043: Colin Davis | Shacksbury Cider, VT

043: Colin Davis | Shacksbury Cider, VT

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist August 24, 2016 Duration: 1:01:33

Colin Davis is Production Manager and cidermaker at Shacksbury, a cidery based in northern Vermont in the town of Shoreham.  Shacksbury was incorporated in 2013 and began selling ciders in 2014. Unlike many new startups that focus locally, the decision was made early on, to sell broadly.

David and Colin Shacksbury Cider Founders
David and Colin

Shacksbury Beginnings

The immediate success of Shacksbury can be credited to both Colin Davis and his business partner David Dolginow. They hit the road running by creating a formidable team with the likes of Simon Day from the UK's Once Upon a Tree and Ainara Otaño, a Basque cider maker from Petritegi .

The Basque collaboration with Ainara is now bottled in Spain.  Shacksbury's Arlo, Farmhouse, and Classic ciders are all blended with a Spanish base cider and their own Vermont cider.

There is also a base blend that is pre fermented in the UK and shipped to the US.  Simon and Colin work with the Dragon Orchard in England, a 40 acre orchard and decide together what apples go in the base cider.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is all imported cider. Sunrise Orchards is a local Vermont orchard that they work with, as well as, having planted their own trees with scion wood from the Poverty Lane Orchards.

ep 43 Shacksbury Cider Produciton
Shacksbury Cider Production Barn

Happenings and Future Plans

Lost Apple Project,  using local apples found on "feral trees" in the Vermont backwoods. As they find the perfect apple that tastes just right they are trying to propagate new trees.

What is new for Shacksbury?

  • A tasting room in being built and should be ready for 2017.
  • A new selection of canned ciders is in the works for 2017

Contact info for Shacksbury Cider

Mentions in this Cider Chat

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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.
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