Cider Chat

Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist
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Interviewing cidermakers, importers, orchardists, foodies, farmers and cider enthusiasts around the world. Let's delve into the semantics of cider…or is it hard cider, cidre, sidra or fermented apple juice? The truth is out there in Ciderville and we are going to find it. We toast in celebration of cider; As a libation, a gift from the gods, a taste of terroir, and a hard pressed good time. Ready to quench your thirst? Grab a glass and join this chat! See you in Ciderville!

  1. 497:Beginner Cider Makers Q&A | Advice from Professional Cider Makers (Archive)

    3 DAYS AGO

    497:Beginner Cider Makers Q&A | Advice from Professional Cider Makers (Archive)

    This archival episode of Cider Chat brings together five experienced cider makers answering real-world questions from beginners at CiderCon 2019. Originally released as Episodes 174 and 175, this combined feature presents a comprehensive Q&A covering everything from fermentation and stabilization to business strategy, equipment, and scaling a cidery. The discussion bridges the gap between hobby cider making and commercial production, offering practical insights grounded in real experience. Panelists Marcus Robert – Tieton Cider Works, Washington Tim Godfrey – Golden State Cider, California Eleanor Leger – Eden Specialty Cider, Vermont Brent Myles – Sly Clyde Cider, Virginia Ben Calvi – Vermont Cider Co, Vermont Moderated by Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller 00:00 Cider Choices Matter 01:27 Episode Setup 03:02 Ciderville Event News 05:41 Support The Podcast 06:31 Patron Shoutouts 10:34 Panel Introductions 14:34 Defining Cider 15:32 Lessons Learned 18:55 Residual Sugar Safety 23:51 Contract Vs Taproom 27:13 Ice Cider Deep Dive 33:11 Settling Juice Tips 34:40 Solids and Enzymes 35:06 Plastic Fermenters Tips 36:41 Profitability and Distribution 40:54 Learn on Someone Else 41:27 Core Ciders Strategy 45:43 Tasting Room Location 49:43 Funding and Crowdfunding 52:07 Essential Lab Gear 53:54 Filtration and Hopbacks 58:05 Fermentation Temperature Control 01:01:03 Wrap Up and Sign Off Find the full show notes for Episode 497 at CiderChat.com Direct Link at:https://ciderchat.com/podcast/497-beginner-cider-makers-qa/ Listen to wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP - by supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    1hr 2min
  2. 496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA

    25 MAR

    496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA

    Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wild yeast, ages cider for 3 to 12 months, and source fruit from nearby orchards. This approach creates cider with structure, balance, and regional identity. This interview is with Jamie, who is a certified pommelier, and her husband Ben Pratt who both partnered with Rick in 2019. This interview was recorded at CiderCon in 2026. 00:00 Cider Eyes Open 00:40 Meet Liberty Cider 01:58 Ciderville News Kanga 04:46 Western Mass Cider Stop 07:51 Tour Prep And Pacing 12:53 Spokane Urban Cidery 15:09 Orchards And Sourcing 17:20 How They Joined Liberty 21:54 Tasting Room Third Place 23:29 Cider Series And Flights 29:33 Educating New Drinkers 31:07 American Apples Lineup 32:01 On The Table Golden Russet 32:22 Golden Russet Terroir 33:22 Tasting Notes Compared 35:31 Wild Yeast Unfiltered 38:43 Reserve Versus Core 39:19 Cider Club Shipping 41:59 Future Growth Strategy 44:14 Visit Spokane Taproom 46:38 Events Puzzle Festival 49:21 Barrel Program 55 Chain 52:39 Wrap Up Ciderchat 54:13 Closing Orchard Song   Find the full show notes for Episode 496 at CiderChat.com Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/496-liberty-ciderworks/ Listen to wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP and support this podcast Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    56 min
  3. 495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging

    18 MAR

    495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging

    In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cider? Find Key Takeaways for Home Cider Makers Barrel Room Glossary SO₂ Calculator 00:00 Barrels as Dance Partners 00:29 Episode 495 Replay Setup 01:40 Ryan Monkman Spotlight 04:06 Ciderville News and Cider Salons 06:21 UK Blossom Time Tour Plans 08:18 Entering the Barrel Cave 10:38 Cellar Terroir and Humidity 13:33 Malolactic Fermentation Explained 15:32 Listening to Fermentation 17:51 Comparing Barrels With and Without Malo 21:50 Yeast Trials and Complexity 23:48 Lees Contact and Benefits 26:24 Bâtonnage Tools and Routine 30:47 Bâtonnage Demo in Action 33:49 Hands On Stirring and Smelling 34:17 Stirring The Lees 35:26 Blending For Complexity 36:47 Aging Timeline And Autolysis 38:47 Barrel Faults And Oxygen 41:58 Managing Flor And SO2 44:09 Measuring pH And Sulfur 49:56 Cleaning And Storing Barrels 53:03 Citric Sulfur Storage Method 57:04 Closing Notes And Farewell Find the full show notes for Episode 495 at CiderChat.com Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/495-barrel-aged-cider-tips/ Listen to wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP - by supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    58 min
  4. 494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter

    11 MAR

    494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter

    In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving the original Albert Etter orchard in Humboldt County and continuing the legacy of these historic cider apples. 00:00 Welcome to Cider Chat 00:38 Wickson Crab and Albert Etter 03:06 News Cider Salons Ahead 05:08 Hungary Salon and Champagne Cellars 09:08 Blossom Time and UK Tour 10:59 Support and Show Notes 12:04 Meet Tom Hart 12:30 Humboldt Cider Origin Story 14:36 Taproom and Local Crowd 16:17 Emerald Triangle Economy Shift 22:08 Apples Supply and Production 25:02 Brand Name and Partnership 26:35 Growth Plans and Cider Board Work 30:44 Juice Tankers and Redwood Roads 33:12 Humboldt Outdoors and Fishing 34:47 Where to Stay in Humboldt 35:02 Farmers Market in Arcata 35:59 Cider Batch Sizes and Varietals 37:02 Meet Albert Etter and Ettersburg 38:44 Etter Apple Legacy Varieties 42:12 Stewarding the Historic Orchard 44:47 Orchard Layout and Perry Pear 46:48 Rare Trees and Homestead Grafting 48:32 DNA Testing and Replanting Plan 58:08 Wildlife Challenges and Wrap-Up 59:54 Show Notes and Support the Podcast Find the full show notes for this episode at CiderChat.com Episode 494: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/494-humboldt-cider-albert-etter/ Listen to Episode 494 of Cider Chat® wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    1hr 1min
  5. 493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition)

    4 MAR

    493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition)

    What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This episode is part of the Cider Chat archive documenting global cider traditions and producers since 2015. In this epic replay from Season 2 of Cider Chat, Ria Windcaller traveled to Asturias, Spain, and sat down with Anzu Fernández, international delegate for La Sidra magazine and a lifelong ambassador of traditional Asturian cider culture.   Find the full show notes for this episode at CiderChat.com Episode 493: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/493-cider-as-a-sport-sidra-in-asturias/ Listen to Episode 493 of Cider Chat® wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one. 00:00 Cider Is Sport Intro 00:37 Asturias Sidra Legacy 01:34 Rollup To Episode 500 02:49 Season Two World Tour 05:07 Ciderville News And Tours 07:15 Hungarian Cider Salon 09:13 Setting The Asturias Scene 11:12 Meet Anzu And La Sidra 14:05 Doctor By Day Cider By Night 16:24 Home Cider And Espicha 20:04 Tasting Notes And Apples 22:59 Basque Vs Asturian Styles 24:52 Associations And Big Market 26:28 Cider Pouring Competitions 28:46 How To Drink A Culín 29:48 Sharing One Glass 30:15 Cider Pourer Etiquette 31:55 Low ABV Session Drinking 32:24 Wild Fermentation Basics 33:20 Blending Igualación 34:58 Modern Cider Innovations 36:25 Cider Tourism Grows 38:22 Where To Drink Sidra 40:40 Unlabeled Bottles Explained 41:52 Vintage And Market Shifts 43:45 Defining Cider Origins 47:12 Climate And Apple Country 48:49 Tasting The Long Pour 49:56 Tech Talk And Standards 52:54 Closing Reflections

    55 min
  6. 492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy

    25 FEB

    492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy

    This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop, Maine, Absolem Cider Company is a cidery that expresses place, heritage apples, and hospitality. In this episode, Ria sits down with cider maker Zach Kaiser to explore how Absolem blends traditional inspiration with modern experimentation. From wild-foraged apples and native fermentations to wine-inspired co-ferments and Basque-style pours, Zach shares how Maine's apple history is shaping a new generation of New England cider. 00:00 Intro Cask Cider 00:06 Meet the Guest 01:27 How Cask Service Works 03:08 Why Absolem Uses It 04:07 Episode Roadmap 04:48 Ciderville News MOFGA Workshops 07:19 Listener Shoutout Chalkys Cider 08:29 Featured Chat Begins 09:23 Absolem Farm and Tasting Room 10:31 Where Winthrop Fits in Maine 12:42 Zachs Cider Origin Story 14:24 Founding Absolem Through COVID 16:34 Coferments and Wine Blends 18:13 Wend Wild Apple Cider 22:32 Fermentation Yeast and Malo 24:57 Beer Hybrids and Collabs 25:39 Flagship Ciders to Try 27:18 Sidra Style Foeder Program 28:40 Taproom Vibe and Winter Maine 29:21 Year Round Tasting Room 29:31 Local Bar Vibe 30:41 Lake Town Tourism 31:41 Cider As Experience 32:22 Ice Cider And Mistelle 32:47 Brandy Barrel Aging 34:36 Lodging And Visits 35:14 Signature Events Calendar 35:30 Bembel Fest Details 37:57 Anniversary And Collabs 39:30 Pressing And Production 41:36 Heating And Expansion 42:58 Five Year Vision 44:30 New England Cider Association 50:12 Wrap Up And Links Find the full show notes for this episode at CiderChat.com Episode 492: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/492-absolem-cider-company/ Listen to Episode 492 of Cider Chat® wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    52 min
  7. Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation

    18 FEB

    Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation

    An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments that quietly shaped where cider and this podcast would go. This episode, originally recorded in Season One, features legendary winemaker Randall Grahm, founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard and a James Beard Award winner. At the time, inviting a winemaker onto a cider podcast felt like stepping outside the expected boundaries of the category. Looking back now, it marked a turning point. Long before many of these topics became common discussion in cider, this conversation explores: indigenous and wild yeast fermentation the use of pied de cuve to build healthy native fermentations beginning fermentations de novo each vintage blending philosophy borrowed from wine quince used as structure and aroma rather than juice perry through a winemaker's lens antique fruits like medlars cider as an expression of curiosity and place Randall Grahm " data-medium-file= "https://i0.wp.com/ciderchat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Randall-Grahm-188-copy.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file= "https://i0.wp.com/ciderchat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Randall-Grahm-188-copy.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" /> Randall Grahm Find the full show notes for this episode at CiderChat.com Episode 491: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/491-randall-grahm-cider-history/ Listen to Episode 491 of Cider Chat® wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    54 min
  8. Let Cider Lead

    11 FEB

    Let Cider Lead

    An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state of the cider industry, drawing on more than three decades in cider and nearly eleven years documenting the modern cider movement through Cider Chat. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 01:02 Upcoming Cider Events 03:10 Totally Cider Tours 06:37 Cider Chat Schedule Update 08:00 Reflections on Cider Industry Leadership 10:53 Cider Industry Norms and Challenges 18:44 Call to Action: Let Cider Lead 19:50 Conclusion and Sign Off 20:25 Outro Song: Strange Apples   Find the full show notes for this episode at CiderChat.com Episode 490: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/490-let-cider-lead/ Listen to Episode 490 of Cider Chat® wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville. Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture. 💛 If you love what you're hearing, please consider supporting Cider Chat. Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

    23 min
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About

Interviewing cidermakers, importers, orchardists, foodies, farmers and cider enthusiasts around the world. Let's delve into the semantics of cider…or is it hard cider, cidre, sidra or fermented apple juice? The truth is out there in Ciderville and we are going to find it. We toast in celebration of cider; As a libation, a gift from the gods, a taste of terroir, and a hard pressed good time. Ready to quench your thirst? Grab a glass and join this chat! See you in Ciderville!

Information

  • Creator
    Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cider Chat 2014- 2025
  • Show Website
    Cider Chat

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