Schilling Cider is accepting applications for an Assistant Cidermaker for a few more days. Please follow this link for a full job description or to apply.

http://bevforce.com/jobs/assistant-cider-maker-1

HELP US LIGHT THE WAY AT FINNRIVER WITH A SOLAR POWERED CIDER GARDEN!

We’re excited to support our friends at Finnriver in constructing a new solar energy system at the Chimacum Cider Garden, to create renewable energy and to be an inspiring educational resource.  Finnriver is embarking on a crowd-funding campaign this month to generate funds for matching a USDA Rural Energy grant to install a 40 Kilowatt renewable energy system at the Cider Garden that, if completed, will be the largest solar installation in Jefferson County.

It’s all about the love and the light!

Visit the link here to view their fun Solar Powered Cider Garden video and to contribute to this important project! 

https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/solar-powered-cider-garden-at-finnriver

With the arrival of fall and the inevitable arrival of winter, North Idaho Cider has released its fall/winter seasonal Chai Spiced Cider.

“This creation is our offering of the comforting spices of fall and the holidays using real cinnamon, clove and cardamom. A touch of ginger provides a crisp freshness while the finish is dry and clean with subtle notes of vanilla” according to Keith Allen, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer.

North Idaho Cider uses 100% fresh pressed Northwest grown apples to make its dry ciders. Chai Spiced pairs well with many foods including fall soups and dishes with turkey or pork. It’s ABV is 6.9%.

North Idaho Cider’s Chai Spiced is available in bottles and on tap in it’s tasting room in Hayden, ID and bottles are available at select retailers in North Idaho and in the Spokane WA region. All North Idaho Cider bottled products can be ordered online and shipped throughout the United States.

About North Idaho Cider

Established in 2014, North Idaho Cider is a partnership of three good natured guys, Keith Allen, Matt Peterson and Jeff Selle. Born from an initial interest in brewing their own beer, curiosity led them to try their hand at making hard apple cider. Over time and with deliberate collaboration they collectively developed an affinity for dry ciders with great apple flavor and influences of other fruits and natural ingredients.

North Idaho Cider has a taproom and production facility in located at 11100 Airport Rd, Bay 5 in Hayden, ID 83835. For more information visit www.northidahocider.com and follow @northidahocider on social media.

Governor’s trade mission focuses on Japan
ODA Director Taylor joins Governor Brown as part of an ag-heavy delegation

October 5, 2017… A one-week trade mission to Asia will have a decided emphasis on Oregon food and agriculture as Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Alexis Taylor lead a delegation that will focus its efforts on doing business with Japan, the state’s top export market for agricultural products. Among the delegates are representatives of eight Oregon companies connected to food and agriculture who hope to make a strong impression throughout the week.

“We have invested in Japan for decades and have established strong relationships with Japanese importers and consumers,” says Taylor. “It’s important for our companies on this mission to build on those relationships already made and also make new ones.”

The ag delegation includes some companies experienced in selling into Japan and others who are making their first effort: Willamette Valley Fruit Company of Salem; OFD Foods of Albany; Northwest Hazelnut of Hubbard; Ponzi Vineyards of Sherwood; 2 Towns Cider of Corvallis; Bossco Trading of Tangent; Weaver Seed Processing of Scio, and Pacific Seafood, headquartered in Clackamas.

There will also be a strong presence by Oregon State University and the Portland-based Food Innovation Center.

Director Taylor and two ODA staff members experienced in the international market will provide assistance to all companies making the trip.

“For someone who has been exporting into Japan already, we can introduce them to new buyers or to some new markets in Japan,” says Taylor. “Maybe they have concentrated their efforts in Tokyo but other parts of the country might have interest in their products. For the first time exporter, we will help them learn about the Japanese market, the taste profiles, what the Japanese consumer is looking for from American products, and how you brand and market the product.”

Taylor says ODA’s expertise provides value to those who are part of the trade mission.

“We want to make sure our companies leave Japan having made solid relationships that lead to solid sales.”

The trade mission begins with a one-day stop in Hong Kong, a gateway for trade into Asia, that includes a tour by Governor Brown of Cathay Pacific’s new air cargo facility. Nearly a year ago, Cathay Pacific began direct air cargo flights from Portland to Hong Kong which are key for export of Oregon’s perishable ag products such as fresh cherries, live Dungeness crab, and cut greens. In response to demand during the harvest season, Cathay Pacific added two extra flights each week through the summer.

From Hong Kong, the full agricultural delegation will join the governor in Japan for the balance of the trade mission.

Among the highlights next week will be an Oregon reception in Tokyo with key customers of Oregon food and agricultural products attending, a panel discussion of women in leadership from Japan and the US, and a special “Doing Business in Oregon” seminar targeting Japanese food processing companies that may want to open operations in the state.

Governor Brown and Director Taylor will be part of the women in leadership panel.

“Having led the Women in Agriculture Initiative my last year at USDA, women leadership is near and dear to my heart,” says Taylor. “It’s an exciting time to see women taking on more leadership roles in the US and in Japan. For example. the current mayor of Tokyo is a woman.”

The seminar for food processors gives OSU and the Food Innovation Center a chance to be introduced. OSU’s research chef, Jason Ball, and the FIC’s Sensory Program Manager, Ann Colonna, will demonstrate some of the resources available to Japanese companies interested in operating in Oregon– the same resources available to US companies. Specifically, Colonna will conduct a taste test using four different craft ciders from Oregon. In the past three years, Oregon has gone from having zero craft ciders in the Japanese market to eight brands.

Chef Ball will also showcase several Oregon ingredients– including hazelnuts, blackberries, rockfish, and freeze dried chicken– as part of uniquely created dishes that will be sampled by Japanese attendees.

In Japan, food service is a huge sector. Japanese consumers are increasingly dining out. They also expect top notch quality. That’s why Japanese food buyers are looking for quality ingredients and products from Oregon to sell into restaurants and retail grocery stores.

“The mission is largely focused on food ingredients and beverages, which is exciting because Oregon grows and produces high quality and safe food products,” says Taylor. “Japan is an evolving market looking for the things we excel at growing. With Oregon’s proximity to the Pacific Rim, there continues to be a huge opportunity. We’ve capitalized on that in Japan over the past several years and decades, we want to continue building upon that success now and in the future.”

Rank and title carry a great deal of importance in Japan. Having a governor and a state director of agriculture on the mission helps cement existing relationships and opens some doors to meetings that the accompanying businesses would not get otherwise.

For a state that doesn’t have the population to consume all that it produces, an export market is important. And there hasn’t been an export market any more important than Japan.

“When you look at the numbers, more than $1.5 billion of agricultural goods from Oregon go to Japan every year,” says Taylor. “That’s an amazing number. Think about how many jobs that stimulates in the economy of our state, how much additional economic value that’s bringing to Oregon.”

Maintaining strong relationships in Oregon’s top export market and building new ones is a lot easier done face-to-face. The upcoming governor’s trade mission is the type of event that helps make it possible.

For an audio recap of this story, please go to https://wp.me/p52oQB-mt and scroll down.

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Follow the Governor’s Trade Mission with daily updates on ODA’s newsblog at https://odanews.wpengine.com
 

A celebration of traditional cider apples and cask-conditioned ales, the Pressing Matters Proper Cider and Real Ale Festival will be held at the Cider Riot! Pub and Production Facility on 807 NE Couch St in Portland, November 18th from noon to 7pm.
Just as fine wine is pressed from specific wine grape varieties, the best cider is pressed from specific varieties of apples. Sometimes referred to as “spitters” these bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples pack a flavorful punch. In England more cider apples are grown than eating apples. Here in North America only a small amount of cider apples are being grown, but more and more are planted each year as cider continues to grow in popularity.
“At Cider Riot! we’re lucky enough to make cider from bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples grown at two established orchards in Yamhill County and we love the results,” says Cider Riot! founder and cidermaker Abram Goldman-Armstrong.
“We’ve invited some of the best cidermakers from around the continent to showcase their finest ciders made with true cider apples at the Pressing Matter Festival. We want people to experience the depth and diversity of flavors that fermenting these traditional cider apples provide.”  
In addition to cider there will be traditional cask-conditioned ales from some of the region’s finest brewers, Morris Dancing, cider apple tasting and cheese pairings.
Advance tickets are $25 and include a logoed tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets, $30 at the door. Single tickets and disposable cups are also available. Additional tasting tickets are $2 each, and 4 oz tastes of ciders cost 1-2 tickets each depending on price and rarity of the ciders.
Cider Riot! ciders on tap: Shaken Tree Yarlington Mill Cider, Burncider Dry Draft Cider, 1763 Revolutionary West Country Cider 2015 and 2016 vintages, EZ Orchards Collaboration, 2016 Kingston Black, Porter’s Perfection.
Cideries: Alpenfire Cider, Bull Run Cider, Stone Circle Cider, Foggy Ridge Cider, 2Towns Ciderhouse, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, Carlton Cyderworks, Wildcraft Cider, Baird and Dewar Farmhosue Cider, Runcible Cider
Breweries: Gigantic Brewing, Machine House Brewery, Brewers Union Local 180, Falling Sky Brewing
What: Pressing Matters Proper Cider and Real Ale Festival
When: Nov 18th 12-7pm
Where: Cider Riot! 807 NE Couch St, Portland, OR 97232
Why: To celebrate traditional cider apples and cask-conditioned beer
Who: The event is all-ages, minors must be accompanied by an adult, valid ID required
How: Advance tickets available through Eventbrite, $25, $30 at the door, Single tasting tickets available on site for $2 each. Contact Cider Riot! 503-662-8275
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pressing-matters-proper-cider-and-real-ale-festival-tickets-38778928820
FB Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/157727184821727/
About Cider Riot! Founded in 2013 in a North Tabor neighborhood garage, Cider Riot! is dedicated to producing flavorful refreshing dry ciders from Cascadian grown apples. Cider Riot! ciders have won awards in numerous local and international cider competitions including the prestigious Bath and West Show in Somerset, England. In 2016 Cider Riot! opened its pub and production facility at 807 NE Couch St, just off East Burnside. The pub is open 4-11pm weekdays, and Noon-11pm weekends, shut Tuesdays.
 

(Seattle, WA – October 6th, 2017) – Sip Northwest magazine is excited to release its sixth annual Best of the Northwest issue. This collector’s edition showcases the winners of the grand tasting competition from wine, beer, spirits and cider, along with top Northwest beverage trends, locally focused restaurant and bars, upright industry influencers and more.
 
An open call for submissions last spring drafted more than 530 entries from wine, 263 beers, 114 from spirits and 130 ciders. The magazine recruited an accomplished, qualified group of nearly 80 of the Northwest’s premier palates to assess and determine the top four, plus Judges’ Picks, in each respective beverage category. Together, Sip Northwest and the judging panels built a comprehensive listing of medaled winners to add to readers’ liquor cabinets, beer fridges, wine cellars and cider coolers.
 
The issue also profiles some of the most influential personalities in each beverage, along with features of locally supporting restaurants, bars, tours, festivals and retailers.
 
“This competition is always so eye-opening as to what spectacular beverages are being produced across the Pacific Northwest,” says Erin James, editor-in-chief of Sip Publishing, publishers of Sip Northwest. “As an authority in regional drinks coverage, it is our duty to create such an extensive issue to showcase these beverages and producers, from large to small and everything in between.”
 
Sip Northwest’s 2017 Best of the Northwest issue is a versatile compilation of the top billing beverages of the year. To read the full list of winners, please CLICK HERE.

About Sip Northwest Magazine
Sip Northwest magazine is a locally owned-and-operated quarterly magazine that showcases the wines, beers, spirits and ciders of the Pacific Northwest. The award-winning magazine was created to be the leading authority and resource on the emerging and flourishing beverage scene, covering everything from recipes and the culture to the faces and the stories behind all that is produced in the Northwest.
 
Media Contact:
Kristin Bacon Ackerman
Publisher and CEO, Sip Publishing
kristin@sippublishing.com | (206) 467-4578

Port Townsend, WA — Alpenfire Cider is celebrating a new decade of producing organic cider in the Pacific Northwest with the release of new vintages and a new look to the family owned brandmark.  

As part of this celebration, Alpenfire will be launching their much anticipated Cider Club which will allow members access to limited release vintages and special events.  A new website showcasing the revamped label designs will be launched on October 1st.  On October 13th, Alpenfire will also be hosting a cider-paired five course dinner, aptly named “Firestarter”, at Port Townsend’s newest restaurant, Finistere.  https://restaurantfinistere.com  Tickets are available for this limited seating dinner at https://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/109435/chk/50bc. 

Alpenfire’s certified organic orchard was established in 2003, when Steve (Bear) and Nancy Bishop planted their first 900 trees.  “Our understanding of cider and a determination to produce exceptional cider was formed travelling through the cider regions of England, France, and Spain” says Bear.  “We came home determined to craft ciders unlike anything else produced in the United States.”  They released their first two commercial ciders in 2007.   Today, Alpenfire has an established track record of awards and recognitions for their ciders.  

When the orchard was first planted it was for a specific blend of cider, as the orchard has matured, so has the range of that blend.  Apples grown include bitter-sharps like Kingston Black and Foxwhelp which give the ciders an acidic balance and bitter-sweets like Vilberie and Muscadet de Dieppe which provide an enticing earthy flavor and tannic structure. Alpenfire ciders are given a minimum of eight months to age before blending and bottling, they are not filtered or fined, and most are bottle conditioned.

To learn more about Alpenfire Cider and their products please visit their website at https://www.alpenfirecider.com/.  Their tasting room is open every Saturday and Sunday from noon till 5pm through December 3rd and will re-open again in the Spring of 2018.  For more information on the tasting room, email info@alpenfirecider.com.  For information on sales and distribution, email Philippe Bishop at pb@alpenfirecider.com.

REVEREND NAT’S HARD CIDER SIGNS LEASE FOR NEW CIDERY AND ANNOUNCES NEW INVESTMENT

The two deals go hand-in-hand to fuel continued rapid growth in the cider industry’s strong market of the Pacific Northwest.

Portland, OR – October 2, 2017

Five and a half years after its first sales, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider is tripling its cidery space while receiving investment from Shobi Dahl, cofounder of Dave’s Killer Bread. The new facility will be dedicated to production cidermaking. The company’s existing cidery will get a facelift in 2018 to expand the taproom and retail operations.

“I started this business in my basement without imagining that it would be successful enough to move beyond my house,” said Nat West, the eponymous founder of Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider. Since moving into the current cidery in late 2012, the business has added two adjacent spaces in the Bindery Building on 2nd and Schuyler in Northeast Portland, bringing its total space to about 7,000 square feet. 

The new facility, located at 1211 N Loring St in Portland Oregon, is about one mile from the current cidery and is over 21,000 square feet. Reverend Nat’s expects to be able to produce close to 25,000 barrels in the new facility with additional tank capacity. It produced 4500 barrels in 2016 and is on track for 5500 barrels in 2017. The company expects to transfer operations from its current cidery to the new facility in early 2018.

“My team has been looking for a larger cidery for more than a year, but we had very high expectations, including staying in the historic Albina township of Portland. Shobi approached me about a building he was looking to lease to an entrepreneur and we immediately found common ground. I couldn’t be happier with the arrangement,” said Reverend Nat.

Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider was advised by Jake Bigby of CBRE and Leigh Gill of Immix in the transaction.

In addition to leasing the building to Reverend Nat’s, Dahl has made an investment to fuel the company’s continued growth. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Reverend Nat is a single-minded cider evangelist and craft beer revolutionary who searches the world for superior ingredients to handcraft the most unusual ciders that no one else will make. Founder Nat West started making cider at home in 2004 and opened Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider in September of 2011. With unique products like the multiple-fermented Revival, dry-hopped Hallelujah Hopricot and quinine-bittered Deliverance Ginger Tonic, he is making cider in the creative spirit of beer geeks. To learn more, check out the website at reverendnatshardcider.com or find him on Facebook or Twitter @revnatscider.

MISSOULA, Mont. – Back for its second year, Montana Cider Week will celebrate Montana made hard ciders with events across the state, October 1-7, 2017. From Bozeman to Billings and Missoula to Hamilton, this week-long event will highlight all Montana cideries with apple pressings, tap takeovers, cider dinners, harvest parties and a cider festival.  This follows last year’s inaugural Montana Cider Week in which over 500 Montanans participated in celebrating the state’s growing craft cider industry.

This year, the week will kick-off at 11am on Sunday October 1st at Western Cider’s tasting room with a Harvest Party featuring a brunch with cider cocktails, cider pressing, food truck, live music and a special release fall cider.  Throughout the week, participants in Missoula, Bozeman, Stevensville and Billings will have the opportunity to taste award winning ciders from Montana cideries including Montana CiderWorks, Lockhorn Hard Cider, Western Cider Co., Last Chance Pub and Cider Mill, Backroad Cider and betterRoot Cider at participating tasting rooms, bars and restaurants.

The week will conclude on October 7th with the Bitterroot’s favorite Liquid Apple Night featuring five Montana cideries pouring cider in support of the Ravalli County Museum.  This final celebration will take place from 5pm-9pm at Legion Park on 2nd and Bedford in Hamilton, MT.  Tickets are $25 with proceeds benefiting the Museum.  

“All of these events are a great way to support craft hard cider and Montana’s apple heritage,” says Emily Ritchie, Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association. “We are excited to have Montana participating again this year demonstrating the strong support for this vibrant and growing industry.”

For more information about Montana Cider Week and event details go to https://www.facebook.com/MTCiderWeek.

Corvallis, Ore. — Break out the rain boots and get ready to dive into a pile of leaves! Hollow Jack is back with a taste to inspire fall shenanigans. This unfiltered pumpkin cider is 6.4% ABV and made with over 25 pounds of caramelized heirloom pumpkins and 10 pounds of sweet potatoes per barrel. It’s beautifully seasoned with a unique blend of autumn spices for a treat that will have you embracing fall with open arms!

“When I taste Hollow Jack, it takes me right back to those back-to-school days of fall, heading out the door with a fresh wardrobe of new clothes, the comforting smell of rain, and a whiff of freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils in the air, ” said Scott Bugni, marketing director at 2 Towns Ciderhouse.

“We load this fall favorite with caramelized pumpkin to produce a rich, slightly sweet and super complex cider that has the power to conjure up the nostalgia that so many people feel at this time of year,” added Dave Takush, head cider maker. “Enjoy it while playing a game of Battleship on a blanket spread on the floor, while pausing in between bobbing for apples and dancing to the “Monster Mash,” or sharing a fall picnic with friends after riding bikes down a tree-lined back road. Hollow Jack is the Pumpkin King!”

Hollow Jack is available now through the end of November. It’s available to distributors in 500 ml bottles, 1/2 bbl kegs and 1/6 bbl kegs, primarily in Oregon, Washington and California.

About 2 Towns Ciderhouse

At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider. For more information on 2 Towns Ciderhouse, visit www.2townsciderhouse.com.