181: The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now

181: The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist May 22, 2019 Duration: 52:49

The Cider Insider | 100 Craft Ciders to Drink Now

The Cider Insider, Susanna Forbes

This chat with Susanna and James Forbes was recorded at CiderCon2019, the annual trade conference hosted by the American Cider Association known at that time as the United States Association of Cider Makers.

Cider Chat ep 181 Susanna & James Forbes Little Pomona
Susanna & James Forbes

It was at CiderCon2018 when I first had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Susanna and James. Listen to that chat on episode 126 Little Pomona's Big Ciders | Hereford, UK They started selling cider under their brand name Little Pomona in 2015. James has been involved in the wine trade for quite a while and is now the Chairperson of the Three Counties Cider and Perry Association.

Susanna has been writing about craft libations since 2000. She writes for Imbibe magazine and sill uses the Twitter handle @drinkbritain. Her recent book The Cider Insider is what prompted this sit down chat and the fact that I adore the Forbes and always love hearing about and tasting their newest cider.

Little Pomona Cider Tasted during this chat

Hazy Ways Part 1

  • 7.4% alcohol by volume
  • Apples used: 91% Dabinet and some Elias Bitter
  • 750 ML cider – bottle conditioned

Like all the ciders that I have had with the Forbes, James did a "Shake to Wake" of this bottle, which allows the sediment on the bottom of the bottle to come into solution before pouring, much like one would do with a Hefeweizen beer. You can also pour the cider without Shaking to Wake. But why, when tipping the bottle carefully back and forth is so much fun?!?

What's up at Little Pomona?

They are expanding the cidery and building a Tasting Room next to the orchard!

Contact info for Little Pomona

Mentions in this Cider Chat


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…