Diversification is crucial for any business owner looking to thrive and cidery owners are no exception. Expanding beyond the core of selling well-made cider, you can tap into new revenue streams, attract a broader customer base, and create a more resilient business model. Offering unique aspects in or around your business can help build lasting customer loyalty and provide financial stability in the face of industry changes, making diversification a key strategy for long-term success.
Although she doesn’t necessarily recommend anything she has done as the correct path, Bivouac Ciderworks’s Lara Worm is all about mitigating risk.
“From the beginning, we had a restaurant and tasting room that allowed us to serve food and other people’s products — including beer and wine,” she told Brewer. “This has allowed us to engage with a customer base that wouldn’t normally try just a cidery.”
Recently, the San Diego-based cidery opened a massive new concept with a cider-tasting bar.
“(It’s) for education on cider and introducing people to the concept that ‘cider is as approachable as beer, yet as nuanced as wine,’” Worm explained. Bivouac has also opened a coffee shop, retail store, market, event space, speakeasy, and a large production facility.
Worm said it’s all intended to mitigate the cidery’s risk, joking that doing this is exposing them to so much more risk with a better chance at diversification.
Although not in the cider realm, breweries have found extra ways to build revenue through other ventures attached to the company. Over the years a lot of breweries have pursued creative solutions. Many such solutions have been in place for a few years, showcasing the ingenuity that helps some owners supplement income and diversify product and service offerings.
READ MORE: 4 Unique Ways These Breweries Added Ancillary Revenue
- Draft Line Cleaning: Bent River Brewing leveraged existing resources to expand the brewery’s business. In Illinois, Bent River began offering draft line cleaning services to bars and restaurants within a 70-mile radius, using their own cleaning equipment and chemicals. This service helped the brewery build relationships with over half of the licensed liquor establishments in the area, promoting Bent River’s products in the process.
- Cold Storage Rental: East Vancouver’s Container Brewing ventured into cold storage by launching Burton Storage. Unlike other options, Burton offers straightforward cold storage with 24/7 access and no hidden costs. Positioned near many local breweries, Burton allows clients flexible access to their products without extra fees, such as requiring full pallets or delivery services. This setup benefits smaller breweries, allowing them to store more beer offsite while continuing self-distribution.
- Glamping & Event Space: Seneca Lake Brewing, located in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, has expanded its offerings beyond its cask ale taproom by utilizing its 20-acre property for events and accommodations. Co-owner Bradley Gillett added an event space and popular “glamping” sites, which are a popular attraction. Additionally, a pole barn project turned into a new indoor space, with a 1,600-square-foot patio and wedding tents being added. Gillett emphasizes the need to offer more than just beer, providing visitors with diverse experiences.
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