Page 36 - Beverage Master December January 2020

Craft Beverage

Larkin added, “Many people think the biggest into your marketing and branding. Apples are
hurdle is getting the liquor license, but it goes way what this industry is all about. We can celebrate a
beyond that. There are zoning and building codes, diverse range of products and styles, but when con-
county and state health requirements, general busi- sumers catch on to the variation an apple variety
ness licensing, taxes etc….To be in any business, (and season) can provide, it will be good for cider
you have to be determined and not let anything makers and orchardists alike.”
get in your way. You need to be a jack of all trades.
There’s a solution to almost any problem—you just Expanding the Industry
have to keep on it. You’ll get through it.”
All of our experts are excited to contribute to
Leadbetter also pointed to the need for fluidity the reawakening of this pioneer beverage. Here
in your business approach. “We still have our orig- are some final thoughts they believe about cider’s
inal lineup of year-round flagships, but we added potential.
many seasonals, one-offs, barrel-aged and small
batches to the mix every year—much more than I Cellar-Tek’s Glockner: “By far the most exciting
thought we would,” she said. “And we never envi- trend is the growing global acceptance of local-
sioned having a second Meriwether retail location ly-made craft beverages—be it cider, wine, beer or
when we started. Truthfully, at the time, we were spirits—by the sectors of the general public that
barely two years old and not ready to expand. But used to gravitate to the large, corporate-produced
we felt an urgency because downtown Boise was beverages.”
in the midst of a renaissance with new businesses
and bars, and we lucked into the perfect space. We Larkin of Arsenal Cider House: “High-quality prod-
might have balked and given up if not for that.” ucts aren’t optional. It’s not just important for your
business, but the business segment as a whole,
Larkin said, “If an opportunity seems like a good especially in one as young as mead and cider. This
one and we can afford it, we do it.” This approach philosophy extends to how we source our ingredi-
applies to both Arsenal’s stair-stepped location ents, as well. If care isn’t taken with raw materials,
expansion and shifting model. we can tell.”

“When we first opened, we planned to sell half Leadbetter of Meriwether Cider Company: “After
our inventory by refillable growler and the other creating a good product, our main mission is to cre-
half by bottle conditioning in Champagne bottles. ate what Danny Meyers (restauranteur and CEO of
We sold through the initial inventory so fast, we Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City)
never had the opportunity to do any type of pack- calls ‘enlightened hospitality’: ‘treat your employ-
aging, and we’ve just been trying to keep up all ees well, and they will take care of your custom-
these years,” he said. “We finally started canning ers.’”
one product and bottling a mead product for the
first time after eight years in 2019. We now have McGrath of the United States Association of Cider
the capacity to expand our product offerings and Makers: “Most people who love cider also love
plan to do so in 2020. It only took 10 years to get food, and the consumer knowledge that cider pairs
to it!” really well with food is increasing. Regional cuisine
cider-pairings, geographical cider cultures, a focus
McGrath told Beverage Master Magazine that on locally-celebrated apples (like Gravenstein for
“there are certain pockets of the cider market man- Sonoma County in California)—these things all
aging to make apple-forward ciders cool. That’s make it a really fun time to create cider right now.”
always been a challenge, especially in today’s craft
beer culture. It’s controversial, but I think putting
these types of ciders in cans is part of what’s help-
ing drive that. It makes a complex, nuanced bever-
age more approachable.”

She added that it’s important to “figure out how
to incorporate educating consumers about apples

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