Cider Chat

Put Cider in the Penny was recorded at SILO Distillery in Windsor, Vermont in August of 2019.

I had been wanting to catch up with Nicole LeGrande Leibon, every since she moved on from making cider at Farnum Hill Cider in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

She arrived at SILO to make cider in late 2018. She quickly got SILO set up with a Semi dry cider (sold in cans) and a Bourbon Barrel Aged cider (sold in 750ml bottles). In additon to her role as cidermaker, she has also stepped into the role of assistant distiller under Erin Bell.

Erin Bell began working at SILO working the marketing end of things, but found herself distilling in 2015.

Erin Bell and Nicole LeGrande Leibon | SILO Distillery

SILO was founded in 2012 and is situated in the Artisan Park, that is also home to a number of craft producers, like Harpoon Brewery (which also has City Roots Cider) and Blake Hill Preserves and Vermont Cheese Company.

The location is right off of Interstate 91 and there is a Tasting Room that is open year round.

In this chat we learn a bit about Erin's background and approach to distilling along with how Nicole has integrate the copper still into helping her with reductive cider.

• Reductive cider will often smell eggy and though there is nothing wrong with the cider, the eggy off smells must be removed. One solution to removing the off odor is to add a copper penny to one's cup. For a cider maker like Nicole who is managing a whole lot of cider, the SILO copper still came in very handy for removing the off odor. But she tell it best so go to 40 minutes in this recording and find out how she put the "Cider in the Penny".

SILO's still

• Carl Still from Germany
• 350 gallon hybrid pot and column still
• 4 plate finishing plate
• 21 plate vodka column
• Extended helmet gin run for flavorings

Says Erin, "The harder you make the spirit work, the cleaner it gets. We collect the heart of the run - throwing away the rest."

Barrel Program at SILO

• using 10 - 15 gallon barrels
• 30 gallons for the bourbon
• All the barrels are from Green Mountain Grain and Barrel based in Richmond vermont
• SILO bourbon is aged for 20 months

#ciderGoingUp at SILO

• SILO is planning on increasing cider production 50% this Fall 2019!

Contact For SILO Distillery

Website: https://www.carl.info/en/distillation-facilities/

Address: 3 Artisans Way Windsor, Vermont 05089

SILO SUMMER HOURS Sunday – Thursday 11am – 6pm

Friday – Saturday 11am – 7pm

+1 (802) 674 4220 [email protected]

UP COMING Cider Tours

2nd Annual New England Cider Tour - October 31, 2019

• Sign up by sending an email to [email protected]
• SILO is our finally stop of the day on this one-day tour
• Tour and Tasting at Farnum Hill
• Lunch, Tour and Tasting at Fable Farm Fermentory
• Tin Hat Cider will be at Fable Farm

Mentions in the Chat

• Get Ready for Cidermaking - don't forget your yeast - order it now!
• Bear Swamp Cider - is making Apple Brandy
• New Salem Preserves, in New Salem Massachusetts is making cider!
• Artifact Cider is now open in Florence, Massachusetts
• Eden Specialty Ciders now has a 4pack of Harvest Cider - yum yum definitely get these cans!

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Haven't downloaded this episode yet? Here it is again for your listening pleasure.

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Before our Popelouchum Safari, hear about...

Two New Cider Zines

We begin with an overview of Graftwood and Full Juice, two new cider zines out of the United Kingdom. Graftwood is a subscription based quarterly whereas Full Juice is a free grab and go available only in the UK. Both are worthy reads and a great sign of #ciderGoingUP.

New England Cider Tour October 31, 2019

One day cider tour launches from Greenfield, Massachusetts and heads north to Vermont and New Hampshire before returning back to Greenfield,

New Cider Chat Patron

A big tip of the glass to Ambrosia who just became the newest patron of Cider Chat at the Cider Chat Patreon page. Ambrosia is the General Manager of The Northman, a Chicago based cider bar.

Featured Chat - Cider & Wine Safari w/Randall Grahm at Popelouchum

Randall Grahm

What is Popelouchum?

Popelouchum, is located just outside of downtown San Juan Bautista, California. There are 280 acres or is it 400 acres? I'm not sure, nor do I think that it matters, at least not to this story. And there have been lots of stories about Popelouchum since Randall Grahm purchased this swath of land that rises from a low lying plain, bordered on one end by the San Andreas Fault, to a high mountain top back in 2011. This chat isn't so much about Popelouchum, though it provides a magnificent backdrop. This chat is an intimate conversation that covers at least 4 bottles drunk during this recording and the highs and lows of being in the business of both wine and cider.

Perry Pears at Popelouchum

I had asked to tour Popelouchum, because who wouldn't want to see Randall's vision for terroir based wine, and to share with him a bottle of 2017 Cormé made by French cidermaker, Eric Bordelet.

This chat opens with us discussing Cormé which is also known as Sorbus Domestic a.k.a. Service Tree. Then we move onto discussing Bordelet's cidermaking technique. Perhaps it was the Cormé that inspired Randall to announce that he thinks he may have cracked the secret to Bordelet's technique for making such fine ciders.

You won't know if it is truly an unveiling of Bordelet's technique unless you try your hand at what Randall offers as a possibility of uncovering Bordelet's secrets. And that will take a whole lot of practice or as Eric says, "It took me 15 years to discover how to make cider and I am still learning."

After we musing over the Cormé, Randall opened three very special bottles of small batch wines.

• 2017 bottle of 1/2 Grenache Blanche and 1/2 Grenche Gris (only 30 gallons were made)
• 2014 Bien Nacido
• Sangria Reserve, made in 5 gallon glass carboys, on the lees and bottled without filtration.

The conversation then moved onto branding and sustaining one's brand.

This is an intimate and often humorous discussion with one of America's premier winemakers and wine personalities, who also happens to like pommes and I hope will continue to work with both.

Popelouchum high point

Contact info for Popelouchum

• Website: https://www.popelouchum.com/

Listen to Season One interview with Randall Grahm

Episode 12 Randall Grahm | Bonnydoon Vineyard, California

"We Want More Cider" was clearly the take away heard from cider enthusiasts attending the annual Hard Core Cider Tour held in Santa Cruz, California June 27, 2019.

Sipping Syndicate's Albert Martinez spearheaded the Hard Core Cider Tour five years ago in 2014, offering a tasting event with local makers regionally in California. Fest goers get a cup and as open taps throughout the 3 hour event. On the way out The Core Store offers an opportunity for exiting patrons to buy bottles to go from the producers attending....thus completing their dream of getting More Cider!

Albert Martinez, Founder of Hard Core Cider Tour

The Santa Cruz Hard Core Cider Tour will be followed by one in Santa Barbara in September, San Diego in early October and San Luis Obispo in late October. Want More Cider? These yearly fest provide the perfect opportunity to try More Cider!

Albert Martinez is featured in this chat along with the following cider producers:

Indigeny Reserve

Angela of Indigeny Reserve

Tin City Cider Co. Blindwood Cider

Drew | Blindwood Cider

Ten Five One Cider Company South City Ciderworks Hemly Cider

] Sara Hemley | Hemley Cider

Check out the annual Pear Fair held the last Sunday of July in Courtland, California. This year the Pear Fair is held on July 28, 2019.

Cider Enthusiasts who Want MORE CIDER at the Hard Core Cider Tour

• Anna
• Hummer
• Becky
• Kayla
• Jay
• Samantha

Fall - CIDER TOUR Signup Now

• New England Cider Tour October 31st - rolls out of Greenfield, Massachusetts for a one day tour of regional makers. This is the 2nd annual cider tour. If you would like to go, send an email to [email protected] - put New England Cider Tour in the subject heading.

Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

• Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts.
• Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast
• Twitter @ciderchat
• Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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"Just Fucking Fermented Juice" is splayed out in big white letter across the back of Krista Scruggs' black hoodie. The slogan both amuses and taunts gawkers. Krista wore the hoodie with slogan while attending the annual United States Association of Cider Makers conference in Chicago in January of 2018, called CiderCon. I don't know if she wore it in the airport on her way to the conference - I am hoping that she did.

Don't get me wrong, there is no win in upsetting the delicate minds of society who know nothing about cider. There is however, big gains in making people think or as my cider friends in the UK would say #rethinkcider.

She presented on two panels while at the conference, one for Still Cider and another on Cultural Diversity. In this episode 186, she was welcomed as a special guest at the Pomme Boots Society meeting.

Krista Scruggs of Zaffa Wine

Krista Scruggs is turning heads, but it's not about the hoodie. It is her wines that is catapulting her out into the media spotlight. She has been featured as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Taste Makers 2018 in Wine Enthusiast and Krista Scruggs is Making the Most Exciting, Most Delicious Natural Wines Right Now | Bon Appêtit (Jan 2019). Now living in Vermont, having worked with Dierdre Heekin of La Garista she is making wine and cider fermented with grape skin/pomace under her own label ZAFA Wine.

Listen to episode 185: Who are the Pomme Boots? Episode 185 provides an overview of the Pomme Boots and is the first half of the same meeting that hosted Krista Scruggs.

Caitlin Brahm, Brand Specialist for Angry Orchard, interviews Krista during this recording.

Krista's interview snap shots:

• Tidbits of her family's history and her path to becoming a winemaker
• Hiring women

The meeting then moves onto a Q&A with Pomme Boots Founders

• Jana Daisy-Ensign and Jennie Dorsey

Mentions in this Chat

• Deirdre Heekin - La Garagista, Vermont
• Shacksbury, Vermont

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

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• Cider Chat

Who are the Pomme Boots?

• The Pomme Boots Society was founded in 2015
  • an organization for women working in the cider industry.
• The first meet up of Pommes Boots was at CiderCon2016 held in Portland, Oregon.
• This episode was recorded at the Pomme Boots meeting held at CiderCon2019, an annual cider conference hosted by the United States Association of Cider Makers

Pomme Boots meeting at CiderCon2016

Pomme Boots Founders

• Gemma Schmit - Taphouse Manager at Alter Ego Cider
• Jennie Dorsey - Chief Cider Curator at Schilling Cider in Portland
• Jana Daisy-Ensign - formally brand ambassador at Finn River

Pomme Boots Team Members (ltor) Jennie, Gemma, Caitlin, Jana

In this Chat, Caitlin Brahm, begins introductions, while Gemma in watching virtually. Then Jennie and Jana speak.

What is Pomme Boots working on and asking you for help with?

• A call for volunteers
• Creating a crowd source pages for sharing resources linkable via the Facebook page
• Job opportunities
• Video conferencing
• Become a nonprofit
• Building a new website
• Education
• Member directory/Travel Directory
• Mentorship
• Building local chapters
• Posting boards for more in-depth conversations

Contact for Pomme Boots

Pomme Boots Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pommeboots/

Mentions in this Chat

• Ross on Wye Cider and Perry Company wins BBC Best Drinks Producer for 2019 at the BBC Food and Farming Awards held in June 2019.
• Subscribe to InCiderJapan - the Summer edition is now out from this bilingual cider magazine (Japanese and English).
• Totally Cider Tour | Normandy September 22-28, 2019

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

• Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts.
• Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast
• Twitter @ciderchat
• Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
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The feature on cider judging in this week's episode begins at 9:43 minutes.

The 7th annual BigE Cider and Perry competition took place on June 8, 2019.

There were 6 cider judges and this episode features the judging of the Best in Show.

Cider Panel A

• Ria Windcaller
• Mike Shay
• Tim Post

Cider Panel B

• Ben Watson
• Mark Gryska
• Michelle Pagano

Write up on Judges https://www.thebige.com/p/competitions/food--beverage/cider/cider-and-perry-competition-judges

Ria's Cider Judging Summary

1. Decide beforehand "The protocol?" is everyone in agreement to that protocol?
2. Judging is not about what you like as a judge, but "Is the cider made well?"
3. Leave your ego at the door.
4. What can be Best in Show?
   1. If the competition is open to all styles, then every style is a viable competitor to be a Best in Show for that competition.

Judges at BigE2019

Mentions in this Chat

• July 19-20, 2019 Streatham Cider Shack more info at @cidershacksw16 or email [email protected]
• Totally Cider Tour | Normandy September 22-28, 2019

Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

• Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts.
• Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast
• Twitter @ciderchat
• Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
• Cider Chat FaceBook Page
• Cider Chat YouTube

Normandy Cider Trail Tips

Annie Sargent is the Producer and Host of a fantastic and informative podcast for anyone thinking about traveling to France called "Join Us in France Travel Podcast". In this episode, Annie and I do duel recordings to share with both of our podcast audiences. I get to share my passion for French Cider [cidre] and Perry [poiré] and provide both Ciderville, Annie, and the Join Us in France audience a taste of the Normandy Cider Trail with tons of tips!

Topics covered in this chat

• What is cidre?
• What is Poiré?
• Why make this a destination in France?
• Tips for preparing for a cider tour to Normandy
• Key towns and Routes in Normandy
  • Route du Cidre - Pays d'Auge - renown cider apples 9non eating apples0. This region requires 100% cider apples in the cidre to be distilled into Calvados for the Pays d'Auge Appellation
  • Route du Poiré - Domfrontais - renown Perry Pears, specific pear varieties used for fermenting into Poiré and Calvados. This region must have at the minimum 35% Poiré distilled into Calvodos for the Domfront Appellation

Key sights to see

• White cliffs of Etretat
• WWII cemeteries
• Mont Saint Michel
• Museé du Poiré

Join Ria and cider fans September 22-28, 209 for a Totally Cider Tour to Normandy. This special curated cider tour is fill with sight seeing trips, time to go solo and wander about and a bounty of cider.

Winner Winner of The Cider Insider: 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now is

• Ironbark Cider in Claremont California!

I happened to also record an episode with Cat Fleming at Ironbark! Check it out

142: SoCal Irreverence at Ironbark | Claremont, CA

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

• Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts.
• Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast
• Twitter @ciderchat
• Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
• Cider Chat FaceBook Page
• Cider Chat YouTube

Discover traditional straw pressing of cider at Sandford Orchards with Barny Butterfield based in Devon.

Traditional Straw Pressing Notes:

• The press is made up with a combination of thatching reeds.
  • If you are familiar with a classic rack and cloth press used today in cider making, the straw press is set up using:
    • The Reed as the rack and Barely straw is the cloth
• At Sandford Orchards they can press up to 2 tons of crushed apples on one press
• As Barny says, "We do it in the Devon way." with a press that has only one center screw on the press.
• In the other region of the UK known as Somerset, they use a press with 2 screws.
• It takes 3 parts of a day to build up the crushed apple with the straw on this press.

Find the full show notes for Episode 182 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/182-straw-pressed-cider/

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.

The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now

This chat with Susanna and James Forbes was recorded at CiderCon2019, the annual trade conference hosted by the American Cider Association known at that time as the United States Association of Cider Makers.

Susanna & James Forbes

It was at CiderCon2018 when I first had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Susanna and James. Listen to that chat on episode 126 Little Pomona's Big Ciders | Hereford, UK They started selling cider under their brand name Little Pomona in 2015. James has been involved in the wine trade for quite a while and is now the Chairperson of the Three Counties Cider and Perry Association.

Susanna has been writing about craft libations since 2000. She writes for Imbibe magazine and sill uses the Twitter handle @drinkbritain. Her recent book The Cider Insider is what prompted this sit down chat and the fact that I adore the Forbes and always love hearing about and tasting their newest cider.

Little Pomona Cider Tasted during this chat

Hazy Ways Part 1

• 7.4% alcohol by volume
• Apples used: 91% Dabinet and some Elias Bitter
• 750 ML cider – bottle conditioned

Like all the ciders that I have had with the Forbes, James did a "Shake to Wake" of this bottle, which allows the sediment on the bottom of the bottle to come into solution before pouring, much like one would do with a Hefeweizen beer. You can also pour the cider without Shaking to Wake. But why, when tipping the bottle carefully back and forth is so much fun?!?

What's up at Little Pomona?

They are expanding the cidery and building a Tasting Room next to the orchard!

Contact info for Little Pomona

• Website: http://www.littlepomona.com/

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• International Cider and Perry Competition – Herefordshire, UK
• Totally Cider Tour | Normandy September 22-28, 2019
• Follow @ahston1848 on Twitter a UK cider enthusiast – and his website https://www.ciderbuzz.co.uk/

180: Cider Is Wine | Simon Day of Once Upon a Tree, UK

This chat was recorded at CiderCon2019 in Chicago.

Simon Day and I did not speak directly on the topic of the "Cider is Wine" debate, but I do suspect that his early upbringing which was intrenched in the wine culture certainly informs him today. When Simon was 2 his father got a job working at a vineyard, and that vineyard also had apple and pears growing there too.

On May 20th - 22nd of 2019 he is attending the London Wine Fair with the "Cider is Wine Alliance", a newly formed non profit group based in the UK whose mission is to create a new quality drinks category for ciders & perries produced from 100% apples and pears.

Simon Day, opening a bottle of "Chapel Pleck" a champagne method Perry

Simon's own background before starting Once Upon a Tree led him to work globally in the business of wine both in the UK to the Pacific Northwest, Australia and on the Channel island of Jersey, which is right off the coast of Normandy. Jersey by the way has a rich cider making history too.

When Simon eventually returned to England, he settle close by the original vineyard. The house was surrounded by orchards.

Like most major life changes there is a pivotal moment in time that can change your life's trajectory and for Simon it was attending The Big Apple Association tasting in the same town where he lived.

In 2007 he started pressing and using the same press, a Voran mill and press, that he had been using in Guernsey. That year he made 3 different ciders and entered them into the International Perry and Cider Competition in 2008. They won first place for all 3 categories

Today, Once Upon a Tree is both making Cider, Perry, Ice Pear Wine and providing other cider makers both juice and cider. Shacksbury based in Vermont was the first to use cider from Once Upon a Tree. Shacksbury uses 25% of their UK juice to blend into Shacksbury's Dry Cider.

In this chat Simon served a 2014 Marcle Ridge cider and a champagne method perry called Chapel Pleck, both outstanding ciders.

Contact info for Once Upon a Tree

Website: https://shop.haygrove-evolution.com/

eMail: mailto:[email protected]

Address:

Haygrove Evolution

Little Marcle Road, Ledbury,

Herefordshire, HR82JL

Mentions in this Chat

• Totally Cider Tour | Normandy September 22-28, 2019

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

• Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts.
• Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast
• Twitter @ciderchat
• Instagram: @ciderchatciderville
• Cider Chat FaceBook Page
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