

OUR VISION

The Pacific Northwest is at the heart of the craft cider movement with a vibrant, collaborative industry where anyone can share in the success and joy of cider.

OUR MISSION

We nurture the community, economy, and ecosystem of a thriving cider culture for our members and consumers by supporting businesses, inspiring quality, and telling the story of Pacific Northwest cider.

The Northwest Cider Association’s Mission is strategically designed to:

• Increase sales of NW Cider
• Increase quality of cider produced in the NW
• Cultivate the NW Cider community

Andrew Byers
Board President

Co-Owner and Head Cidermaker, Finnriver Farm and Cidery

Andrew Byers has been making cider and managing the team of cider makers at Finnriver for 7 years; building a network of small growers, valued team members, and cherished colleagues. His background in the culinary arts has shown in creative cider making as well as dynamic team leadership, and with an academic focus in fungal ecology and botany his understanding of life systems and process systems is in the fore front of his decision making. Before his time at Finnriver Andrew and his family worked with Eve’s Cidery in New York; gathering national perspective of markets and growing regions. Now well settled in Chimacum, Washington, the Byers family is working on being the change they want to see in the world.

Jose Gonzalez
VICE PRESIDENT

CEO, La Familia Cider Company

Jose Gonzalez is the CEO and founder of La Familia Cider, a Salem, Oregon based cider company with infused Mexican flavors and traditions. Jose’s humble origins and family traditions have led him to become a serial entrepreneur in real estate and now beverages industry with a mission to always inspire and assist new generations of Mexican migrants.

Kate Koenig
Secretary

Cidermaker & Co-Owner, Rootwood Cider Co.

Kate grew up in her family’s apple orchards in the hills above Lake Chelan, Washington. After spending fifteen years away, exploring other opportunities, she returned home and teamed up with her family to start Rootwood Cider in 2015. Her family has been growing apples for more than 100 years! Adding some cider apple varieties to the commercial orchards was an important step toward adding diversity to the business and creating a way for her and her sisters to be part of the family apple history. 

SCOTT Katsma
BOArd Member

Quality Research & Development, Seattle Cider Company

Scott was born in Chicago, Illinois but was raised in Boise, Idaho. He began working at Seattle Cider Company in 2014 and became Head Cidermaker in early 2016. In addition to fermentation innovation, Scott’s passions include waste stream management, creative problem solving, market analysis, and industry networking. As we look to the future, Scott is excited to continue to advocate for education and awareness within the region. Not is he a voice for cideries in and around the PNW, but also an experienced resource for start-up cideries throughout the region.

Y. Dave KLAWER
BOARD MEMBER

Co-owner, Alma Cider

Dave Klawer is a cidermaker, orchardist, Certified Pommelier™️, cider advocate, educator, and enthusiast. Dave’s desire to spend more time outdoors, his interest in growing tree fruit, and his joy of fermentation led him to pursue a Master’s Degree in Agriculture. His dream is to grow and supply Northwest cidermakers with world class cider fruit, and high quality fresh pressed juice. When Dave is not focused on cider, he spends time with his wife and kids, and he continues to work his 20-year career as a registered nurse.

Dave and his wife Heather co-founded  Bitters & Sharps. A family owned wholesale nursery and orchard management company located in the beautiful Skagit Valley of Northwest Washington. Bitters & Sharps specializes in and consults on cider fruit production, custom grafting, orchard design, and orchard planning. 

Dave’s ambitions are driven by his desire to craft the best possible cider and perry products. He believes knowledge sharing and collaboration within the cider community is essential to elevating Northwest ciders and the cider category in general.

LYNDSAY DYK
BOARD MEMBER

Founder & Principal, Field Day PR

Lyndsay Dyk is the founder of Field Day PR, a Portland-based public relations studio launched in 2022. Born and raised in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Lyndsay grew up immersed in the legends and landscapes of the American West. Since then she has pursued her passion for storytelling, foodways, and hospitality from Seattle to New York to Portland. After working for the dynamic boutique PR agency Little Green Pickle, Lyndsay founded Field Day to address the unique earned media needs of food and beverage artisans with deep connections to the land, their community, and their mission. For clients like these, Lyndsay and her team craft careful, compelling media strategies that foster authentic media relationships and brand sustainability. Lyndsay holds a WSET Level 2 in Wine with Merit.

Molly Crandles
BOARD MEMBER

Senior Cidermaker, Seacider Farm & Ciderhouse

Molly Crandles is the Senior Cider Maker at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  Coming from a winemaking background, Molly has a BSc in Chemistry and an MSc in Oenology and Viticulture. She has worked for wineries around the world, including in Australia, Germany, New York State, Ontario, and British Columbia. Early in her career she developed an interest in cider making alongside winemaking. She first made cider at Maverick Estate Winery in the Okanagan Valley, and is happy to have landed at Sea Cider in early 2024 to continue this passion full time.  She has experience in sensory science, beverage research and development, and education.  Having worked at large and small businesses, she enjoys keeping up with all aspects of the Canadian beverage industry, and advocates for community support of hand crafted, terroir-driven premium wines and ciders.

Aaron Sarnoff-Wood
BOARD MEMBER

Co-founder, 2 Towns Ciderhouse

Aaron Sarnoff-Wood helped launch 2 Towns Ciderhouse in 2010 with his business partner and childhood friend, starting in a garage and growing into the largest cider producer on the West Coast and #2 nationally in grocery sales. Along the way he’s worked across the whole business—ingredient sourcing, production, licensing and compliance, contracts, and distributor management. Today he leads their sales and marketing teams (40+ cider professionals) and stays hands-on with retail and distributor relationships. 

He is also active in policy work that supports the entire cider community. Last year he served on a year-long task force that helped prevent a proposed 3,000%+ tax increase on cider in Oregon, and he’s currently engaged in Washington to oppose retail restrictions that could limit cider’s access to consumers.

Alan MacDonald
BOARD MEMBER

Owner, Winsome Ciderworks

Alan MacDonald is a veteran beverage industry leader with 30+ years shaping some of the most recognized names in wine, cider, and beer. Alan’s career spans brand creation, marketing, and distribution leadership.

Today as Today, as Co-Owner and Managing Partner of Winsome Ciderworks, he sees the market as a dynamic opportunity for innovative, quality-driven brands that meet evolving consumer preferences. Alan is also a former member of the Research Committee of the Wine Market Council, which helped design industry-leading research that guided strategic decisions and attracted new member wineries.

With 30 years of passion for cider and broad experience marketing and selling both craft and large-scale beverage brands (wine, beer and cider), Alan aims to help shape effective strategies for all segments of the cider market and drive the industry’s growth.  

Ramsey Cox
BOARD MEMBER

Ramsey Cox Media Relations and Public Affairs

Ramsey Cox is an accomplished communicator with more than 15 years of experience in media relations, public affairs, coalition building and management, strategic communications development and planning, storytelling and politics, among other things. She has developed a specialization on alcohol tax policy, working on projects with businesses and trade associations, including the Oregon Beverage Alliance, Washington Beer and Wine Distributors Association, Colorado Beverage Coalition, New Mexicans for Fair Taxation and the Beer Institute.

Before relocating to Portland, Oregon, and starting her own firm, Ramsey spent nearly a decade in Washington, D.C. She began her career as a reporter covering the U.S. Senate for The Hill before becoming Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01) and Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs for the Beer Institute, a trade association representing America’s beer industry at the national level, where she helped make the federal Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act permanent.

Through her work fighting alcohol excise tax increases in Oregon and Washington during the past six years, Ramsey has developed deep relationships with Pacific Northwest cidermakers, providing them tools to serve as spokespeople and advocates for our industry and community. Ramsey would welcome the opportunity to continue working alongside and aiding these valued partners through Northwest Cider Association board service with public affairs expertise.

Emily ritchie
Executive Director

Emily Ritchie is the Executive Director, nurturing the community, economy, and ecosystem of a thriving cider culture. NWCA has 3 specific goals to achieve our mission: a) Promote NW cider to increase demand, b) Empower cidery members and c) Encourage, provide training and support NW cideries’ production of high quality cider. Emily is the visionary that gets us there through strategy and hard work. Through Emily’s efforts, NWCA envisions the Pacific Northwest is at the heart of the craft cider movement with a vibrant, collaborative industry where anyone can share in the success and joy of cider. Before this, she worked for the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Department managing the FoodCorps program. In her free time she loves to swing dance and loves the feeling of soil beneath her fingernails while tending her vegetable garden. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their two fave cats Jake and Elwood, the Blues Brothers.

Emily’s email is emily[at]nwcider.com

LAURA KENNEDY
MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS Manager

Laura Kennedy is the Membership and Communications Manager for the Northwest Cider Association, where she fosters a thriving cider community by connecting members, sharing industry resources, and amplifying the stories of Pacific Northwest cider via the NW Cider social media channels. She leads membership engagement, communications strategy, and content creation, ensuring cidermakers, orchardists, and industry partners have the support they need to grow and succeed.

Laura brings an entrepreneurial background, marketing expertise, and a deep appreciation for cider to her role. Before joining NWCA, she owned and operated a certified organic herb farm and herbal apothecary near Portland. Her love for the PNW extends beyond cider; she can often be found camping or foraging for mushrooms.

Laura’s email is info[at]nwcider.com

Jana Daisy-Ensign
Marketing Director

Jana is a respected industry leader with nearly two decades of experience in the craft beverage category. A sales professional, she has championed farmers, orchardists and artisan makers, bringing their stories and products to market. Jana currently oversees NWCA programs to build demand for NW cider. She serves as Co-Director of NW Cider Cup, the region’s most prestigious cider competition. A seasoned cider judge and judge trainer, Certified Pommelier™, founding member of Pomme Boots Society and published category writer, Jana brings insightful expertise and creative innovation to her work. A passionate community builder, Jana was the inaugural recipient of the NW Cider Leadership Award in 2019.

Jana’s email is janad[at]nwcider.com

MICHELLE MARKESTEYN, PHD
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTor

Michelle supports grant writing, grant management, and strategic planning. Michelle is new to the cider community and brings fresh eyes to the association’s work to communicate the story of Northwest cider broadly. Michelle lives on a 4 acre farm in the Willamette Valley with her 2 growing boys, and her favorite vegetable to grow is an eggplant.

Michelle’s email is michellemarkesteyn[at]nwcider.com

EMILY BECKER
PROGrAM MANAGER

Emily Becker is a project management and event consultant who has supported NWCA’s programs since 2018. Each year, Emily coordinates the Northwest Cider Symposium & Trade Show and co-directs the NW Cider Cup. She also supports other programs as well as managing grants and sponsorships. Emily works with a variety of beverage and food system focused nonprofits bringing together diverse stakeholders to learn from each other, share best practices, collaboratively seek solutions, and celebrate together. In the cider world, she also helps behind the scenes with CiderCon. Outside of work, Emily serves on the board of the Portland Fruit Tree Project, plays in the forest, experiments in the kitchen, and ferments cider from gleaned fruit. 

Emily’s email is emilybecker[at]nwcider.com