484: Rethinking American Cider History with Patrick McCauley

484: Rethinking American Cider History with Patrick McCauley

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist December 31, 2025 Duration: 1:09:59
Meet Patrick McCauley, a Michigan-based cider maker and researcher, who is questioning some of the most common myths about American cider history. What Patrick uncovers is a far more regional, farm-based, and resilient cider story than the usual "cider died because of Prohibition" narrative.
 

00:00 Introduction to Cider and Prohibtion

00:23 Meet the Host and Guest

01:56 Listener Support and Community

04:51 Cider Salon Hungary, Uk & French Cider Tour

08:03 Featured Conversation with Patrick McCauley

10:25 Cider Production and Historical Insights

14:48 Regional Cider Production in the US

30:36 Impact of Prohibition and Industrialization

37:30 Challenges in Cider Production

38:33 Cider Culture and Consumer Perception

39:22 Historical Context and Regional Differences

42:08 Modern Cider Making Techniques

45:14 The Future of Cider

48:05 Historical Research and Discoveries

59:24 Reviving Lost Cider Traditions

01:05:58 Closing Remarks and Gratitude

 

Contact info for Patrick McCauley

Mentions in this Cider Chat

Cider Chat Patreon - join today!


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
297: Flavorful Righteous Odd Apples [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:46
Are Apples Odd? They sure are for those who solely define apples not by their names (which are often rather exotic like Mountain Rose or Kingston Black) but rather call them by their color, red, green or yellow. In this…
296: Bauman's |Oregon's Destination Farm Cidery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:59
Who is Bauman Cider Christine Walter is the cidermaker and visionary of Bauman's Cider. She grew up on an apple farm in Oregon runned by her family. As she tells it, Angry Orchard's "Crisp" was the first cider she ever t…
295: Western Cider | Missoula, Montana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:59
Who is Western Cider Texans Michael Billingsley and Matthew LaRubbio are childhood friends who now both live in Montana and founded Western Cider in 2010. The cidery is based in Missoula and has an indoor and outdoor tas…
294: Lockhorn Hard Cider | Bozeman, Montana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:48
Who is Lockhorn Hard Cider Alaskan natives Anna and Glenn Deal opened Lockhorn Cider in 2010 in Bozeman, Montana. Anna is a botanist and Glenn came to Montana to study and is a nurse. Lockhorn makes modern ciders with ap…
293: Lee McAlpine of Montana CiderWorks | Established 2002 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:51
Who is Montana CiderWorks Lee McAlpine is the Founder and Owner of Montana Ciderworks based in Darby, Montana. In 2022, Lee will celebrate the 20th year of operations and has a special Pommeau release made with her cider…
292: A Little Italy at Westwind Orchard | New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:39
Who is Westwind Orchard and their cider Fabio Chizzola & Laura Ferrara are the owners/farmers of Westwind Orchard located in Accord, New York on the west dies of the Hudson River. The orchard was bought in 2002 and was a…
291: The Century Farm of Ploughman Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:39
Who is Ploughman Cider Ploughman Cider is based in Wenksville Pennsylvania on a family farm owned by the Wenks Family for the past 100 years. The farm is called Three Springs and it is exactly 1.5 miles from the ancestra…
290: Publican Perfection at Tattiebogle Ciderworks | Pennsylvania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:32
The Publican at Tattiebogle CiderWorks Cidermaker Curt Henry has been envisioning a future cidery in Acme Pennsylvania overlooking the lowland valley in southwestern portion of this commonwealth for years. In 2017 he had…
289: The Road Less Traveled at Big Hill Ciderworks | PA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:35
The Makers at Big Hill Ciderworks Troy Lehman and Ben Kishbaugh are long time friends who originally met while working in the automotive industry. Years later they team up on a very new career path as cidermakers! Both m…
288: Spacetime Mead & Cider Works | Pennsylvania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:38
Who is Spacetime Mead & Cider Works Dan Schreffler had been home brewing and fermenting for many years before opening Spacetime Mead & Cider Works in 2018. He is a self proclaimed science nerd, which is part of the reaso…