National Cider Month is more than a hashtag on social media posts, it’s a chance to drive traffic, educate new drinkers, and build long-term loyalty for your cidery. In this edition, Executive Editor Jon Sicotte talks with cidery leaders from across the country who share ideas you can adapt for your own brand:
- Washington’s Finnriver Farm & Cidery: Turning “Apple Day” into a full harvest festival with live music, pumpkin patches, fresh juice, and hot mulled cider.
- Houston’s City Orchard: Creating “Harvest Days” in 100-degree Texas heat with seasonal releases, cider donuts, pumpkins, and approachable education for new cider drinkers.
- New Hampshire’s Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery: Using cider-focused tasting weekends, mulled cranberry-apple cider, and a cider club to turn October interest into year-round sales.
- New York’s Seminary Hill: Leveraging organic orchard tours, single-varietal flights, and a destination restaurant/hotel to promote cider beyond the fall.
- Oregon’s Queen Orchard Farm & Cidery: Combining a working farm, taproom, family-friendly activities, and limited-distribution ciders to build a loyal local following.
You’ll hear how these cideries:
- Plan National Cider Month events that fit their climate, capacity, and brand
- Use harvest storytelling to highlight a sense of place and apple varieties
- Design tastings, clubs, and special releases that keep guests coming back after October
- Turn fall traffic (like festivals, weddings, and taproom visits) into sustained business
If you’re a cidery owner, manager, or marketer looking for actionable ideas for National Cider Month, this episode could be your playbook.
