Crushing It

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Zymurgy Magazine

By Kristen Kuchar

It’s a thought that crosses many homebrewers’ and home cidermakers’ minds at one point or another while sipping their creations—could I turn this hobby into a career? The answer, undoubtedly, depends greatly on what a cidermaker is willing to do.

Hard cider sales in the United States increased 11 percent in 2020 and totaled $494.5 million, according to Information Resource Inc. (IRI),1 and sales of regional cider brands grew 33 percent, according to the American Cider Association.2 But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy road by any means. The professional cidermakers we talked with told us about seven-day, dawn-to-dusk work weeks and how dumping a batch is accompanied by wondering how you’ll pay rent. But all have one thing in common: a deep passion and desire to share a love for their well-crafted cider. Here are their stories…