158: CiderCon2019 | M. McGrath - USACM Exec Dir

158: CiderCon2019 | M. McGrath - USACM Exec Dir

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 12, 2018 Duration: 1:02:30

Please Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.

----------------------

The United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) works on cider legislation, education, and cider promotion.

In this chat: CiderCon2019 with the Michelle McGrath, Executive Director of

USACM

  • Why you should attend CiderCon2019
  • Why arrive early to CiderCon2019
  • Key programing presentation and lectures to attend at CiderCon2019
  • Which international company is the invited guest at CiderCon2019. hint: They are North Americans!

Find out about Michelle McGrath featured in Wine Enthusiasts' Top 40 Under 40 

Haven't registered for CiderCon2019 - go to this link: https://ciderassociation.org/cidercon2019/

Pre CiderCon fun and key speakers & educational workshops of CiderCon2019

Feb 4th Monday 

  • Classic arrival day for attendees to be able to attend the next day morning sessions

Feb 5th  Tuesday

Feb 6th  Wednesday - Morning seminars

  • TTB presentation - The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) oversea the regulations and labeling of cider.
    • This  presentation will include taxation issues for cider. A key session for commercial makers or start ups.
  • Certified Cider Professional  (CCP) Level 2 Training. 
    • Servers, distributors and even super cider geeks will up their cider knowledge and be both informed consumers but specifically for those in the trade best educate and serve consumers. **Level 1 must be taken first before attending Level 2.
  • Cider Institute of North America
    • Teaches the craft of cidermaking. The Institue will be leading a workshop at CiderCon2019

Wednesday Afternoon:

  • Pomme Boots Meeting with Krista Scruggs from Vermont by way of California
  • Welcome reception and Cider Share- Imagine a huge room filled with makers pouring cider.
    • A great opportunity for makers to showcase their ciders and network with the folks in the cider trade. This is not open to the public. As of December 12th there is still time to sign up to bring you ciders to the Cider Share. Contact pickcider@ciderassociation.org 

Lunch Speakers on Feb 7th Thursday and Feb 8th Friday

  • Thursday Lunch Speaker: Mark Sirini Attorney - Speaking on the History of Alcohol and the Law
  • Friday Lunch Speaker: Michelle McGrath, Executive Director : United States Association of Cider Makers Updates

Tradeshow - Don't miss the opportunity to visit the Trade Show!

  • Look for  the Lounge at the Trade Show and Thursday's Happy Hour session. Plus a bookstore with author signings

Who is going to become the next USACM Board Member?

  • Nominations begin the third week of December. Voting takes place on Friday morning at CiderCon2019. Be there at the 9am session to cast your vote. 
  • Are you a Member of the Association? Why not throw you hat into the race and help create cider history and excellence in the market

Key Canadian Guests

CiderCon2019 still needs volunteers contact mailto:pickcider@ciderassociation.org  

Mentions in this Chat

060: Nicole Todd | Santa Cruz Cider Company, CA

103: Robby Honda | Tanuki Cider, CA

110: Eric & Katie | Rider Ranch Ciderworks, CA

113: Jake Mann | Five Mile Orchard, CA

 


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
458: Sodo Sidriné and the Rise of Lithuanian Craft Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:08
Donatas Genys didn't set out to launch Lithuania's first keeved cider. But after trips to England and Normandy, years of experimentation, and the planting of over 6,000 cider apple trees, that's exactly what he's doing.…
457: Snow Capped Cider: A Family Legacy at 7,000 Feet | CO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:08
At the base of Colorado's Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-top mountain, five generations of fruit growers have worked the land. Today, Snow Capped Cider carries on that legacy, crafting estate-grown ciders from frui…
456: From Oregon to Norway: Abram Goldman-Armstrong's Cider Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:19
This episode of Cider Chat, was recorded in person with Abram Goldman-Armstrong at CiderCon2025 in Chicago. Hear his journey to cider. From growing up in Oregon's Yamhill County to his current work in Norway's Hardanger…
455: Zero Percent Sh*t  | John Edwards Returns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:50
John Edwards, longtime cider maker and integral team member at Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Co., and the creative force behind his personal label Fly be Night Cider was last on the podcast in 2019. John Edwards In this Cide…
454: Wild Ferment Meets Fine Cider: Inside Oliver's Barrel Room [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:43
Rainy Days Goes Best with Dry Cider in the Barrel Room Walking into the barrel room at Oliver's Cider and Perry Company, you might think you know what to expect. But surrounded by whitewashed stone walls, standing beneat…
453: Homage to Perry Legends by Tom Oliver at AppleFest | UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:38
Celebrating Perry's Past, Present, and Future Tom Oliver began his keynote by saying, "At this year's Applefest Banquet, I had the honor of lifting a glass to the people behind the pear—specifically Perry. It wasn't just…
452: Mac to Redfield: Four Phantoms Brewery Embraces Cider | MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:18
Drew Phillips opened the doors of Four Phantoms in Greenfield, Massachusetts in 2021. He began his fermentation career in the Pacific Northwest, and while waiting to open his own brewery, he took on the role as cider mak…
451: Hello Season 10 and The Berkshire Roundtable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:32
In this Season 10 premier of Cider Chat, "Introductions" are featured from over 40 persons in attendance at the annual 2025 Berkshire Roundtable. Kicking off Season 10 of Cider Chat The opportunity to begin Season 10 wit…
450th Roger Wilkins - The Cider King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
Looking back at Season 9 and Forward with Roger Wilkins In this season ending episode we visit Roger Wilkins at his Lands End Farm. Cider King – Roger Wilkins Roger Wilkins, is known globally as the "Cider King," and is…
449: Exploring Hereford's Museum of Cider with Elizabeth Pimblett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
The Role of the Museum of Cider Elizabeth Pimblett's background and her journey to the museum The history of the museum, founded in 1887 by the Bulmer brothers The significance of the building and its historic cider cell…