For many cideries, adjuncts are no longer simply a creative tool. They have become a strategic one.
Whether it’s fruit, botanicals, teas, spices, extracts or other ingredients, adjuncts often serve as an entry point for new consumers while creating opportunities for producers to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. The challenge isn’t deciding whether to use adjuncts. It’s determining how to use them intentionally, profitably and in a way that strengthens a cidery’s brand.
“Many, if not for most of us, they pay the bills and they get people in the room,” said Kate Pinsley, Senior Director of Beverage for Schilling Cider. “They’re approachable. They complement apples.”
That accessibility matters. While many cider enthusiasts eventually gravitate toward more traditional or complex offerings, adjunct-driven products can provide the first step in that journey.
“A lot of them start with something big, bold, fruit-forward and then move on from there,” Pinsley said to a group at the 2026 CiderCon. “You want to get them in the door with these items.”
Adjuncts should be viewed not simply as flavor additions but as customer-acquisition tools. The most successful programs often begin with a clear understanding of who the target consumer is and what role a particular cider will play in the broader portfolio.
Before developing a new product, Pinsley recommends working backward from the desired outcome.
“Start at the end,” she said. “What do you want to do?”
Questions surrounding target customers, package format, production volume, frequency of release and expected margins should all be addressed before the first ingredient is ordered. Those considerations can dramatically influence ingredient selection, sourcing decisions and production methods. The financial implications are particularly important. A limited draft-only release can tolerate different ingredient costs and production methods than a year-round packaged product destined for broad distribution. Understanding those constraints early can prevent expensive reformulations later.
Just as important is creating systems that allow experimentation without excessive risk.
Graft Cider founder Kyle Sherrer said innovation programs give cideries a place to test ideas, learn from failures and uncover future successes.
“I think it’s really important to make sure that you have some innovation levers within your process,” Sherrer said. “Whether that is your taproom or that is your online club or something where you can make small batches and make mistakes and challenge yourself.”
At Graft, those experimental programs often involve unconventional ingredients and techniques, but the larger goal is developing institutional knowledge.
“Working with new ingredients, working with new processes, is only going to make your ability to make unique ciders that are stable and the customer is going to enjoy six months down the road even easier,” he said.
Aaron Homoya of Indiana’s Ash & Elm Cider Co. sees a similar value in small-scale experimentation. His company regularly uses monthly taproom-focused releases as a testing ground.
“A lot of what we do there is experimenting with new things, trying to find what really takes off and resonates with our consumer,” Homoya said. “Then maybe we take that further into something that we’re doing as a larger, seasonal or regular kind of core release.”
Pinsley pointed to one of Schilling’s most successful products, a blackberry/blueberry/lavender cider called Moon Berries. The cider began as a taproom-only experiment.
“I didn’t think they would ever let me put lavender in a can,” she said.
The release proved popular enough to earn a seasonal package release and eventually became a permanent member of the company’s lineup.
“It allowed us to stretch a little bit in a way that maybe you don’t think you can,” Pinsley said. “Maybe your customers want it.”
Sherrer agreed.
“Listen to customer feedback,” he said. “This is why you’re doing the small-batch stuff. You’re doing it to find your next biggest hit.”
That responsiveness extends beyond flavor development. Sherrer recalled developing a Shirley Temple-inspired cider after distributors identified growing interest in the flavor profile. Rather than spending months evaluating the concept, the team quickly moved from idea to development.
“We move with the market, because you kind of have to,” he said.
Yet speed doesn’t eliminate the need for discipline. If anything, it makes a structured development process more important.
Both Pinsley and Sherrer emphasized the value of bench trials before committing significant production resources. Small-scale testing allows cider makers to evaluate flavor combinations, determine ingredient viability and identify potential issues long before scaling up.
“If you can’t get something you like, maybe this is not the cider that you should be making,” Pinsley said.
Her recommendation is straightforward: maintain a library of ingredients and conduct small-scale trials using weight-based measurements before committing to sourcing plans or production schedules.
Sherrer similarly advocates for highly controlled testing procedures and continual refinement.
“Don’t ever settle for what you come out with,” he said.
That mindset becomes increasingly important as ingredient costs fluctuate and supply chains evolve. Products that were financially viable a year ago may require adjustments today.
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“We will reevaluate our products two months into the market, and we’ll change formulas all the time,” Sherrer said.
The willingness to revisit that is especially relevant when working with agricultural products. Fruit quality, flavor intensity and supplier consistency can change from harvest to harvest.
Homoya said maintaining product quality often requires continual evaluation of ingredient sources and formats.
“Everything we do is agriculture,” he said. “You’re going to have changes in your raspberry supply, for example.”
As a result, Ash & Elm regularly evaluates alternative suppliers and ingredient formats to maintain flavor quality.
“We are always looking at how we get maybe a little bit better raspberry character in this by using a different supplier or a puree instead of a concentrate,” Homoya said.
The lesson extends well beyond just raspberries. Adjunct programs should not be treated as static recipes. Instead, they require ongoing management, regular sensory evaluation and a willingness to adapt as costs, ingredient quality and consumer preferences evolve.
Successful adjunct use is rarely about chasing novelty for its own sake. The strongest programs align creativity with business objectives in mind. They attract new consumers, provide opportunities for experimentation, generate valuable customer feedback and create pathways to larger commercial successes.
