This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the cider community from across the US. Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Cidermakers, Owners, Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA and others each week to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Sam Keirsey, Cider Operations Manager, Endless Orchard — Chelan, Washington
BREWER: How have recent challenges in your position helped make you better? What were those “pain points” and how did you solve or adjust to the issue?
KEIRSEY: As with any start up, trying to predict the trajectory of sales and expenses over the first few years without any historical data. We rely on our company’s leaderships to fill in the gaps when we have very little data to go by.
BREWER: What has been your cidery’s most recent accomplishment and how is it going to improve your business going forward?
KEIRSEY: Two accomplishments stand out. First, seeing how well our ciders are getting pulled off the shelves. Kudos to our sales team and marketing for doing the heavy lifting in an increasingly consolidated sales environment. Second, winning New Cidery of the Year from the Northwest Cider Association. I hope these two combined helps give us an extra shot of espresso out of the gate to become a sustainable business.
BREWER: How did you start in the industry and why do you still want to be a part of it?
KEIRSEY: I came over from the winemaking side. I was lucky to work for a wine company that embodied the entrepreneur spirit. Even though I never made a commercial hard cider, they had faith in me to develop a cider brand for them. For the record, the first time they proposed this to me, I thought the idea was bananas. Today, I am so grateful I went along for the ride. What keeps me going is seeing our team members build success for the company and being recognized for their accomplishments.
BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your cidery that you really enjoy?
KEIRSEY: The Blueberry Basil for sure. One night I was making a mocktail with LeCrox and blueberry lemonade. I had a notion to muddle in some fresh basil. I loved how these two flavors went together minus the lemon and knew I had to make it into cider.
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BREWER: Be it in styles, ingredients, production ideas or sales & marketing techniques, what are some recent industry trends that you’ve tried or are excited about trying this year?
KEIRSEY: I have come to embrace that we are a Modern Style cider house, meaning we only use the culinary apples we grow in our orchards. I am always looking for better ways to enhance and preserve aromatics from culinary apple fermentations. Reducing and hopefully eliminating the use of sulfites in our cellar without compromising cider quality has also been a personal long-term goal of mine. These two goals are kind of in competition with each other. With the high-quality fruit we receive from our orchards, shorter turnaround times, having a crossflow filter on hand, and the use of enological tannins are helping us become more comfortable reducing our sulfite usage.
BREWER: What are some adaptations to business practices in the industry that you’ve observed over these past few years, and how has your cidery adjusted to stay competitive?
KEIRSEY: The younger generations are moving into our main consumer demographics. Getting familiar with their preferences and communicating our story to them in a real and authentic way is paramount. Being open to their feedback and developing products they enjoy seems like a wise thing to do.
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