418: Creative Cider Branding Tips with Cultivar

418: Creative Cider Branding Tips with Cultivar

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist June 26, 2024 Duration: 1:01:25

Paving a Path for Cider Branding at Cultivar

Meet Kirk Evans, the founder of Cultivar Creative. In this episode, Kirk shares his journey from a casual cider maker to a professional brand designer specializing in cider packaging and identity.

Cider Chat Episode 418 Kirk Evans 300x300 (1) Cultivator
Kirk Evans

Cultivar Creative focuses on creating comprehensive brand identities that go beyond just a logo. Kirk emphasizes the importance of a cohesive brand voice, graphical elements, and a well-thought-out brand guideline to ensure consistency across all marketing materials. His approach ensures that even small cider brands can present themselves professionally and attractively to consumers.

The Journey to Cider Branding at Cultivar

Kirk's journey into the cider world began in early 2020 when he decided to try making cider at home. What started as a hobby quickly turned into an obsession, leading him to a career shift. With his extensive experience in design and marketing, Kirk saw a gap in the cider industry for specialized branding services. Thus, Cultivar Creative was born.

The Importance of Brand Identity

According to Kirk, brand identity in the cider industry involves more than just a logo. It encompasses everything from the brand's voice to the graphical elements used in packaging. A strong brand identity helps cider makers communicate their story effectively and stand out on crowded shelves.

Kirk's process includes creating detailed brand guidelines that outline all aspects of the brand's visual and verbal identity. This comprehensive approach ensures that every piece of marketing material aligns with the brand's core message and appeals to its target audience.

Branding Tips for Cider Makers

  • Know Your Brand: Understand who you are as a brand and what you want to convey to your customers.
  • Be Bold: Don't be afraid to be bold and disruptive with your branding. Standing out is crucial in a competitive market.
  • Consistency is Key: Ensure your branding is consistent across all platforms, from social media to packaging.
  • Invest in Packaging: Eye-catching packaging can make a significant difference in attracting new customers.

Contact Info for Cultivar

Mentions in this Cider Chat


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
109: Ice Cidermaking Tips with Chadd Cook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:21
Ice Cider is made by freezing fresh pressed apple juice. The first element to freeze in the process is the water that is naturally occurring in all apples to a less or greater degree. As the water freezes, the pure liqui…
108: The Alcohol Professor chats Cider Competitions & Judging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:22
Adam Levy's moniker is "The Alcohol Professor ". In this chat we are talking with this self professed beer freak about getting cider makers to enter their ciders into two competition that he runs in New York City and Ber…
107: Building San Jose with Cider | The Cider Junction, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:57
Reserve your spot today for the Totally Cider Tour to the UK! The cider tour begins in Bristol, UK on April 25th and then after that evening's dinner at The Stable for the "Ultimate Cider" dinner we head out to tour arou…
106: Totally Cider Tour - UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:17
Register: Between December 6th through the 13th and receive $100 off your fee! Register Me! Join Ria (the Producer and Host of Cider Chat) and Totally Cider for a fantastic journey to the West Country in the United Kingd…
105: Tom Oliver on Making Perry | UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:05
Reserve you spot today for the Totally Cider Tour to the UK! We will be visiting Tom Oliver an award winning cidermaker and this week's guest on Cider Chat. This cider tour begins in Bristol, UK on April 25, 2018, then a…
104: Chadd Cook | Cider Hill Cellars, MA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:46
Sign up now for Totally Cider Trip to the UK in April 2018!! - Come along with Ria the Producer and Host of Cider Chat as we travel through Somerset and Herefordshire in the UK visiting makers and drinking cider along th…
103: Robby Honda | Tanuki Cider, CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:26
Totally Cider Travels - Come along with Ria of Cider Chat as we travel through Somerset and Herefordshire in the UK visiting makers and drinking cider along the way! The trip begins in Bristol, UK on wednesday April 25 a…
102: Cider Ignites | NY State of "Apple" Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
A special listen with five New York State cidermakers, who each brought home medals from the Royal Bath and West Show cider competition in the UK! The introduction is by Sara Grady, Vice President of Programs at Glynnwoo…
101: Cider Ignites NYC-Part 1 | Makers & Enthusiasts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:45
In Part 1 of "Cider Ignites NYC" we chat with New York Cidermakers and enthusiasts who are attending Hidden Stars, a cider fest held during NYC Cider Week 2017. First up is Kyle Sherrer of Graft Cider in Newburgh New Yor…
100: Celebrating 100 Cider Podcast Episodes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:45
"The Nose" is back helping Ria sort through the past year and celebrate this 100th episode of Cider Chat! We delve into wild yeast, terroir, and hear a bit from every single guest on the past 50 episodes of Cider Chat. T…