Cider production has seen a resurgence in recent years, mirroring trends observed in the craft beer and artisanal spirits arenas. With an increasing number of consumers seeking out local, small-batch beverages, opportunities abound for those in the bev-alc industry who want to diversify their offerings.
There are many similarities in the processes and skill sets involved in making beer, wine and hard cider, and cider can be a natural progression for breweries and wineries looking to diversify. In fact, we learned at CBC last week that 80% of U.S.-created ciders are made by craft beer or wine producers. However, launching any new product, particularly in the heavily regulated bev-alc industry, requires careful planning and an in-depth understanding of compliance requirements.
Let’s explore some considerations wineries and breweries should examine before entering into the world of hard cider production.
Much like its bev-alc counterparts, cider production varies considerably depending on available apple varieties, cider-making techniques and the fermentation process. While any new venture may seem daunting, it also offers breweries and wineries an exciting opportunity to tap into a burgeoning market.
Cider production begins with selecting and sourcing quality apples, a task that requires a keen understanding of varieties and their individual flavor profiles. (Sound like grapes or hops to you?) The apples are pressed and the juice is collected for fermentation. Once the fermentation process is completed, the juice is matured, often in oak barrels, to allow for flavor development and to smooth out any harsh off-flavors. Then it’s time to bottle, can or keg the new cider.
Though this process mimics brewing and winemaking, it presents its own
unique challenges and considerations. Agile beer and wine producers can capitalize on their existing knowledge, capabilities and infrastructure and seamlessly venture into hard cider production.
The progression from beer to cider production might seem fairly straightforward because of overlaps between brewing beer and producing cider. It’s important, though, for craft breweries to learn about cider’s distinct differences and devise a solid plan before they go apple picking.
Winemakers and vineyard managers share a lot of commonalities with cidermakers and apple growers. Soil quality and irrigation require meticulous monitoring, and the fruit must be protected from pests and extreme weather conditions. Because of this and how hard cider is classified the same as wine by the federal government, wineries may be well-positioned to expand into cider production.
If implemented correctly, cider production can help breweries and wineries quickly expand into new markets and open opportunities for growth. Product diversification enables you to reach new customers and create additional revenue streams for your business.
As the bev-alc industry continues to evolve, beverage producers are increasingly on the lookout for ways to optimize operations, manage regulatory compliance and improve visibility across their business. An end-to-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that manages multiple beverage categories can help improve efficiency and create more predictable business outcomes.
Bev-alc ERP software offer breweries, wineries and cideries the ability to manage all aspects of production, sales and finance from a single, integrated solution. Benefits for a total solution for multiple product categories include:
With new market opportunities presented by cider production, leveraging the power of technology is vital, not just for operational efficiency, but also for market penetration. It’s important for any expanding beverage business to find a solution that is both agile and user-friendly
When it comes to a brewery or winery expanding into cider production, it’s important for your business management software to help you:
#CraftedCommunity member Fort Point Beer Co. knows a thing or two about growing a craft beer business to include cider production. In 2023, the San Francisco-based brewery saw a growth opportunity in their region and launched a line of hard ciders. How did they manage the complexity of a totally new product line? With Crafted ERP BevX, a scalable, multi-category solution that helped them seamlessly handle craft beer and cider production.
As CFO and Director of Innovation Mike Schnebeck explained, “As Fort Point was branching out into cider, it was really great to be able to keep all of the same compliance, production and workflows within Crafted. For us, branching out into cider was really a matter of learning how to make it right, the back-end stuff was already there.”
Justin Catalana, Fort Point CEO and co-founder, added, “Crafted was able to adapt in the ways we needed it to adapt, and it was really straightforward to start processing cider through the software.”
Indeed, the implementation of a comprehensive, multi-category ERP solution can prove instrumental for any beverage producer looking to diversify. It ensures efficient operations, provides accurate and timely reporting and captures lucrative market opportunities.
The expansion into cider production offers an exciting opportunity for breweries and wineries to diversify their product offerings and tap into a growing market. By capitalizing on existing infrastructure and applying existing expertise of fermentation and production, you can smoothly transition into the hard cider market.
It’s important, though, to employ modern technology that can manage multiple categories and compliance regulations. Crafted ERP BevX is the only solution on the market that can unify production and management of all bev-alc categories on a single platform. Whether you start with beer, wine, spirits, RTD or ciders, Crafted ERP BevX has the inherent ability to expand into whatever you dream up next.
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