107: Building San Jose with Cider | The Cider Junction, CA

107: Building San Jose with Cider | The Cider Junction, CA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 13, 2017 Duration: 59:57

Reserve  your spot today for the Totally Cider Tour to the UK! The cider tour begins in Bristol, UK on April 25th and then after that evening's dinner at The Stable for the "Ultimate Cider" dinner we head out to tour around Somerset and then Herefordshire through May 2nd. Sign up for a trip of a lifetime and come along with Ria, the host of Cider Chat and fellow cider travels.

The main chat this week begins at 10:54 minutes

The Cider Junction is a 31 tap cider bistro and bottle shop (26 dedicated to cider), located 10 minutes from San Jose International Airport and smack in the middle of an area once known as "Valley of Heart's Delight"! Thanks to owners/publicans Claudia Derp and Tracy Smith craft cider is pouring seven days a week in San Jose California.

For this chat I headed to The Cider Junction with "The Nose" to meet Claudia and Tracy. I was curious to hear how their newly opened "bistro and bottle shop" was doing only one month after their opening.

Cider Junction flight

Listen along as we discover the background story behind The Cider Junction, why this area of San Jose known as Willow Glen is a not so hidden gem in the middle of this bright, light city and what to expect when you visit The Cider Junction.

Cider Junction tap menu during our recording

Download the Digital Pour App to find the latest selection of ciders on tap at The Cider Junction.

Contact for The Cider Junction

Website: https://www.theciderjunction.com/

Email: info@theciderjunction.com

Address: 

  • 820 Willow St
  • San Jose (Willow Glen), CA 95125

Hours: *** Closed on Mondays during the winter months

  • Monday - Friday  4 pm to 10 pm (or later)
  • Saturday 11 am - midnight
  • Sunday 11 am - 8 pm

Cider Events, thangs....Cideries Mentioned in this chat

Then to Santa Cruz!

February 11, 2018 - New York International Beer Competition (NYIBC) is accepting cider entries NOW! NYIBC is using the United States Association of Cider Makers new cider categories for this competition. The judges at this competition are in the trade of buying and selling cider and thus judge the cider on the merits of taste and price point.

CiderCon 2018 - January 30 - February 2, 2018 register and download the program today and start planning your time in Baltimore, Maryland at CiderCon!

Podcast Episode mentioned

030: Nat West | Reverend Nat's Hard Cider, OR

081: Stephanie & Aaron Carson | Gypsy Circus Cider Co., TN

Ask for the following 9 #ciderGoingUP Campaign sponsors - By supporting these cider makers, you in turn help Cider Chat. 

  1. Kurant Cider - Pennsylvania : listen to Joe Getz on episode 14
  2. Big Apple Hard Cider - NYC : listen to Danielle von Scheiner on episode 35
  3. Oliver's Cider and Perry - Herefordshire/UK ; listen to Tom Oliver on episode 29
  4. Santa Cruz Cider Company - California : listen to Nicole Todd on episode 60
  5. The Cider Project aka EthicCider- California
  6. Albermale CiderWorks : listen to Chuck Shelton on episode 56
  7. Cider Summit : listen to Alan Shapiro founder of this cider fest on episode 75.
  8. Ramborn Cider Co. Luxembourg.
  9. Big Fish Cider Co. Virginia

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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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
498: Heeman's Cellar | Somewhere Cider from Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:05
In this episode of Cider Chat, we visit Heeman Cellars in Ontario, where a multi-generational strawberry farm expanded into cider and mead production focused on heritage apples, terroir, and experimentation. We taste ble…
496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:28
Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots. Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wi…
495: Cider Barrels Speak | Bâtonnage & Barrel Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
In this archive episode of Cider Chat, we go in a barrel cellar in Prince Edward County, Ontario, with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider and Lee Baker of Keint-He Winery. Listening to Fermentation What Is Bâtonnage in Cide…
494: Humboldt Cider and the Historic Orchard of Albert Etter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:53
In this episode of Cider Chat, we hear from Tom Hart of Humboldt Cider Company, located in Eureka, California along the rugged Pacific coastline behind what locals call the Redwood Curtain. We also discusses preserving t…
493: Cider as a Sport | Sidra in Asturias (Archive Edition) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
What is Asturian cider? Asturian cider (sidra natural) is a traditionally fermented apple cider from Asturias, Spain, served through a high pour (escanciado) and shared socially in small servings called culines. This epi…
492: Absolem Cider Company | Maine Cider Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
This episode of Cider Chat explores the growing Maine cider scene through Absolem Cider Company in Winthrop, a farm-based cidery helping shape New England's evolving cider identity. Located on a 60-acre farm in Winthrop,…
491: Revisiting Randall Grahm | Cider Exploration Without Hesitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
An early conversation that explored possibilities cider was only beginning to consider. As Cider Chat moves toward its 500th episode, we revisit conversations from the earliest seasons, taking a long view of the moments…
490: Let Cider Lead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
An editorial on leadership, scarcity, and why cider no longer needs to borrow authority from beer or wine. In Let Cider Lead, host Ria Windcaller steps back from interviews to offer a clear-eyed reflection on the state o…
489: Natural Cider Production Seminar | CiderCon 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:53
Natural cider is often misunderstood as funky, volatile, or flawed. Recorded live at CiderCon 2025, this seminar reframes natural cider as a philosophy of low intervention, balance, and intentional care, not a free pass…