Endless Orchard Cider is looking to make a notable impression in the craft cider landscape, leveraging innovation rooted in Okanagan Specialty Fruits’ proprietary Arctic apple. It’s the first genetically engineered, nonbrowning apple on the market.
In a discussion with newly appointed American Cider Association CEO Monica Cohen, Endless Orchard General Manager Vicki Daigneault shares in this Q&A with Brewer Magazine & Cider Business how the company has translated a unique agricultural technology into a fast-growing beverage brand.
From grassroots distribution to strategic partnerships with Odom Distributing, Endless Orchard has scaled from 112 to nearly 700 accounts in under two years while maintaining a focus on quality, education, and brand differentiation. With continued expansion into new states and an eye toward international reach, the company shows it is positioning itself as a way to look at innovation-driven growth in the cider sector.
COHEN: Wow, I was amazed to learn that Okanagan Specialty Fruits invented the GMO nonbrowning Arctic apple. As an avid fan of apples, I never thought I’d see that in my lifetime. That’s great — but do they make good cider? Does that nonbrowning trait affect the taste of Endless Orchard?
DAIGNEAULT: It really affects the quality, all the way through the palate, from the top to back. It’s incredibly smooth. Some ciders have an acidic quality, but not EO. I’m a wine and beer lover, but when I tasted EO, I thought, I can drink this just like wine. It’s very subtle. You really taste the apple, without the after-effects of sugar and acid.
COHEN: Why did Okanagan decide to start making hard cider?
DAIGNEAULT: They’re always looking for innovative ways to highlight the fruit. Given the popularity of cider and its resurgence in the Northwest, where Okanagan is based, it was a natural shift.
COHEN: How did you get involved?
DAIGNEAULT: I was good friends with the cider master Okanagan hired at the end of 2022. I’d been in the alcoholic beverage industry for years, and he kept calling me with questions. He finally said, it might be time to take you in as a consultant. I had lunch with Neal (Carter, Okanagan CEO) and Don (Westcott, Okanagan president). It was pretty exciting and interesting. I had no idea about these GMO apples and what they were doing.
COHEN: I love feeling passionate about my job, and I can see that you are, too. What motivates you to get up and go to work?
DAIGNEAULT: When I first started with Endless Orchard, I asked my nieces, nephews and children, who are all in their 30s, what do you think of GMOs? They didn’t know much about them. But when I talked to people my age, they were against GMOs. At first, I thought, will this be a really hard sell? But as I did my pre-work before joining the company, it seemed like genetic engineering was important to drive fruit production — we were changing the world for the future. You feel like you’re a part of something so much bigger, something important. We’re really trying to give farmers a fighting chance. And the cider is really fantastic.
COHEN: You’ve accomplished a lot in the 18 months since Endless Orchard was launched. Tell us — what’s your distribution secret? How did you get it out of the tasting room and into retail stores and restaurants?
DAIGNEAULT: We just started walking up and down the street, because in Washington, you can self-distribute. In a very short time we were up to 112 accounts. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and with my husband, we have over 60 years of experience. We were handling all the merchandising, stocking and pricing, and we were overwhelmed. Then a friend introduced me to an Odom Distributing VP of sales who said we’d like to take you on. Now we have close to 700 accounts. We’re looking to saturate Washington and move on. We just opened up Oregon and next month (November 2025) we’re going into Idaho. In 2026, we’ll be in Alaska and Montana. We’re looking toward being among the top five ciders in the US and internationally. We have lofty goals. We’re moving very quickly because this company likes to move quickly. Tuck and roll, baby, because we’re on our way!
COHEN: Okanagan’s orchards are in Moses Lake, Washington, but the Endless Orchard tasting room is in Chelan. How’s that working out?
DAIGNEAULT: Great. We determined that Moses Lake just wouldn’t get the traffic we need for a tasting room. Chelan is a tourist center, with a big push in summer. This was our second year, and we doubled all our sales.
COHEN: The global cider market continues to expand, which means more competition. What sets Endless Orchard apart from the crowd?
DAIGNEAULT: Nobody else could make our cider, even if they wanted to, because we have Arctic apples. That alone makes us stand out. When people see how refreshing, clear and crisp it is, they’re blown away. We want to be sustainable, creative, intentional and really set ourselves apart. We’re on-trend right now.
COHEN: Does Endless Orchard come in different flavors?
DAIGNEAULT: The first flavors evolved because of the apples that were planted — Everlasting Golden Delicious, Infinite Granny Smith, Forever Fuji. Then we began to work with Northwest Naturals for our flavor components. That led to Boundless Blueberry Basil, which won a gold medal in the 2024 Northwest Cider Cup Awards, and Eternal Sunshine Pineapple-Mango. My personal favorite is Radiant Mimosa-Orange. I’m from Quebec, and in the fall, we used to tap the maple trees and have brunch with mimosas. It takes me back to that time.
READ MORE: Why Orchard Preservation Is Becoming a Strategic Imperative for Cidery Owners
COHEN: One of my goals for the American Cider Association is to expand educational initiatives, help cidermakers succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Do you see a need for that?
DAIGNEAULT: Definitely. Education is huge, especially educating people on what a real cider should taste like. We’re also looking to change our label, maybe add a QR code or something else that explains our apple.
COHEN: What does the future hold for Endless Orchard?
DAIGNEAULT: I think we have really high expectations for EO. It’s kind of like there’s no limit to what we can do, where we can be, what we can make from apples. We’ll be like the Starbucks of cider, offering a high-end brand, with people wondering when EO will be coming to them and hoping it will be soon.
COHEN: And will you be a part of it?
DAIGNEAULT: As long as I can grow the brand and help the team, I hope to stay as long as I can. We’ve got such a great team now. It’s like a tight little family.
COHEN: It sounds like the perfect fit for you. Good luck!
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