496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA

496: Liberty Ciderworks | Spokane, WA

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist March 25, 2026 Duration: 56:28

Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane, Washington is an urban cidery focused on traditional methods. While located in the city, their cider reflects deep agricultural roots.

Cider maker and founder Rick Hastings ferments with wild yeast, ages cider for 3 to 12 months, and source fruit from nearby orchards. This approach creates cider with structure, balance, and regional identity.

This interview is with Jamie, who is a certified pommelier, and her husband Ben Pratt who both partnered with Rick in 2019. This interview was recorded at CiderCon in 2026.

00:00 Cider Eyes Open

00:40 Meet Liberty Cider

01:58 Ciderville News Kanga

04:46 Western Mass Cider Stop

07:51 Tour Prep And Pacing

12:53 Spokane Urban Cidery

15:09 Orchards And Sourcing

17:20 How They Joined Liberty

21:54 Tasting Room Third Place

23:29 Cider Series And Flights

29:33 Educating New Drinkers

31:07 American Apples Lineup

32:01 On The Table Golden Russet

32:22 Golden Russet Terroir

33:22 Tasting Notes Compared

35:31 Wild Yeast Unfiltered

38:43 Reserve Versus Core

39:19 Cider Club Shipping

41:59 Future Growth Strategy

44:14 Visit Spokane Taproom

46:38 Events Puzzle Festival

49:21 Barrel Program 55 Chain

52:39 Wrap Up Ciderchat

54:13 Closing Orchard Song

 

Find the full show notes for Episode 496 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/496-liberty-ciderworks/
Listen to wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville.

Prefer to watch?
Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.

💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP and support this podcast Cider Chat.
Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

 


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
357: Purchase Cider Online | Press Then Press [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:09
Meet the Storie and Erik of Press Then Press Storie Madrid first connected with Ria at Cider Chat via Twitter. In this niche market it is easy to get close to people of similar interests and passions. Storie has recently…
356: Holistic Fruit Growers Roundtable | Maine Apple Camp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
Discover Holistic Growing Practices Enjoy this roundtable discussion moderated by Glen Koehler with 4 holistic practitioners. This roundtable was recorded at Maine Apple Camp 2022. Holistic Panelist Eric Shatt - Redbyrd…
355: CiderCon Recap and Awards 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:15
Chicago Cider Week, Cider Tours, Interviews, Awards and Cider Summit The week of January 30th - February 4th was packed with cider related events all based in Chicago. CiderCon, the annual conference hosted by the Americ…
354: Preserving Historical Varieties of Apples & Pears [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:23
Are Historical Apple and Pears varieties at of becoming Extinct? It appears it is not a question of if, when historical varieties are no longer with us as climate change and other mitigation factors such as land developm…
353: Apple Historian John Bunker Q&A | Maine Apple Camp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:59
Preservation Tips from an Apple Historian John Bunker is a self identified Apple Historian and an Apple Detective, Author of numerous books on the topic of Apples and Founder of FEDCO Trees. In the previous podcast episo…
352: Apples in Gravel? Maine Heritage Orchard | Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:09
John Bunker on Maine Heritage Orchard: Successes and Challenges over the First Ten Years This is Part 1 with John Bunker, who is both an author, Founder of FEDCO Trees, an Apple Historian and a key person behind the Main…
351: Cidermakers' Roundtable | Maine Apple Camp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:53
Enjoy this Roundtable Discussion w/4 makers from Maine Kris Hogg formally of Perennial Cider Bar in Maine moderates this panel discussion that was held at the Maine Apple Camp in August of 2022. The topics are wide rangi…
350th Episode Celebration at Cider Chat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:22
Season 7 and the Episodes of Cider Chat This episode marks the 350th episode of this weekly podcast and the end of Season 7. The Nose and Ria sat down for a dinner chat and looked over the past season. The dinner was des…
349: Super Power of Bradford Pear with Eliza Greenman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:02
Any relation to the Greenman's of Mystic, Connecticut? When fruit explorer and horticultural historian Eliza Greenman received a call from owners of an overgrown orchard asking if she was related to the Greenman's who pl…
348: Family Inspirations | Storum Ranch Cider & Wine | CA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:12
The Perfect Balance at Storum Ranch Pauline and Bill Storum settled in Julian California after Pauline retired from the US Navy in 2013. Planting an orchard and vineyard on the outskirts of this apple town was rooted in…