“Who’s making hard cider?”
This was the question Christine discussed with family members at many a gathering at the farm. It seemed that everyone wanted to enjoy hard cider, but no one had quite volunteered to undertake the unique process of making this special beverage. Motivated by her own curiosity, Christine began to probe into the family tradition of making hard cider after the apple harvest. As it turns out, in the early to mid 1900’s Great-grandpa Stephen had perfected the method for making hard cider in the barn using the traditional method of fermenting apples in barrels.
At the time that prohibition was passed, many of the apples grown on the farm were in fact cider apples. As the effects of prohibition took hold, the family farm moved into growing dessert fruit. Thus, Great-grandpa Stephen’s traditional method of making hard cider faded into the background. Upon learning of her family history of producing hard cider, and armed with a degree in biochemistry from Lewis & Clark University, Christine became determined to revive Great-grandpa Stephen’s tradition of making hard cider while at the same time utilizing modern scientific cider making methods to bring this unique family beverage into today’s marketplace.
