Hard Cider is having a moment. Well, its having several moments in reality. Over the past seven years or so, hard cider’s popularity has skyrocketed. In 2011, cider only had about .2% of the market share. By the end of 2014? It owned 1%. Sure, that number isn’t HUGE… but did you do the math? In three years, cider’s market share grew fivefold. That’s absolutely unheard of especially considering that cider had nearly disappeared completely after prohibitionists cut down apple orchards in hopes to destroy the cider makers in the United States.

Between November of 2013 and November of 2014, cider sales had increased 75%. The next closest beverage category? Craft at 20% growth.

There’s plenty of reasons for hard cider’s resurgence – one of which is that cider appeals to women, another is that customers are more curious about craft beverages, whether that be beer or cider, and of course, the fact that cider is gluten-free wins over an entirely different crowd.

In New York State, where Blue Toad currently have three tasting rooms, craft beverage stores in general are popping up everywhere. In the last year, 32 new craft beverage stores opened statewide.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, where Blue Toad currently have a cider pub as well as tasting room, sales for wine and cider (they are grouped together since cider is such a new commodity) were up 6% from 2015 to 2016. More than half a million cases were sold in fiscal year 2016. When separated, cider sales in Virginia were up 52% with over 400,000 cases sold.

So, we pose the question – why do you drink hard cider?

Hard cider has grown enormously in popularity in the past decade. But did you realize that the fermented beverage has been around since the Romans ruled an empire? There is evidence that dates cider back to 6500 BC in Asian and European cultures. The idea of fermenting apples has been traced back to around 55 BC. Way back then, the water was so unsanitary that people actually drank more cider than they did water. Around the sixth century brewers became a skilled profession around Europe, making beer drinks as well as cider. Rumor is that between the 13^th and 17^th centuries, Europeans were even paid in cider.

Normandy became a big player in the cider-making business around the 16^th century. It was here that folks started playing around with different types of apples – some, of course, tasted much better than others. In other places in Europe, as well as colonial America, cider became an important part of the culture.

It is the Pilgrims that are credited with bringing apples with them on their voyage to the Americas. The seeds of the apples were planted and orchards grew. The apples were then purposely fermented to create a cider drink because it was safe and sanitary. In fact, most of the orchards are said to have been planted not for apple consumption, but for cider making.

Over the years, the popularity of cider ebbed and flowed with the different groups of immigrants who came to America. When prohibition was enacted in the 1920s, apple orchards were cut down in hopes that cider supplies would die with them. When prohibition was repealed, cider was slow to make a comeback since many apple orchards were wiped out.

Ciders vary by region in the United States. New England ciders are typically simple and sweet or barrel aged for a sharper flavor. California apples are usually more bitter and sometimes even sparkling. While Blue Toad is made in both New York and Virginia, we source only local apples for every batch of cider. That means, if you’re drinking a Flower City Blonde in Rochester, the apples used are from the Rochester area. If you’re drinking a Blue Ridge Blonde in Nelson County, you’re drinking apples from the area.

In the past decade or so, cider has seen a resurgence – and we are proud that Blue Toad Hard Cider is part of that! Currently hard cider is only about 1% of the beverage market, but is growing faster than any other type of drink out there, and is expected to keep growing. There are typically hard cider drink options in most bars and restaurants these days.

Be sure to ask your next bartender or server if they have any fresh Blue Toad Hard Cider on tap!    

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  Resources: “Cider.” How Products Are Made. . Encyclopedia.com. 28 Mar. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Lehault, C. (2013). Go Back in Time with New England Style Ciders. http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/05/what-is-new-england-style-cider-strong-hard-cider-with-raisins.html Kerrigan, William (2012).  

  You know our cider, but we want you to get to know us! The people behind the big blue toad logo on our cans. Why Blue Toad? Why New York and Virginia? Why hard cider? The story starts in the small town of Scottsville, New York where the three owners of Blue Toad Hard Cider grew up. Scottsville is a quintessential small town – population of around 2,000 people, one high school with graduating classes of under 100 people, one stoplight, and a 15 minute drive to the closest grocery store. Yes, every small town cliché is true about Scottsville, but none rings more true than the fact that everyone knows everyone. Todd, Scott, and Greg grew up in Scottsville, New York. They all went to high school together at Wheatland-Chili High School and took on careers in different fields. After settling down and starting families of their own, a “desire to consume high quality alcoholic beverages” got the wheels churning and ultimately, Blue Toad Hard Cider was born. Why Blue Toad? There’s been about a million stories swirling around as to why Todd is actually referred to as Toad, one of which includes a misspelling on his birth certificate, but I doubt we’ll ever know the true story. In any case, Todd was raised as “Toad” – he and his family settled down in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Todd and his wife, Kim, opened a pub nearby and decided on the name Blue Toad – a play off of his name and the beautiful mountains nearby. Meanwhile, Scott was in Scottsville making batches of beer in his barn while Greg was making cider in his garage, so they decided to combine their efforts. When the idea to start a hard cider business came up, the name Blue Toad felt natural since the brand already existed. Why New York and Virginia?  After reading some of our story, you can see why New York and Virginia are natural choices for our cider. Our owners have roots in the Rochester, New York and Central Virginia regions. Since it is so important for us to have locally sourced apples included in every hard cider we produce, we’ve even named similar ciders differently to pay homage to their region. For example, in Rochester, our blonde cider is named Flower City Blonde and features a blend of local Golden Delicious, Empire and Crispin apples. Meanwhile, in Virginia, our Blonde is called Blue Ridge Blonde featuring locally sourced Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples. We currently have five tasting rooms – 3 in New York, and 2 in Virginia. You can find more information on our locations here. You can also find our cider in Wegmans stores in both regions. Why hard cider? Well, why not? It’s easy to drink, it’s fun to make and to experiment new flavors, plus our gluten free friends can enjoy it. Also, hard cider is one of the fastest growing beverages in the past decade. So, friends, you want it, we’ll make it!

We at Blue Toad Hard Cider know how to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day right. We’ve got a multitude of celebrations for you and a seasonal flavor that is perfect for anyone celebrating their Irish roots!

Paddy Green  

Our seasonal flavor for St. Paddy’s Day is deservedly named Paddy Green. This cider is very light, clean and crisp and fermented using 100% local apples. It is clean and refreshing with a tart finish. Just enough for your tongue to do the Irish jig!

You can pick up cans of Paddy Green at Wegmans stores in both the New York and Virginia regions or stop by one of our five tasting rooms for a pint. You can find more information on our tasting rooms here.

Virginia Celebrations 

St. Paddy’s Day Celebration at The  Blue Toad Hard Cider Pub

Join us for a St. Paddy’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 18^th from 2-10pm at our Cider Pub in Afton, Virginia. There will be live music from Gallatin Canyon from 6-8pm.  We will have drink specials, food specials, and will be giving away a pair of tickets to The Festy Experience.

For more information on this event, visit our Facebook page.

Blue Toad Hop & Vine Tour 

Additionally, we will be having our annual Blue Toad Hard Cider Hop & Vine Tour. Pickup at South Street Brewery on Saturday, March 18^th at 2pm. We will visit Wood Ridge Brewing, Blue Mountain Barrel House, and end at The Blue Toad Hard Cider Pub just in time for Gallatin Canyon. Bus brews and ciders are included! There will also be St. Paddy’s Day gear, a Blue Toad mini growler for you to fill up! After the show, we will return you to South Street Brewery in Charlottesville.

To join in on the fun and purchase a ticket, visit our Facebook page.

New York Celebrations

Start your St. Paddy’s Day celebrations early at our Henrietta tasting room. We will opening on Wednesday of this week from 5-pm.

Join us at our Henrietta or Victor locations for $3 pints of Paddy Green. There will also be 25% off all Paddy Green Growlers at all three New York locations.

Hope you see you this weekend!

Motherhood: Powered by Love, Fueled by Coffee, Sustained by Cider

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Give the perfect gift this Mother’s Day with our new limited edition Mother’s Day Growlers! Each growler comes filled with love, and your choice of hard cider. Available now in all NY tasting rooms!

A huge thanks to all those who participated in our Auburn Trail Clean Up on Earth Day, April 22nd. The trail is looking ‘toadily’ beautiful!

The fall favorite Harvest Blend hard cider is back on tap in all NY locations! This blend of cinnamon, allspice & cloves will have you thinking of autumn leaves, mulled cider & camp fires.

Get your Blue Toad Hard Cider gear today! It’s just another beautiful December morning and another day to get delicious hard cider at our Webster location inside Schutts Apple Mill. Feel free top in and have a pint or take home a growler or some of our other hats and t-shirts.

Did you know a group of toads is called a nest?

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Memberships for THE NEST, Blue Toad’s exclusive mug club, are now available! Perfect for hard to the core cider fans, this elite club is packed with perks. Hop along quickly as memberships are limited! Membership Perks Include:

• Free pint with membership purchase.
• $1 off every mug fill.
• Free birthday mug fill.
• Free mug fill of each new cider.
• Exclusive discounts throughout the year.
• Exclusive end of the year party in the cidery.
• PLUS A guest of a member can receive 1/2 off a flight!