Cider Chat

What happens when a cidermaker decides to do less and give cider more time?
Spencer Morris of Sowams Cider Works in Warren, Rhode Island, makes cider with more than 70 apple varieties, old mechanical rack-and-cloth presses, glass demijohns and a remarkably hands-off approach.
Explore still cider, single-varietal apples, long aging on the lees, native fermentation, and why some Sowams ciders aren't released until they are three or four years old.
Timestamps
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="f4dc7e49-9de6-4914-ad45-cd7bb6b521f7" data-turn-id-container="f4dc7e49-9de6-4914-ad45-cd7bb6b521f7" data-testid="conversation-turn-10" data-turn="assistant"> 00:00 Doing Less and Giving Cider Time
00:25 Meet the Guest
01:59 Single Varietal Cider
05:25 News from Ciderville
08:24 Fall Cider Festivals
10:29 Arriving in Rhode Island
12:55 Inside Sowams Cider Works
14:38 Spencer's Cider Story
18:38 Orchard and Rootstocks
22:37 Harvest Timing
24:55 Fermenting in Demijohns
31:59 No Sulfites, No Filtration
35:15 Aging Cider and Favorite Apples
37:07 Storing Apples Before Pressing
37:49 Concentrating the Fruit
38:30 Culling Apples and Sediment
40:53 Hands-Off Fermentation
42:07 Customers and the American Palate
46:15 Rhode Island Heritage Apples
48:53 Tasting the Orchard Blend
51:44 Serving Cider and Batch Numbers
55:03 Blending Apples at the Press
58:04 Tasting Rhode Island Greening
01:01:13 Weather and Vintage Variation
01:02:17 Visit Sowams and Final Thoughts





 



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🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/513-sowams-cider/
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📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville

Cider Chat MC Ria Windcaller reads her August eCiderNews editorial, Plant the Damn Apple Tree, reflecting on entrepreneurship, uncertainty, abundance, and what an apple tree might teach us about the time in between.
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK: SUMMER 2026 NEWS CYCLE REFLECTIONS
Cideries close. People in our community are passing. The weather is never dull.
And somewhere in all of that is a question:
Knowing how uncertain the outcome is, would you choose otherwise?
READ THE ORIGINAL eCIDERNEWS EDITORIAL
Plant the Damn Apple Tree
https://ciderchat.com/plant-the-damn-apple-tree/
EPISODE 512 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Editorial Welcome
01:08 Maybe and the News
02:16 Why We Keep Trying
02:43 Cidery Closures Context
03:56 My Entrepreneur Ledger
05:45 Choosing Abundance
07:01 Plant the Apple Tree
07:52 Time and My Mom
08:48 Deal and Sign Off
09:50 Ciderville Outro Chant
🍎 Subscribe to eCiderNews
🎙️ Listen to Cider Chat


Support Cider Chat
If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.
🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat
Stay Connected
📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com
📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville

Hungary may not have a centuries-old cider tradition like England or France, but that is exactly what makes its modern cider movement so exciting.
In this episode, Cider MC Ria Windcaller travels to Budapest to meet András Kovács and Marcell Lukatsi, founders of Bright Cider, who are helping shape what Hungarian cider can become. From traditional method sparkling cider and heirloom apple varieties to the newly formed Hungarian Cider Association and the country's first-ever Cider Salon, discover how a new generation of makers is defining a distinctly Hungarian cider identity.
Along the way, you'll hear how two friends turned a shared love of cider discovered on ski trips into one of Hungary's most innovative cideries, why forgotten local apple varieties matter, and how cider can open the door to unexpected discoveries in art, history, and culture.
Timestamps
00:00 Hungary Cider Surprise
01:14 Show Intro and Guests
02:40 Ciderville News Roundup
04:48 French Cider Tour Preview
06:48 Tea Room Interview Setup
10:27 Bright Cider Origin Story
12:14 Naming Bright Cider
13:52 Founders' Backgrounds
19:29 Pandemic Launch and Team
20:31 Traditional Method Focus
22:07 Hungary's Heirloom Apples
26:17 Rosie and Product Lineup
29:24 Vranja Quince Blend
29:58 Cider Lineup Overview
30:43 Ice Cider Cryo Method
31:30 Yeast Choices Explained
32:47 Stainless Steel and Eco Focus
35:50 Events and Finding Bright Cider
37:45 Hungarian Cider Association
39:10 Defining Cider in EU Law
43:03 Apples, Pears and Orchards
47:13 Future Plans in Etyek
50:48 Travel Reflections and Signoff
Listen & Subscribe
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Learn More
🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/511-hungarian-cider-comes-of-age/ 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews 
Support Cider Chat
If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.
🍎 Become a Patron or Commercial Partner: https://www.patreon.com/c/ciderchat
Stay Connected
📬 Story tips: news@ciderchat.com 📱 Instagram: @ciderchatciderville

Most cider makers dream of expanding their barrel program. Jason Lummen did the opposite.
In Episode 510, Ria Windcaller visits The People's Cider Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Jason explains why he shifted from barrel-aged ciders to dry, sessionable ciders that keep people coming back for another round. Along the way, they discuss local apples, pub culture, changing American tastes, and what it means to build a cidery around community rather than complexity.
Time Stamps


  00:00 Craft Palate Lightens

  01:04 Meet Jason Lummen

  02:06 Welcome to Cider Chat

  04:02 GLINTCAP Reunion Story

  06:43 Ciderville News Roundup

  10:09 Totally Cider Tours

  11:27 Sessionable Success Shift

  12:21 Cheers with Pommeau

  12:45 Fruit Ridge Apple Sourcing

  15:13 Old Orchards vs. Trellis Systems

  18:29 Cider Maker Origin Story

  23:44 The Pressing "Aha!" Moment

  25:49 Tiny Pub, Big Vibe

  30:10 House Yeast and Wild Ferments

  31:04 The Flavored Cider Debate

  32:14 A No-Sulfites Philosophy

  33:19 The Shift to Sessionable Cider

  33:38 Brick Street Nightclub

  35:32 Rethinking the Barrel Program

  36:57 Why American Palates Are Changing

  39:02 A Toast with Pommeau

  39:45 The People's Cider Company Origins

  42:24 The Raised Fist Logo

  46:16 Winning Over New Cider Drinkers

  50:44 COVID and the Patio Lifeline

  52:28 Life as a Publican

  53:28 The Best Part of the Job

  56:37 Contact Info for The People's Cider Company

  57:23 Closing Reflections


🍎 Find the full show notes for Episode 510 at CiderChat.com
Direct Link: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/510-the-peoples-cider-company/
🎙️ Listen wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville.
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Episode 509 takes us to the heart of Latvia to meet Dace and Māris Plūme, the husband-and-wife team behind Mr. Plūme, an award-winning orchard cidery known for both still and naturally sparkling ciders.
Their journey began with a chance taste of homemade cider that inspired Māris to train in Normandy and Austria before returning home to help shape Latvia's growing fine cider movement. Along the way, they explain why still cider deserves a place alongside sparkling cider, how heirloom apples define their work, the role of wild fermentation, and why patience is one of a cider maker's greatest tools.
Ria also shares the latest News from Out and About Ciderville, including updates on CiderCon 2027, eCiderNews, GLINTCAP, orchards around the world, and this fall's French Cider Tour.
Ciders tasted:
• Semi-Sweet Still Cider
• Pearadise Pet-Nat
Timestamps
00:00 Still Cider Origins
00:23 Welcome to Cider Chat
02:31 Ciderville News Update
05:42 Orchards Around the World
08:48 Fires and Normandy
10:54 Meet Mr. Plūme
11:55 Latvia and Location
13:17 Māris' Cider Journey
15:34 Latvian Traditions
17:24 Heirloom Apple Abundance
19:29 Orchard and Grafting
22:20 Learning the Craft
25:52 Life as a Married Cidermaking Team
28:01 A Microcidery Philosophy
29:35 Tours and Education
30:59 Bottle Sizes and Sales
31:52 Small Bottles and Hops
32:44 Wild Fermentation
33:27 The Story Behind Their Still Cider
34:44 Reading Latvian Labels
35:35 A Latvian Toast
35:52 Tasting the Still Cider
36:58 Why Still Cider Matters
39:33 Awards and Philosophy
41:44 Yeast and Apple Blends
43:20 The Baltic Cider Scene
47:35 Stopping Fermentation Naturally
48:56 Aging and Storage Challenges
52:23 Pouring Pearadise Pet-Nat
54:40 Flavor Notes and No Sulfites
59:11 Where to Find Mr. Plūme
01:00:40 Thanks and Sign Off
01:02:42 Closing Outro We Like Cider Round