162: S. Martinelli & Co. | 150 Years of Cider

162: S. Martinelli & Co. | 150 Years of Cider

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist January 9, 2019 Duration: 1:11:41
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S. Martinelli & Company was founded by Stephen Martinelli in 1868.

The company is located, as it has always been, for the last 150 years in Watsonville, California.

The first cider made by Stephen was a 7.5% alcohol by volume sparkling cider.

This chat is with Stephen John Martinelli, the great grandson of the Founder and the current CEO and General Manager of this family owned business.

John Martinelli

John's first job as a teen was to clean the 125 gallon redwood fermenting tanks that were used at Martinelli's to ferment apples juice to cider. You can still see the slats from the old tank today at the Company Store, where they flank the tasting bar.

In this chat, we discuss Martinelli's new product "1868" which came out in August of 2018 to commemorate the 150th year. 1868 is a 5.7% cider that Martinelli is currently contracting with the Gordon Biersch brewing company to ferment.

  • The bulk of the apples are sourced from the Pacific Northwest.
  • 1868 has the signature Martinelli juice profile, with a Newtown Pippin apple presence.
  • It is sold in 12 ounce bottles in 12-packs.

Costcos in California and the two Safeway stores in Santa Cruz are the only location currently selling this product. The 1868 is selling fast, as Martinelli loyalist buy sometimes up to 2-4 12-packs at a time.

Listen to and see the wordplayed by Hip Hop Artist Andy Mineo called: Martinelli's

Contact info for S. Martinelli & Company

Website: https://www.martinellis.com

Tours? Martinelli's does not provide public tours.

Mentions in this chat

  • Totally Cider Tours
    • April 12th & 13th 2018 Monterey Bay California 
      •  Reservations open January 11, 2019
    • September 22-28, 2019 - Normandy France - Reservation will begin in late January
    • Interested in these tours? Sign up for the eCiderNews and receive updates on tours.

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

Ask for the following ciders - By supporting these cidermakers, 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
  10. Tanuki Cider Co. Santa Cruz California episode 103
  11. Ross on Wye Cider and Perry, UK
  12. Process and Analytical NMR Services - John Edwards provides analytics of cider - stay tuned for his Chemical Fingerprints workshop coming up on Cider Chat
  13. Ironbark Ciderworks, Claremont, California

Join the #ciderGoingUP Campaign today! 


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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