041: Emily Ritchie | Northwest Cider Association

041: Emily Ritchie | Northwest Cider Association

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist August 10, 2016 Duration: 44:45

Emily Ritchie is the Executive Director of the Northwest Cider Association a region covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.  This region's cider scene is on fire and growing!

041 Emily Ritchie of Northwest Cider Association
Emily Ritchie

The Northwest Cider Association was formed in 2010. The following Washington State cideries listed below initially kick started the Association.

Soon after Oregon cideries began joining and now the current list of cideries is around 300 members and growing!

041 Northwest Cider Association logo
Logo created by Dave White of Whitewood Cider

Emily's Background

  • Emily has deep roots to the UK via her father who is from England. After a trip to Herefordshire she returned to the US with an even greater drive to get involved in her region's cider scene. She was most recently the Program Manager at the Association for a year and a half and then moved into the Executive Director position when the Sherrye Wyatt, stepped down. 

What is the goal of the association?

  • To educate and keep helping move the cider revival forward

What is apple cider per the Northwest Cider Association?

  • Cider is a fermented apple juice

3 Events mentioned in this chat

Washington Cider Week takes place in September every year from the 8 to the 18th

  • There are so many events, that this event is actually more than seven days
  • Washington Cider Week is launched in conjunction with the Seattle Cider Summit –

BC Cider Week 2016 is October 15-22

  • The British Columbia week of cider kicks off at Seed Cider, near Victoria with events throughout the region

Cider Rite of Spring – large cider fest in Portland

  •  

Contact info for Emily Ritchie

Mentions in this Cider Chat:

  • Cider Chat's upcoming trip to podcast with Eric Bordelet
  • Kurant Cider is part of the Cider Chat's #CiderGoingUp Campaign. As such I happily share news and updates for the Pennsylvania cidery. Go to the link and listen to Joe Getz of Kurant share his story of the cidery. Find a link to their website and join their new cider club The Scratters ( a swap, meet up and learn about cider group).

Are you a commercial cidermaker? For the cost of 2-bottles per month you can join the CiderGoing Up Campaign too. Join in via the Cider Chat Patreon Page and Help Keep This Chat Thriving!


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
368: Who named this apple Northern Spy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:30
Spy Novels Step Aside for an Apple of a Tale The Northern Spy is a delightful apple used both for baking and cidermaking! At one time it was a major export commodity due to its lack of bruising when packed in barrels. As…
367: Get Out of Jail Free Card w/Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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366:  Acclaimed Cider w/Minimal Intervention Tom Oliver [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
Not only is the cider acclaimed, so too is the Maker Tom Oliver is just as acclaimed as his cider which makes Oliver's Cider and Perry Co. a global hit on two fronts. He is affable, engaging and knows his way around soci…
365:  A Fantastical Indescribable Drink | Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:29
Is Cider Truly Indescribable? There isn't one definitive language or lexicon for cider, which adds to its indescribable mystique. The ongoing debate around what cider is or isn't or should be doesn't help. It certainly f…
364: If the Mandalorian Tended Orchards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:01
The Way of the Orchards Colin Scott has spent his life in orchards, learning how to tended them with his parents, Edward and Janice as role models. This episode is a testament of what it looks like to embody a craft as p…
363: Exploring Cider Using 33 Books Flavor Wheel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:00
The Founder behind 33 Books Company Dave Selden created 33 Books to help all of us track our favorite and not so favorite beverages! He is a graphic designer by trade, but soon found himself making tasting note books as…
362: The Lost Boy Cider Journey | Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
Tristan Wright the Lost Boy who Cider Found [ Tristan Wright on the French Cider Tour Tristan and Katie Wright are the owners of Lost Boy Cider, and now also the Lost Girl Wine brand, based in Alexandria, Virginia. Disco…
361: Is Sulfur Dioxide Necessary for Making Cider | CiderCon 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:04
Is Sulfur dioxide (SO2) a natural part of Fermentation? In this episode pre-recorded at CiderCon 2023, you'll get to hear from cider makers who will share their knowledge and expertise on the topic of sulfur dioxide cide…
360: Taproom and Hospitality Tips | CiderCon 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:41
Everything in the taproom should be adjustable This Taproom Tips workshop was presented at CiderCon 2023 by Katie Black and Megan MacLean and it is packed with info! In this episode A four prong approach to brand identit…
359: Vala's Cider for their 300,000 Annual Visitors | Nebraska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:56
The Vala Family's Business Model Tim Vala had a vision over 39 years ago to build a destination for family fun. It started with a Upick strawberry patch that grew into a pumpking patch, orchard. It then evolved into kid…