280: The Cidermaker's Fuzzy Slippers

280: The Cidermaker's Fuzzy Slippers

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist July 14, 2021 Duration: 37:50

Grab the slippers, the house is on fire!

In February of 2021, Nicole and Felix Todd had a chimney fire at the their home and the damage done made it unlivable. Having a fire even in the best of times is an ordeal, but during a pandemic is a whole other ball of wax. Felix ran out of the house in his socks, because fires are that scary and when it is raining embers you don't have time to lace up your boots. Which is why he ended up wearing a pair of slippers that evening after the Cal Firefighters brought him a choice of Nicole's Doc Martens (boots) and her fuzzy slippers.

Later they learned that was a bit of firefighter humor. But that is only part of the story for this endearing couple. I first met the Todds back in 2015 when I record episode 60 featuring the cidery that Nicole and her sister Natalie founded called Santa Cruz Cider Company. Today, the cidery has a Tasting Room located 1 minute from Highway 1, which is the coastal route that stretches along the coast. It is open Friday, Saturdays and Sundays and they also have a booth at the Farmer's Market held in downtown Santa Cruz every Wednesday from 1-6pm.

Ep 280 Fluffy Slippers at Santa Cruz Cider Company

Getting Back to the Slippers

This recording took place at a campsite where the Todds have plans to build their new home. This new site came about because after the fire they had moved into a camper/trailer but luck threw them another left turn when high winds caused damage to that temporary home. They temporarily move in with sister Natalie but had their sites on some land not too far from the cidery.

Around the Campfire with no Slippers but lots of cider

During this recording we discuss a spontaneously Keeved Cider from juice offered up from a neglected orchard in the area. The apples are the variety known as Gravenstein and being that the orchard had little nutrients is considered why the juice then keeved. This is a limited release cider that they bottled in 500 ml glass and have on tap at the Tasting Room.

[caption id="attachment_6341" align="aligncenter" width="300"]ep 280 Santa Cruz Cider Company Keeved cider 2020 Santa Cruz Cider Co. Keeved Cider label - look for the Gravenstein with Green![/caption]

Listen to episode 26 as Neil Worley explains Keeved Cider

Contact for Santa Cruz Cider Company

Website: santacruzciderco.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/santacruzciderco/

eMail:

natalie@santacruzciderco.com

nicole@santacruzciderco.com

Mentions in this Chat

Mentions in this Chat

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.


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
139: New Zealand's Cidermaking Calendar w/Alex Peckham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:04
New Zealand's Peckham Cider is featured in this podcast episode #139. I was able to sit down with Alex Peckham at CiderCon2018 held in Baltimore, Maryland. CiderCon is the annual trade conference put on by the United Sta…
138: Chairman Richard Liu | Ontario Craft Cider Association [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:32
Richard Liu is the Chair of the Ontario Craft Cider Association and owner of Ironwood Cider and Sunnybrook Winery. This chat was recorded while I was on tour with Ryan Monkman of Fieldbird Cider (Prince Edward County) wh…
137 Ontario's County Cider Story | Jenifer Dean [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:08
County Cider based in Prince Edward County in the Canadian Province of Ontario began selling cider in 1996. It was launched by Grant Howes a formidable man considered the Grandfather of Cider in Ontario. In 2000 Jenifer…
136: Cidermaker of the Year 2018 - Tells All [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:29
This is a mini version of the main podcast this week - as I am super duper busy - so I call this "Cider Chat Live" which is a mini me version of the main podcast - Subscribe to Cider Chat Live too via https://anchor.fm/c…
135: Viejo High Pours in Fishtown | Philadelphia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:40
Viejo is a barrel aged cider made by Joe Getz of Kurant Cider. This cider is a single varietal cider made with Winchester apples. Described on Kurants website as: "a blend of wild fermented ciders created by using some o…
134: Medlars "Pomme Rock Stars" &  Judging Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:38
What are Medlars? Medlars are pommes. It can be either a tree or a large bush. The small brown medlars are picked in the fall. Because Medlars are eaten in the winter months they were very popular at a time when fruit wa…
133: Cider's Chemical Fingerprints [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
Attention Cider Makers! Understand Your Cider's Chemical Fingerprints John Edwards presented "Cider's Chemical Fingerprints" at the United States Association of Cider Makers (now referred to as the American Cider Associa…
132: Barrels & Bâtonnage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:25
Bâtonnage is a winemaking technique that is also used in Cidermaking. It involves raking the lees or what is seen as the heavy particulars of yeast cells that fall out of solution and down to the bottom of the barrel dur…
131: Cider Barrels with a Cooper, a Maker & Thierry Lemaire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:16
Cider Barrel Maintenance The craft of making an oak barrel is called "cooperage" and the person who applies this craft is called a "cooper". The skills of this trade have been passed down through the centuries. The tree…
130: Cider Voices from Grand Rapids & #2GLINTCAPorBUST [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:07
Cider Voices from Grand Rapids Cider Week and the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition On the evening of May 14th Joby Willson, Mark Gryska, Charlie Olchowski and William Grote and myself headed out in a…