306: Ciders for Every Season | Elegast Cidery, Netherlands

306: Ciders for Every Season | Elegast Cidery, Netherlands

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist February 9, 2022 Duration: 1:06:52

Elegast Cidery Beginnings

Arjen Meeusem shares his story of living in Portland, Oregon and how a stop at Reverend Nat's Hard Cider to taste the cider inspired him to find out more about this niche market and its viability to make cider in the Netherlands.

Cider Chat episode 306 Arjen of Elegast Cidery Arjen Meeuwsen outside the estate based cidery

Arjen and his business partners began their cidery in an old green house and then moved to their current location in a 250 square meter shed and utilize the outdoor space for storing their cider.

In 2022, the cidery is expanded with a new tasting room and expand production area just outside of Amsterdam set to be open in the summer.

Elegast's goal is to use the rising interest in cider to help steer consumers to drink cider to help the orchards aka Drink Cider ~ Save Orchards!

Elegast Ciders and Seasonal Offerings

Elegast's Saison Cider is a lovely frothy cider with a nod to Saison beers with a cider structure all its own.

Cider Chat episode306 Elegast Cidery

The goal is to balance the acidity and boost the profile so that there is enough mouthfeel to entice the drinker despite the lack of tannins in the current apples now growing in the Netherlands.

The cidery has access to old estate orchards with trees dating back to 1939, which is actually an Unesco Heritage Site marking the demarcation line and trenches used during the World War I.

All of Elegast Ciders can be drunk year round, but some might find your palate requesting them during select months.

Barrel Aged Ciders - Elegast has a range of barrel aged ciders that can be drunk in the winter and equally enjoyed by fans on a chilly spring, summer or fall evening.

Fruit Cider Series - Whole fruits are co-fermented and macerated to incorporate the taste and color of the skin and fruit

And excellent cider for the Spring and Summer

Terroir Series - Apples from specific orchards and allowed to ferment with the ambient yeast or what is often referred to as  spontaneous yeasts

Contact for Elegast Cidery

Website: https://elegastcider.nl/

Address: Hoorneboeg 4a, 1213 RE Hilversum, Netherlands

Mentions in this Chat

  • Gary Flowers Richmond Virginia's Jackson Ward Tour Guide and multi media star and host of the Gary Flowers Show
  • Peariodic Table of Pome Fruit commissioned by Randal Grahm - Put your name into the drawing for Patrons of Cider Chat by becoming a Patron at the Cider Chat Patreon Page for members at the $5 and up level.
  • New York International Cider Competition - February 21, 2022 4rd Annual New York International Cider Competition for commercial makers. Judges are real buyers making this competition stand apart from all others in cider. Send in your ciders now.

Commercial Makers - Enter the New York International Cider Competition 
New York International Cider Competition

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
408: Cider's Pomological Life Coach | Know Your Roots, NY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:57
Mike Biltonen and his wife Debbie founded Know Your Roots in 2008 and began offering a wide array of service for backyard and commercial orchardists in 2014. Mike This conversation tool place at the Berkshire Roundtable…
407: Cider Log Tutorial w/Frosty Twig [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:56
Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. A Cider Log Documents Ferments from Start to Finish Find a free downloadable Cider Log for your next ferment below! Dan Gallagher of Frosty Twig C…
406: Japan Is An Apple Country | Lee Reeve [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:10
Japan is not only Cherry Blossom, but also Apple Country! Lee Reeve of InCiderJapan kicks off this episode stating "Japan is Apple Country." And he is right… because Lee has been on the podcast 3x's and has taught listen…
405: Fruit, Flowers, & Feeling | Revel Cider, Ontario [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:08
Tariq Ahmed on the Founding and Fermentation Styles at Revel Revel Cider was founded in 2014 and is located in Ontario a little over one hour west of Niagara Falls. Hear Tariq tell how he both got into fermentation, how…
404: Uk's Ross Cider & Perry is Lit! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
Featuring Albert Johnson of Ross Cider and Perry Company Ross Cider and Perry is a family owned business located in the West Country of the United Kingdom in the region of Heredfordshire. The Johnson family have been far…
403: Botanist and Barrel Eclectic Ferments | NC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:33
Meet one half of the family team at Botanist and Barrel Botanist and Barrel is a family owned and operated cidery. Kether Smith and brother Lyndon and their respective spouses Derick McGuffey and Amie Fields make the mag…
402: Michigan's Simply, Spectacular PIF Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:59
Meet the Founders of Presque Isle Farm Cider a.k.a PIF Molly and Dion Stepanski are the founders of of PIF Cider with an inviting Tasting Room located in Alpena, Michigan. They met in New Orleans where Dion was working a…
401: Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy Cider Pairing Tips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:13
Chef Duffy Talks Cooking with Cider Chef Brian Duffy is one of the culinary's industry's most dynamic and innovative personalities. Chef Brian Duffy With a career that spans decades, He has been captivating audiences wit…
400: To Ciderville With Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
A Special Valentine to Ciderville with Love This episode is a special valentine to Ciderville with a little bit of help from the Talking Pommes and an eventful appearance by The Nose! We are in the Cider House reviewing…
399: Sweden Embraces Non Alcoholic Ciders at Pomologik [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:35
The Low ABV Cider Revolution in Sweden In Strängnäs Sweden, circa 2017, Johan Sjöstedt, Oskar Palm, and Patrik Svensk began selling ciders commercially under their brand Pomologik. They didn't set out to make low alcohol…