Local Cidery Takes A Genuine Approach – Now They’re Expanding
Photo courtesy of Out West JH / Shivyon Mitchell
Story by Ash Golangco
What happens when two brothers in the biochemistry and pharmaceutical fields begin making cider? If you’re lucky, you might get Highpoint Cider, a local cidery dedicated to crafting consistently delicious ciders, classic and dry-hopped.
Photo courtesy of Out West JH / Shivyon Mitchell
How It All Started (And The Surprises Along The Way)
After Alex Perez received a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of Vermont, he spent five years working in GE before realizing his true calling in 2018 – cider making. Shortly thereafter, he convinced his brother Andrew, a biochemist and pharmaceutical consultant, to quit his job and join him in Jackson, Idaho to co-found Highpoint Cider.
“When we first started, we felt confident how to ferment cider,” Alex shared over a phone interview. “[But] it took us longer to do it than we thought. Tiny variables make a big difference in the final product – when you’re doing it at a commercial and professional level, that has big impacts on flavor.”
The big one? Learning how to work with hops effectively. When they first created their dry-hopped cider, they loved it – then, they couldn’t reproduce it for over 9 months. “We replicated the same exact process time and time again. To this day, I still have no idea how we got that flavor profile the first time. We’ve been able to recreate it now, but our process is completely different from how we made it the first time.”
It was a scary experience for a new business, since their dry hop ciders often bring in beer drinkers and broaden their market appeal. The good news is that, after 250 batches to develop their three core ciders, their efforts have really paid off. “Our goal continues to be crafting accessible and delightful-tasting hard ciders that are low in sugar but deliver big flavor,” says Alex. Now, Highpoint Cidery has expanded their taproom and released three new seasonal flavors!
Photo courtesy of Out West JH / Shivyon Mitchell
Wait – What Was Their Pandemic Strategy?
Amidst the challenges of mastering their ciders on a commercial level, leading a newer business, and COVID-19 restrictions, how did they manage to get through the pandemic? The answer is in their approach to their customers.
Alex says that, over the past couple years (and not entirely related to the pandemic), he’s learned it’s important to “[be] genuine and open about the struggles we’ve had.” For example, during the pandemic, they had issues with juice contamination, due to COVID-19 shipping regulations. “We tried to be pretty transparent about what we were going through, and let people know that. We were apprehensive at first, but everyone is going through a lot of the same issues. People get it.” Their connection with their customers made all the difference.
If you’re interested in trying out their new ciders, you might want to try their new offerings, Transplant (classic semi-dry modern New England-style cider), Spur (ginger-infused dry-hopped cider with Mosaic hops), or Tram-line (Mosaic dry-hopped session cider.) All of them have 6% ABV and 6 to 8g of sugar per 16 oz. Find them at HighpointCider.com.*
Thanks so much for sharing you and your brother’s story with us, Alex. We can’t wait to give your ciders a try!
*Press disclosure: This article was not sponsored.
