Cider Chat

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
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🌐 Episode show notes: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/511-hungarian-cider-comes-of-age/ 📰 eCiderNews: https://ciderchat.com/ecidernews 
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If you enjoy independent cider journalism and conversations with cider makers from around the world, consider supporting Cider Chat.
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📬 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.
▶️ Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.
💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP.
Become a patron at: https://patreon.com/ciderchat

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

The announcement that CiderCon 2027 will be co-located with the Craft Brewers Conference sparked one of the most active online discussions the cider community has seen in years.
In this episode of Cider Chat, ACA Board President Christine Walter joins host Ria Windcaller to discuss why the decision was made, the financial realities facing CiderCon, how the conference will operate alongside the Craft Brewers Conference, and what it means for the future of the American Cider Association.
The conversation also explores cider's identity, the role of orchard-based producers and commercial brands, the ACA's current leadership structure, and whether this partnership is intended to become a long-term model.
Whether you're planning to attend CiderCon 2027 or simply want to better understand the thinking behind one of the cider industry's biggest announcements, this episode offers an in-depth conversation on where things stand today.
Time Stamps
00:00 Why CiderCon Is Co-Locating
00:15 Meet Your Host
01:31 CiderCon 2027 Shakes Up Ciderville
03:29 News Out and About Ciderville
04:51 French Cider Tour Update
08:48 Setting Up the Conversation
10:46 The Future of the American Cider Association
12:41 Why the ACA Chose This Partnership
16:25 Survey Results and Other Options
21:25 Protecting Cider's Identity
21:47 How Co-Location Will Work
28:30 Why Now? Lessons From Providence
32:37 Concerns About Beer Culture
34:46 Safety, Inclusion, and Progress
38:15 Headlines, Keynotes, and Programming
40:36 What Cider Can Learn From Beer
43:42 Big Cider, Small Cider
47:43 Messaging, Tours, and Community
51:46 Leadership and Financial Challenges
56:22 National Conference or Regional Future?
1:01:12 A One-Year Experiment?
1:03:56 An Invitation to Show Up
1:07:08 Host Reflection
1:09:21 Until Next Time in Ciderville
🍎 Find the full show notes for Episode 508 at CiderChat.com
Direct Link:
https://ciderchat.com/podcast/aca-cidercon-2027-questions/
🎙️ Listen 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.
Your support helps keep Cider Chat on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.
Become a patron at:
https://patreon.com/ciderchat

Sometimes all it takes is one sip.
It happened to the founders of Woodfolk Cider, Martha Lowry and Alistair Whitehead, and it can happen to YOU! What began as a shared love of food, drink, and hospitality eventually led them to plant orchards, build a cidery, and welcome visitors to their 87-acre farm in Ontario, Canada.
Today, their orchard-based cidery sits among forests, rivers, rolling hills, and rows of young cider apple trees and the open invitation to expand your universe one glass at a time.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 The Cider Discovery Moment
00:52 Meet Woodfolk Cider
02:23 French Cider Tour Update
04:49 Secret Tap at Four Phantoms
07:53 eCiderNews Roundup
10:33 Welcome to Woodfolk's Orchard
12:18 The Farm and Family Origins
13:03 From Music and Brewing to Cider
15:09 Distilling, Spirits and Ontario Taxes
17:38 Building the Tasting Room Experience
18:17 The Woodfolk Cider Lineup
19:19 Introducing Tannic Cider to New Drinkers
21:17 The LCBO Challenge for Farm Cideries
24:14 Pressing Apples and Growing Orchards
26:51 Perry Pears, Climate and Terroir
29:22 Harvest-Based Fermentation
29:49 Barrel Aging and Neutral Oak
30:57 Learning From Happy Accidents
32:00 Yeast Choices and Orchard Diversity
33:48 Tasting Meadowland
34:54 Harvest Dates and Labeling Rules
36:23 Cider, Stewardship and Community
40:06 Modern Love Cider
40:39 Copper Moon and the Art of Blending
43:54 Food Pairings and the "Aha" Moment
46:33 Looking Five Years Ahead
48:17 Final Thoughts on Woodfolk Cider
49:55 French Cider Tour Reminder
51:04 Closing Theme Song
Contact info for Woodfolk Cider
Website: woodfolkcider.com
Located near Orillia, Ontario, approximately 90 minutes northwest of Toronto.
Mentions in this Cider Chat
Totally Cider Tours
eCiderNews
French Cider Tour 2026
Cider Going Up Patreon
Find the full show notes for Episode 507 at CiderChat.com
Direct Link:
https://ciderchat.com/podcast/507-woodfolk-cider-ontario/
Listen 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.
Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.
https://patreon.com/ciderchat