As securing permission, Eric was able to start his fermentation journey in high school with a science project using cane juice. That spark stayed with him through his time in Louisiana and Kansas, eventually shaping what is now Zydeco Meadery in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.

Zydeco Meadery weaves Eric’s Caribbean heritage into every bottle. Drawing from Trinidadian traditions like “Sorrel”, a spiced hibiscus drink served during holidays, Eric reimagines this ancestral recipes by using honey instead of cane sugar. Each mead showcases distinctive honey varietals, from Louisiana wildflower to Massachusetts knotweed, adding layers of terroir that reflect the regions that shaped him. The result is a line of meads that are bold, balanced, and culturally rich—fermented expressions of family, migration, and memory.

• Carnival Rose
  • Carbonated hibiscus mead rooted in Caribbean sorrel tradition
  • 12% ABV, spiced, bold, festive
  • Named in honor of Calypso Rose, the first female calypsonian
• Yankee Heritage Cyser
  • Apple, raisin, and knotweed honey
  • Inspired by colonial cider traditions and Bear Swamp Orchard & Cidery which is in Ashfield, Massachusetts but is no longer open.
• Bayou Soleil
  • Traminette grape and citrus blend
  • A nod to Louisiana groves and Eric’s wife’s love of German varietals
• Atlantic Creole
  • 100% Massachusetts knotweed honey
  • Molasses-like, earthy, and distinct

• Website: https://zydecomeadery.com

• Totally Cider Tour Uk_Edition 2025
• Flower Expo
• Apple Guy Flowers

Levi Danielson is the founder and cider maker at RAW Cider, based in Dayton, Oregon. With roots in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and a cidery nestled among cider apples and pears in the Willamette Valley, Levi’s story is one of wild ferments, place-based cider, and planting for the future – both in Oregon and back home.

Levi’s path began in microbiology and health policy before a leap to France introduced him to wild fermentation and orchard life. After interning and later leading production at Dragon’s Head Cider in Washington, Levi launched RAW Cider in 2020 with méthode champenoise ciders that quietly matured during the pandemic.

Since then, RAW Cider has:

• Opened a year-round tasting room on an orchard in Dayton, Oregon
• Earned gold and silver medals for its first releases
• Focused on native yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and orchard-first practices
• Planted and top-grafted cider and perry fruit in both Oregon and Minnesota

Levi’s passion for perry is central to RAW Cider. With 60-year-old pear trees, now top worked with perry pear varieties and wild seedlings grafted in the Mississippi River Valley, plus collaborations in Hood River, he’s betting on American perry’s future.

He believes Hood River could become the “Domfrontais of the U.S.”—a new home for pear-driven sparkling ciders that mirrors the pear region in Normandy, France.

Listen to episode 313: Wild Yeast Fermentations | CiderCon 2022 featuring a panel discussion with Levi Danielson

• Website: https://www.rawcider.com

• European Union 100% juice movement – Sign the petition today! https://www.petitions.net/protect-european-artisanal-cider-and-perry
• Totally Cider Tours
• Inn on Lake Champlain

An intimate sit down with James Forbes of Little Pomona to talk about grief of losing his wife and business partner Susanna Forbes, the growth of the cidery, and the evolving identity of one this select cidery.

Susanna Forbes, co-founder of Little Pomona, passed away in 2024. Her warmth, encouragement, and belief in others shaped the cidery from day one. As James puts it,

“She was always trying to build up and support others – including me.”

• Champagne Method Quince Wine – Possibly the second of its kind globally, due this summer.
• Champagne Method Egremont Russet – One of his favorite apples, now sparkling.
• Keeved Ciders – A new path, with mixed results but promising bottles.
• Distilled Projects – Collaborations with Capreolus and Pleasant Land to craft pommeau aged in chestnut barrels.
• Annual Disco Nouveau – Returning with the 2022 and 2023 vintages.
• Natural Yeast Ferments – Used throughout, except the second ferment in méthode champenoise.

• Hereford Beer House | Hereford
• Museum of Cider | Hereford
• Specialist shops in London, Manchester, and Glasgow
• Press Then Press –
• Select U.S. locations via Anxo (Washington D.C.)

• Totally Cider Tours – UK Edition
• Vermont and New York Cider Tour/Road Trip
  • 1000 Stone Farm
  • Saint Lawerence Nursery
  • Frosty Twig and Canton Apples
  • Pierrpont Cider
  • Inn at Lake Champlain

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Sophie Horstink of De Groote Wei, which means The Great Meadow in Dutch, is crafting Dutch cider as a value added project at her family’s farm. Located in the eastern Netherlands near Arnhem, the farm spans 16 hectares and has long produced dessert apples and pears.

The Horstink family market is well-known and is a go-to place for locals to shop and would be considered a grocery store.

She released her first cider in 2022. The early response was enthusiastic, selling out quickly and prompting her to scale production. She now ferments around 5,000 liters annually in what is called the ‘cider cave” on the family farm.

• Appel Vink (Apple Finch)
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • Notes: Lightly sparkling with fresh acidity and a hint of sourness. Made entirely from eating apples including Elstar, Jonagold, and Belle de Boskoop.
• Groente Vink (Green Finch)
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • Notes: A blend of apples as used in the Appel Finch and 30% Conference pears. Also bottle-conditioned, this cider has a rounder mouthfeel and delicate fruit aromatics.

• Website: https://www.degrootewei.nl

• VT & NY Cider Road Trip
• Totally Cider Tours
• SpaceTime Mead and Cider Works set to close June 22, 2025 – listen to the Space Time episode 288 with Dan Schreffler

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Donatas Genys didn’t set out to launch Lithuania’s first keeved cider. But after trips to England and Normandy, years of experimentation, and the planting of over 6,000 cider apple trees, that’s exactly what he’s doing. At Sodo Sidriné, located just a few kilometers from the city of Kaunus, Donatas is into a whole new era for cider Lithuania’s cider revival

Lithuania has deep agricultural roots, but apple trees which at many of the homes are desired more for eating or making apple wine while vodka and beer under Soviet rule flourished.

Note: Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so, an act made possible in part by the loosening of Soviet control under Gorbachev’s Perestroika reforms.

Donatas is using both local varieties like Auksis and imported cider apples such as Yarlington Mill, Harry Masters Jersey, and Marie Ménard. His orchard-first philosophy ensures every cider is estate grown and rooted in place.

The hallmark of Sodo Sidrine’s offerings is a naturally keeved cider. Donatas showcased his keeved cider at CiderCon 2025 and received a lot of praise from attendees, including this Cider Chat Producer Ria Windcaller. Genys admits it’s the most labor-intensive process, but also the most rewarding. This method yields a semi-dry cider with natural sweetness and long-lasting complexity, a rarity in a country where most consumers only know industrial cider.

With a production facility nearly complete, Genys is preparing to scale up. His vision includes:

• Stainless steel fermentation
• A small tasting room with potential for expansion
• Fruit wines and hopped ciders to appeal to a wider audience
• Apple brandy aged in sherry casks for future release

Despite legal gray areas (there’s no craft cider license in Lithuania), Donatas is pushing forward — blending tradition, research, and experimentation with quiet determination. He expects his licensing process to be completed by the summer of 2025. Stay tuned!

• Website: https://sodosidrine.lt/

• Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition
• Bent Ladder | Doylestown Ohio – Events
• Locust Grove Brewing – Mother’s Day Brunch – Live Music, Food Truck 11-2pm

At the base of Colorado’s Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain, five generations of fruit growers have worked the land. Today, Snow Capped Cider carries on that legacy, crafting estate-grown ciders from fruit nurtured at elevations between 6,130 and 7,000 feet. The high desert sun, volcanic soil, and pure snowmelt water combine to create vibrant apples and distinctive ciders.

What began as a small experiment soon blossomed into a full-fledged cidery. Sparked by a disappointing store-bought cider, Kari Williams and her family leaned into their winemaking background and deep orchard knowledge to create cider reflective of their exceptional terroir.

At Snow Capped Cider:

• Only estate-grown fruit is used.
• Over 100 acres are dedicated to cider-specific apple varieties.
• The extreme UV exposure at high elevation leads to apples with higher sugars, acids, and tannins, setting the stage for rich, complex ciders.

Managing a shorter growing season, spring frost risks, and labor-intensive frost protection methods has shaped their unique approach to farming and fermenting.

Snow Capped produces:

• 16 canned ciders distributed across four states.
• 54 distinct bottled ciders, from single varietals like Kingston Black and Harrison to blends featured in the Elevation Series.
• Botanical infusions and experimental ferments, all handled with precision and passion.

Their Gold Rush cider, a blend of French and English apples, showcases the vibrant flavors that their terroir imparts — a naturally complex, award-winning cider approachable for all levels of cider drinkers.

Ciders are available via:

• Retail in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and California
• Online at VinoShipper
• Their exclusive cider club offering small-batch, estate ciders.

Website: https://snowcappedcider.com

• Totally Cider Tours

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