Cider clubs have arrived!
Much like wineries that have wine clubs, there are now many savvy California craft cider brands offering hard cider club membership to customers who want to ensure that they:
a) get first dibs on all ciders (many small cideries sell out of items throughout the year)
b) get access to special, limited-production ciders
c) can get certain products (it’s difficult to buy craft ciders on the monster alcohol sale sites as small cideries don’t make enough cider for these sites to want to bother with them, and it’s tough to share sales margins with a third party)
If you or someone you know is a craft cider lover, consider signing up or gifting a membership to one of these local California craft cider clubs. Not only would a cider club membership make a great, unique gift but supporting these kinds of small businesses just makes you feel good.
Note: I don’t get paid anything to write about these cideries, nor if you join their cider clubs or purchase cider from these businesses. I simply love bringing attention to awesome, independently run craft cider brands.
1) Bristols Cider House ‘Press Gang’ Cider Club
This popular Paso Robles area cidery with British roots crafts Central Coast ciders (using primarily apples sourced from the same region as well as native yeasts) with a British twist at their cidery and taproom in Atascadero.
The cidery recently launched its new Press Gang Cider club for Bristol Cider fans who want access to special club-only cider selections, cider club events, and more.
Press Gang cider club members receive three shipments per year that include one case of cider each shipment (including their Mystery cider which is a club-only selection that changes throughout the year), discounts on pints and growlers on ‘Press Gang’ Fridays, invitations to cider club pick-up events, and a few other benefits.
2) Dutton Estate Winery’s Cider Club
The Dutton family are not only great grape farmers and winemakers but they have also been apple farmers since before they were grape farmers and winery owners. A few years ago, these guys decided to launch their first (commercially available) hard cider, and it’s been such a hit that they also started a cider club, to hook their best customers up with first access to their farmstead ciders (they sell out every year before the end of the year).
You won’t find Dutton’s ‘Core Cider Club’ information on their website currently (they only have a page where members can log-in), because they are sold out of cider for the year, so I recommend checking back closer to Spring 2022.
3) Ethic Cider’s ‘Cider Roots’ Club
Ethic is a Petaluma-based cidery that farms organic apples at their farm and orchards in Sebastopol. The cidery launched its ‘Cider Roots’ club in October 2019. Club shipments are twice a year, six bottles per shipment. The fee per shipment is $75.
*a portion of Ethic’s cider club fees will be directed to reducing climate change effects through their non-profit partners working to improve soil health and protect water ecosystems.
Are you in the California Bay Area? You can also purchase Ethic ciders at the Good Eggs organic online grocery store.
4) Far West Cider Club
This East Bay cidery owned by the Chinchiolos, a family of Central Valley farmers, launched the Far West brand only a few years ago but has become steadily more popular since. Like so many others, Far West launched a cider club recently (one of the side effects of Covid 19!). Their fresh, clean, farm-direct ciders make it hard to stop at one pint, so why not join their club and get quarterly shipments?
Each of Far West’s cider box shipments includes a mix of their core ciders plus some seasonal releases and limited production ciders. You can opt for a smaller or larger quantity box. Local club members can pick up their club cider boxes to save on shipping costs.
*Far West can ship their cider boxes to 36/50 states so there’s a good chance that they can ship to your state.
Cider Club members receive the following benefits: Complimentary cidery tours at Far West’s waterfront tasting room in Richmond, Special pricing and first dibs on branded Merch, Cider for you and a friend for $1/glass (with purchase) at Far West’s Fort Mason and Richmond locations.
Not ready to join their club? You can purchase Far West ciders from Good Eggs.
5) Gowan’s Heirloom Cider Club
Gowan’s is a Mendocino-based farm and cidery. Their heirloom cider club consists of six bottles shipped quarterly (four times a year). Quarterly releases take place in August, November, February, and May.
This farm and cidery crafts ciders from their own heirloom and heritage Gravenstein, Sierra Beauty, and Macintosh orchards. They also offer cider tastings in their Anderson Valley orchards!
6) Tin City Cider Club
Paso Robles-based cidery. Club shipments consist of four specialty small-batch ciders shipped out three times per year in March, July and November.
Or you can pick your club allocations up (like the majority of Tin City’s cider club members) at one of their club pick-up parties held throughout the year exclusively for Tin City Cider club members.
Members also enjoy a 20% discounts on all other cider club purchases.
7) Horse and Plow Cider Club
Sonoma County (Sebastopol) based organic winery, cidery, and farm. Their cider club consists of six bottles shipped three times a year. These guys also have a new Wine & Cider Club which includes a 6-bottle mix of wines and ciders.
Both Horse and Plow’s clubs have seasonal shipments 4 times per year and include 15% off all purchases throughout the year, in addition to many other club benefits! Sign up now to receive an additional 10% off your first shipment.
8) Santa Barbara Cider Co. ‘Incider’ Club
I love the name of these guys’ cider club, ha! Not only is Santa Barbara Cider Co. a great place to hang out (these guys host a lot of events like Taco Trivia Thursdays, Live Music Fridays, and Mimosa Sundays) but they’ve also got a great cider club.
Incider members get a bunch of schwag when they join such as a glass growler (full of cider), a cider mug, t-shirt, etc. as well as a mixed pack of cider, discounts on cider purchases, tickets to the cidery’s annual anniversary party, etc. This is mostly a club for SB locals (those who can take advantage of the benefits that come with club membership).
9) Santa Cruz Cider Co’s Core Crew Cider Club
Santa Cruz Cider Co. offers two different cider club options– three bottles or six bottles shipped three times a year in March, July and November. Three bottle club members receive a 15% discount and six bottle club members receive a 20% discount.
Special release ciders will be included in club shipments and club members are given the opportunity to request to skip certain ciders and double up on others. Club members can have their allocations shipped or pick them up on site or at the local Farmer’s market.
10) Tilted Shed Ciderworks
Windsor-based Tilted Shed cidery’s club is very popular and currently is listed as ‘full’ but spots open up in the club throughout the year so get on Ellen and Scott’s cider club wish list to receive updates.
11) Two Broads Cider
Two Broads is a SLO-based cidery crafting dry, bright ciders made from fruit grown by local growers in San Luis Obispo County and using minimum if any, filtration. It’s also a cidery run by.. you guessed it, two ‘broads’ They opened their first tasting room in early 2021 and also recently launched a six-bottle and twelve-bottle cider club.
Cider Club members receive access to limited-release ciders and 15% off of orders online and in the tasting room. Club shipments can be picked up or shipped anywhere in CA, OR, CO, or WA.
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