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
219: Sorbs Not Sulfites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:06
Sorbus Domestica enthusiast Arnould Narazian of Paris France, shares his knowledge and passion for this King of all Pommes. This "Service Tree's wood was used for wooden screws used in wine presses and the fruit to help…
218: FieldBird Cider | Canada: Covid Time Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:57
Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County provides an overview of Canada's response to the Covid-19 crisis gripping the world in this episode. Ryan's chat begins at approximately 11:49 minutes into th…
217: Omnia Era of Cider | Pommes in Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:54
Let's search for the fruit of the story from the Renaissance era to the often-bizarre works of the Mannerist painter of that time. We are exploring how history is repeating itself in our cups of cider in this edition of…
216: Alex Ionov | Rebel Apple, Moscow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:30
In 2015, there was a windfall of apples in Russian. That moment helped to catapult "The Land of Antonovka" into the cider spotlight world wide. Episode 216 Featured guest is Alexander Ionov of Rebel Apple Cider of Moscow…
CCLive: Helping Cider in Covid Time w/ACA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:17
Hear what the ACA and the USA's regional associations are doing to help members while their businesses are shuttered during quarantine. Cider Chat Live: Helping Cider in Covid Time w/ACA Recorded March 19, 2020 with Amer…
215: Andy Hallett of Hallet Cider | UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Join the Talking Pommes and I, as we "Flip the bird" to the Coronavirus! Yes, "feck off" to the virus by signing up now for the upcoming England Cider Tour September 1-6, 2020. 215: Andy Hallett of Hallet Cider | UK Andy…
214: Cider is 'Art + Science' w/Kim & Dan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:42
Cider as Art + Science w/Kim & Dan Kim says, "We consider ourselves a natural cider, Perry and wine company. Our products start with the farming; sourcing quality fruit that is ecologically farmed is important to us. We…
213: The Sleeping Giant has Awoken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:11
Who is the Sleeping Giant? France, of course! The cider regions in Normandy and Brittany are steeped in tradition and rich with select apples and pears that showcase a very specific terroir from each of the appellations.…
212: Northeastern Cider Conference~Scoop! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:44
The Northeastern Cider Conference will take place March 24, 25, 26, 2020 in Albany, NY. Register now - Get group discount for Hotel now through February Tuesday March 24th begins with a kick off with a opening toast and…
211: Tales from CiderCon2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:21
Enjoy these Snapshots of Tales from CiderCon2020 which details a bit of what I experienced both before the conference, while on the Parajo Valley Cider Tour and then my recap on CiderCon held in Oakland. Thank you to San…