329: Cider Heroine Judith Maloney  | West County Cider, MA

329: Cider Heroine Judith Maloney | West County Cider, MA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist July 27, 2022 Duration: 56:23

CiderDays 2.0 Cider Dinner on November 5, 2022 with 6 outstanding women producers from the east coast at the Hawks and Reed Performing Art Center in Greenfield, Massashusetts. Dine with Judith Maloney of West County Cider (MA), Lisa Laird Dunn of Lairds & Company (NJ), Louisa Spencer of Farnum Hill Cider & Poverty Lane Orchard (NH) , Eleanor Leger of Eden Specialty Ciders (VT), Nicole Blum of Carrs Ciderhouse & Preservation Orchard and Farm (MA), and Anne Garwood Hampp of Ragged Hill Cider (MA). Sing up now to receive notification to your in box on CiderDays 2.0 schedule of events and early ticket release dates and links.

CiderDays 2.0 300x200 blk background

Judith Maloney on being America's First Cidery in 1984

In 1984 there were no commercial cidermakers in the United States. Only S. Martinelli & Co. based in Watsonville California was able to hold onto their license up to 1979, but gave it up when revenue from sales was only 1% of their overall business of offering apple juice products. Listen to John Martinelli discuss his family's story in episode 162

329 Terry and Judith Maloney 300x200 Terry and Judith Maloney in the early days of West County Cider

 

329 Judith feature 200x300 Judith Maloney Today

In this Cider Chat

  • Hear Judith backstory of her family's start from London to America in the 1940's.
  • How she met Terry Maloney
  • Making wine in the late 1960's with grapes from Rene di Rosa in the Carneros region or California
  • How Judith and Terry ended up in Colrain, Massachusetts
  • The paperwork to sell cider under a winery license and working with Agent Ernie  (Ernest) Giuliani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF)
  • Getting scion for their orchard and the Redfield Apple
  • Getting cider into stores, at a time when quality cider was unknown with Chef's like Jasper White
  • Meeting Dewey the cidermaker
  • Farm Cider in western Massachusetts
  • Steve Wood of Farnum Hill Cider in NH helping Judith when Terry unexpectedly died in 2010
  • Starting CiderDays in 1994 and the building of community of makers and friends

West County Cider Today

Judith's son Field Maloney and a silent partner are now the owners of West County Cider. They continue to work with Pine Hill Orchards in Colraine, make Redfield Cider and other single varietal ciders that Field's father Terry showcased. Judith still travels to Boston and loves going to Formaggio Kitchen in Boston where she brings West County Cider products to sell for her son and marvel at the wide range of selections and loves tasting cider with the cheese monger there.

Contact for West County Cider

Website: http://westcountycider.com/

Address: 208 Peckville Rd, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370

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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.
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