Woodchuck Hard Cider

Woodchuck Hard Cider is a brand of hard cider produced by the Vermont Hard Cider Company, LLC in Middlebury, Vermont.^[1] In 2011 it was the top-selling hard cider in the United States,^[2] with approximately 47% of the hard cider market there.^[3] On October 23, 2012, Woodchuck Hard Cider was purchased by Irish beverage company C&C Group for $305 million.^[4] Woodchuck was originally started at The Joseph Cerniglia Winery, Cavendish, VT, in 1991 by Joe Cerniglia and Barry Blake, along with wine maker Greg Failing.

Varieties

Autumn themed variant.

All Woodchuck ciders are naturally gluten-free because the product is made from apples only, without any grains.^[5] The company sells several types of cider under the Woodchuck name, including core flavors, limited releases, and private reserve styles.

Core styles

• Amber – American Commercial Hard Cider
• Granny Smith – Hard cider with Granny Smith flavoring added
• Pear – Hard cider with pear flavoring added
• Raspberry – Hard cider with raspberry flavoring added
• Hopsation – Hard cider made with cascade hops^[6]
• Gumption – combines juice of common eating apples with dry cider apples

Limited releases

Woodchuck has seasonal cider varieties which are released according to time of year:

• Summer – more tart than Amber cider, with blueberry juice added^[7]
• Fall – flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and white oak
• Winter – a combination of "Premium French" and "Traditional American Oak"^[8]
• Spring - contains notes of maple syrup and brown sugar.^[9] In August 2014, Woodchuck's Twitter feed said that this flavor had been discontinued but might return in the future.^[10]

Private reserves

• In the fall of 2010, the company started to produce a limited run of pumpkin hard cider each year, which they claim as the world's first pumpkin cider.^[5]
• Barrel Select private reserve is hard cider that combines the taste of cider with the taste of Kentucky bourbon.^[11]
• Woodchuck Belgian White was introduced in 2012 as a cider that uses Belgian beer yeast.^[12]

Woodchuck Holidays

Woodchuck has promoted "Woodchuck Wednesdays," encouraging consumers to enjoy a Woodchuck on the day. Woodchuck has also dubbed 2 February "Woodchuck Day" in honor of Groundhog Day (since woodchuck is another name for a groundhog).^[13]

References

1. Nason, Adam (5 August 2011). "Green Mountain Beverage unveils new company name". beernews.org. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
2. Becker, Maki (27 August 2011). "Mayer Bros. hard cider soured by lawsuit". Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
3. Schultz, E.J. (28 November 2011). "Cider Seen as Next 'Craft' Brew as Sales Climb 25% This Year". Advertising Age. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
4. Scott, Mark (23 October 2012). "Owner of Woodchuck Cider Approves Sale to Irish Rival". Dealbook. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
5. "Woodchuck Hard Cider Unveils First EVER Pumpkin Cider" (Press release). PRLog. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
6. "Woodchuck Crisp gets its own 6-pack" (Press release). beerpulse.com. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
7. "Woodchuck Limited Edition Summer Cider" (Press release). worldclassbeer.com. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
8. "Limited Releases". woodchuck.com. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
9. Woodchuck Spring Cider
10. Woodchuck Cider on Twitter: "@Kenc05 Yes, we are making way for many new ciders to come. It doesn't mean that they won't return in the future."
11. "Private Reserves". woodchuck.com. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
12. "Woodchuck Cider Announces Belgian White, a Private Reserve Cider" (Press release). brewhound.com. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
13. "Woodchuck Holidays". Retrieved 4 February 2012.

Further reading

• Flowers, John (21 November 2011). "Cider company plans big expansion". Addison County Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
• Bullard, Gina (7 November 2011). "Woodchuck gets back to basics". Wcax.com. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
• Thurston, Jack (14 November 2011). "Vt. Beverage Maker Goes 'Green' With Brown Bottles". Wptz.com. Retrieved 24 November 2011.

External links

• Woodchuck Draft Cider
• Woodchuck Hard Cider on Facebook
• Woodchuck Draft Cider Reviews