Forbes just published an article about the the decline in hard cider sales. That's right, a decline.
As someone who is preparing to enter the industry, learning that people are buying less of the product you want to sell is scary. However, Sean's mantra has been "We don't have to sell to everyone, we just have to sell everything we make." That's not a bad mindset, and as I read the Forbes piece, I felt better about the news, and our place, physically and mentally, in this industry.
In short, local cider sells.
According to United States Association of Cider Makers Executive Director Michelle McGrath,
“The declines are driven by dips in the sales of national brands. If you look closer at the data, the real story to tell is continued double-digit growth of regional and local cider brands."
That's great news, because we don't need to be the next Crispin, and we don't want to be the next Angry Orchard. We have other goals:
Test cider apples in Minnesota and see what kind of success we have with our climate and soil, and what influences those things bring to our cider
Keep a piece of Americana alive in the production of a truly traditional craft beverage
Bring cider to a new audience and region
So if McGrath is right, then things don't look so bad after all!