186: "Just Fucking Fermented Juice"

186: "Just Fucking Fermented Juice"

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist June 26, 2019 Duration: 59:28

"Just Fucking Fermented Juice" is splayed out in big white letter across the back of Krista Scruggs' black hoodie. The slogan both amuses and taunts gawkers. Krista wore the hoodie with slogan while attending the annual United States Association of Cider Makers conference in Chicago in January of 2018, called CiderCon. I don't know if she wore it in the airport on her way to the conference - I am hoping that she did.

Don't get me wrong, there is no win in upsetting the delicate minds of society who know nothing about cider. There is however, big gains in making people think or as my cider friends in the UK would say #rethinkcider. 

She presented on two panels while at the conference, one for Still Cider and another on Cultural Diversity. In this episode 186, she was welcomed as a special guest at the Pomme Boots Society meeting.

186 Krista Scruggs of Zaffa Wine

Krista Scruggs of Zaffa Wine

Krista Scruggs is turning heads, but it's not about the hoodie. It is her wines that is catapulting her out into the media spotlight. She has been featured as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Taste Makers 2018 in Wine Enthusiast and Krista Scruggs is Making the Most Exciting, Most Delicious Natural Wines Right Now | Bon Appêtit (Jan 2019). Now living in Vermont, having worked with Dierdre Heekin of La Garista she is making wine and cider fermented with grape skin/pomace under her own label ZAFA Wine.

Listen to episode 185: Who are the Pomme Boots? Episode 185 provides an overview of the Pomme Boots and is the first half of the same meeting that hosted Krista Scruggs.

Caitlin Brahm, Brand Specialist for Angry Orchard, interviews Krista during this recording.

Krista's interview snap shots:

  • Tidbits of her family's history and her path to becoming a winemaker
  • Hiring women

The meeting then moves onto a Q&A with Pomme Boots Founders

  • Jana Daisy-Ensign and Jennie Dorsey

Mentions in this Chat

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


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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