360: Taproom and Hospitality Tips | CiderCon 2023

360: Taproom and Hospitality Tips | CiderCon 2023

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 15, 2023 Duration: 1:00:41

Everything in the taproom should be adjustable

This Taproom Tips workshop was presented at CiderCon 2023 by Katie Black and Megan MacLean and it is packed with info!

In this episode

  • A four prong approach to brand identity
  • How to respond to taproom reviews
  • 3 key factors when building culture for a taproom
  • Hiring tips and training tips
  • The timeline of a tasting room
  • Recruiting systems and training
  • Interview tips from Meghan
  • Integrating future growth in your design
  • Draft systems
  • The "secret" dishwasher
  • Polishing your glassware - do you have space?
  • Cider cocktails set up
  • The flow behind the bar design
  • Bathrooms design
  • In house residencies - food trucks vendors
  • Bar Bible and what it should have

Who is Katie Black?

360 Katie Black blk & white 300x200

Katie entered the CiderCon® world in 2021 as of the first Kulture scholarship recipients. Her endless love for fermentation & product development peaked her curiosity on fruited ferments.

She calls the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina home. Here, she also graduated from the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast with a Brewing, Distillation, & Fermentation degree.

Consulting has been part of the last 6 years for Katie in various realms of business, with a primary focus in the food & beverage world. The majority of her experience started within the brewing industry; from business openings, management, & even working her way into the cellar. This landed her with reopening & rebranding the original taproom at Artifact Cider Project. Before that, you could find her working for DSSOLVR brewing and spending sunrises harvesting in the mountains. She currently is working as an assistant distiller at the notable amaro distillery, Eda Rhyne.

Contact for Katie Black

Who is Megan MacLean?

360 Megan MacLean 300x200

Megan MacLean is a hospitality operations consultant with 14 years of experience in restaurants and taprooms. She specializes in private events, recruiting, training programs, people management, and operational system design. Most recently, Megan served as the hospitality director for Artifact Cider Project. She has since launched a solo consulting business, aimed at improving the industry she has come to know and love. Megan lives in Boston and travels extensively, working with clients all over the country. 

Contact for Megan MacLean

Mentions in this Chat

  • Grafting Workshop at Brook Farm Orchard, Ashfield Massachusetts April 15, 2023 1-3 pm
  • Canuck Cider Cup - entries in by April 21, 2023
  • Revolution will not be Pasteurized - Ross on Wye Cider and Perry Co. 2023 keg tour
  • Fermentis - Yeast and Fermentation Solutions for Cidermakers. 

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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.
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