022: Gregory Hall | Virtue Cider, Michigan

022: Gregory Hall | Virtue Cider, Michigan

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 16, 2016 Duration: 51:17

Getting to cider for Gregory Hall, was one part luck and a whole lot of beer. When his father John Hall founded the Chicago based Goose Island Brewery in 1988, it took only 3 years before Greg was at the helm of brewing.Twenty years later in 2011 the brewery would be sold to Anheuser Busch-B InBev. The 2011 sale set Greg free to move on to his next great adventure - Virtue Cider.

 I was curious to ask Greg about what a cidermaker should consider for the long run if they want to parlay their business to the next level as father Hall's did with Goose Island and Greg did with Virtue only 3 years later again - this time selling Virtue's majority stake to A-B InBev.

Obviously one must have a good product and as Greg tells it he looked to the European cidermakers for inspiration and direction. 

 "I went with my laundry list of question that I was use to asking at breweries,most of which were fairly technical and found out very quickly that I was asking the wrong questions.Traditional cider making is a multi generational effort. They sure as heck weren't measuring PH in 1830's"

 Find the full show notes to this chat at ciderchat.com searc for episode # 021


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
100: Celebrating 100 Cider Podcast Episodes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:45
"The Nose" is back helping Ria sort through the past year and celebrate this 100th episode of Cider Chat! We delve into wild yeast, terroir, and hear a bit from every single guest on the past 50 episodes of Cider Chat. T…
099: Cider, Ètretat, & WWII | Normandy, France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:54
Vincent Godefroy is one smart cidermaker located in Normandy France. He saw the opportunity to entice tourist visiting the nearby famous white cliffs of Ètretat to his cidery. Vincent and Marie-Clarie Godefroy have a ful…
098: Jérôme Dupont (1970-2018) Domaine Dupont | Normandy, FR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:21
The Louis Dupont Family Estate is a 70 acre (30 hectares) orchard that was bought by selling the family's stock of calvados. In this chat I speak with Jérome Dupont the great grandson of Jules Dupont who bought Domaine D…
097: Cider Chat Travels in Europe | Normandy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:13
In this chat I take you along on my travels a.k.a reconnaissance for a future travel tourist trips to Normandy. This main chat begins at 12:30 minutes Before I headed to France I first made a stop in the Netherlands, spe…
096: Finger Lakes Cider House | New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:03
This episode of Cider Chat was recorded by Alex Kroh, cidermaker, roving podcast reporter and super, duper nice guy in Ciderville! This chat begins with Alex and Melissa and Garett venturing outside to the orchard and th…
095: Cider Making at Home easy as 1-2-3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:10
Making a 1-gallon batch of cider is easy! And a 3-gallon or 5-gallon batch of cider is just as easy to make too! Learn how to make cider at home and begin upping your cider knowledge today. In this episode I cover all th…
094: Discovering Luxembourg w/Ramborn Cider Co [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
Ramborn Cider Company located in Luxembourg is helping to revive the cidermaking tradition as the country's first commercial cidery. Ramborn offers a range cider styles from Farmhouse, Somerset Blend (Luxembourg and Engl…
093: Orchard Care & Apple Storage w/Colin Scott | MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:44
Colin Scott grew up learning how to care for apples on his parents, Edward and Janice, orchard. The orchard was purchased in 1954. Today Colin is running the orchard and sells his apples at the Chelsea Market in eastern…
092: Brad Glover | Swilled Dog Hard Cider, West Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:09
Swilled Dog Hard Cider is a family owned cidery located in the Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia. Swilled Dog launched in January 2017, and and began selling its wares in March. This is the 2nd cider company to launch i…
091: In the Ciderhouse w/Eve's Cidery | NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:30
Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. If you missed part I of this chat (episode 90) with Eve's Cidery, you'll want to go back and listen as we tour the orchard with Autumn Stoscheck a…