113: Jake Mann | Five Mile Orchard, CA

113: Jake Mann | Five Mile Orchard, CA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist January 24, 2018 Duration: 1:04:02

Jake Mann's family legacy goes back to the early days of the Apple growing in the California. His parent's ranch Five Mile Orchard is a locally known historical location, where his great, great grandfather Sam L. Mann settled and built the apple storage facility and orchard in the early 1920's.

The family ranch is located five miles north of the city of Watsonville, thus the name, "Five Mile Orchard". 17 varieties of apples are grown with the majority being Newtown Pippin. The Gravenstein apple is the first variety on the market in late July, followed by Gala, Golden, Red Delicious, Winter Banana, Bellefleur, Mutsu, Empire, Granny Smith and the Newtown Pippin.

In this chat we tour the Apple Storage facility at Sam L Mann Co and ride out into the orchard.

Sam L Mann Co provides apples to the following cideries.

Contact info for Jake Mann

  • 2930 Freedom Boulevard
  • Watsonville, California 95078
  • +001- 800-643-2462

Instagram: @thefivemileorchard

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. Albemarle 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

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