CiderCon® 2025 Registration for ACA Members
Sep 26, 2024

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Feb 08, 2025

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08:00

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06:00
Chicago Hilton

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720 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

  Member Registration Information  

  • Conference Registration - $435 per person (September 26th - December 13th)

  • Late Registration - $499 per person (December 14th - February 4th, 2025, or until conference space is full)

  • On-site Registration - $635 per person

  • Are you a student or academic, or registering more than ten people from your company? Contact info@ciderassociation.org for discount details

Included with your CiderCon® Conference Registration

  • Opening General Session with Keynote Speakers

  • Two-day access to the Trade Show presented by FruitSmart

  • TTB Bootcamp on Wednesday 

  • Newcomers Networking Event

  • LQBTQIA+ Cider Social 

  • Lunch on Thursday and Friday

  • Coffee presented by Milne

  • Thursday Happy Hour in the Trade Show 

  • Scion Exchange/Orchard Networking Session

  • Free Conference App presented by Juicing Systems

  • More than 30 educational workshops about professional cidermaking and related topics

Optional Add-Ons

New this year - CiderCon® Experiences  - Join us on Tuesday, February 4th for one of our fun experiences:

Chef-Led Hands-On Pizza Making Class - $125 sold out   Learn to make pizza like a true Chicagoan!  This hands-on step-by-step chef-led lecture on Neapolitan Pizza making class will change the way you think about pizza. All classes come with the necessary pizza making materials and there is even a wide selection of extra toppings available. In addition to creating a custom pizza, you can also enjoy a bruschetta appetizer as well as 2 complimentary drink tickets. 

Molecular Mixology - $125   sold out  Join us for an immersive cocktail-making experience hosted by award- winning mixologist Hollow Leg at the prestigious University Club of Chicago! In this hands-on molecular mixology class, you'll explore the art and science of crafting innovative cocktails with cider as the star ingredient. Under the guidance of expert mixologists, you'll learn to blend the crisp, refreshing flavors of cider with unique spirits, seasonal ingredients, and artisanal techniques to create perfectly balanced drinks. Whether you're a cocktail enthusiast or a curious beginner, this class offers the perfect opportunity to elevate your bartending skills while enjoying a vibrant, social atmosphere. You’ll leave with a deep appreciation for cider's versatility and the know-how to craft show-stopping drinks at home.

Raise a Glass: A Celebration of Diverse Cider Voices $160  sold out   Join us for a one-of-a-kind, 4-course paired tasting dinner at the renowned Black-owned Bronzeville Winery in Chicago, showcasing exceptional ciders from cidermakers of color. This exclusive culinary event will feature a carefully curated menu with each course expertly paired with distinctive craft ciders that celebrate diversity in the cidermaking industry.  Throughout the evening, you'll be guided through a flavor journey, discovering the unique stories and traditions behind the ciders, as shared by the cidermakers themselves. Experience the vibrant fusion of Chicago’s rich culinary scene with the creativity and passion of BIPOC cider producers, all in the sophisticated setting of Bronzeville Winery.  T his unforgettable dinner will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the artistry of cider and the voices behind it. Seats are limited, so reserve your spot today for a night of delicious food, outstanding cider, and community connection!

Chicago Field Museum Guided Tour & Happy Hour $85  sold out  Begin your adventure with a guided tour of Chicago's renowned Field Museum, where you'll dive deep into fascinating exhibits like the iconic SUE the T. Rex, the stunning Hall of Gems, and much more. Whether you're a history buff or simply curious, there's something awe-inspiring around every corner!  After soaking in the wonders of the museum, we’ll head over to First Draft Taproom & Kitchen for a well-deserved happy hour. Unwind with cider, and savor delicious small bites while mingling with fellow attendees. It's the perfect opportunity to relax and recap the day’s highlights in a lively, laid-back setting.

 

Wednesday Workshops:

The Science & Art of a Balanced Cider: A Workshop with the Cider Institute of North America (CINA) - Wednesday Feb. 5th 8:30am - 12:30pm $90  Finding balance or harmony makes a good cider great and is the goal of every cidermaker. In this interactive session, we'll explore the art of finding balance and the science that cidermakers use to get there. Through facilitated tastings and small group discussions, participants will explore the impact of acidity, sweetness, tannins, and aromatics on cider balance and learn more about their fellow cidermakers’ philosophies and experiences in the universal search for harmony. This workshop is open to all CiderCon attendees.  

Tap Into Growth: Digital Marketing Boot Camp for Cider Brands - Wednesday Feb. 5th 9am - 12pm $50  Unlock the power of digital marketing to grow your hard cider brand! This hands-on, interactive boot camp is designed specifically for owners and teams who are looking to build a strong digital presence but have limited marketing experience. In just a few hours, we’ll guide you through the foundations and logistics of digital marketing—giving you practical, actionable steps to create a marketing plan that drives brand awareness and boosts sales.  From defining your brand’s unique story to navigating social media strategies, email campaigns, and paid advertising, this boot camp will help you understand how to effectively market your cider in today’s crowded marketplace. You’ll walk away with a clear, actionable digital marketing plan, ready to implement immediately. We’ll also help you determine your marketing budget so you can grow sustainably and scale your efforts without breaking the bank.  By the end of the workshop, you’ll feel confident in developing a multi-channel digital marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals, resonates with your target customers, and generates results.

Key habits for Financial Health for Cideries - Wednesday Feb. 5th 9am - 12pm $50  Join us for an insightful seminar designed specifically for cidery owners and managers eager to enhance their financial acumen. This program will provide an overview of four essential habits that promote financial health within your cidery. Participants will learn how to create and maintain effective budgets tailored to their business needs, develop strategies for managing cash flow to ensure smooth operations, and identify key metrics that drive financial performance. Additionally, the seminar will offer insights into monitoring long-term financial sustainability.  Crafted for leaders with a foundational understanding of finance and accounting, this curriculum aims to expand your financial toolkit with practical templates and strategies. Elevate your cidery’s financial performance and secure its future by attending this essential seminar!

Certified Pommelier Exam   -   Are you ready to take the next step in your professional development in the cider industry? If you have already passed the Certified Cider Professional Level 1 Certification and are looking for that next challenge, use this link to register now for the Certified Pommelier™ Exam.  

CiderCon ® Welcome Reception: 

Cider Share Opening Reception - Sponsored by Voran  - Wednesday, Feb. 5th at 5pm $20 for a tasting ticket. Join the world's largest Cider Share and the official kickoff of CiderCon! Featuring 60 cideries pouring cider from all over the world, delicious food, and all of your cider friends in one room. If you would like to pour your ciders at Cider Share,  use this link to apply.  

Tasting Sessions - Please note that sold out tasting sessions will have limited room in the back for those who want to listen to the lecture but not taste (free of charge). These are offered on a first come, first serve basis as space allows. Please be patient while ticket holders are seated first.  Note: Some tasting sessions overlap!  Don't purchase tickets to every session unless you have the power of multilocation! Save some tickets for others, please.  We charge a nominal fee for tasting sessions to create ticket-holder accountability, support our drink coordinator staff, buy our volunteers coffee, and cover any shipping costs for our generous speakers. Many CiderCon attendees do not attend tastings sessions, so this helps us keep the general price lower. Tasting session tickets are refundable and transferable before a session has taken place.

Thursday, February 6th:

Does Cider Need Tannin? Thursday, Feb. 6th 10:30am $12 sold out   What is tannin, where does it come from and why it is needed for flavor and balance in cider. What are the challenges to growing tannic cider fruit varietals? How do you best balance the holy trinity of tannin, acidity and sweetness/alcohol holy trinity in cider making? And what is the consumer's view and the benefit to them of tannin? Attendees will gain an appreciation of the integral part that tannins play in quality cider and the importance of this pillar of cider making.

Porter's Perfection - Thursday, Feb. 6th 2pm $12  sold out  Apple varieties are the engine room of cider's flavor, and as the global cider revolution grows, so the distinct characteristics of individual varieties are becoming ever more treasured and celebrated. Classic bittersweet and bittersharp varieties from the UK are even crossing the Atlantic to find homes in American orchards, and taking on new directions of flavour from region to region. One such apple is the fantastic Somerset bittersharp, Porter's Perfection. A standout in the orchard for its curious habit of fusing multiple apples together as one, it's an unusual example of a British variety seemingly more often seen on US labels than in the UK. In this tasting and panel discussion we'll shine a spotlight on Porter's Perfection made in both its west English home, and in multiple regions of the USA, discovering both the flavors inherent to this treasured apple variety and the unique inflections of flavor that each country and region brings to the glass.

Keeving: Basics and Practical Applications - Thursday, Feb. 6th 3:45pm $12  sold out   Explore the traditional cidermaking technique of keeving in this focused session. Learn the core principles and practical applications of keeving across various production scales. The panelists will provide insights into their keeving methods, share key techniques, and discuss the impact on cider quality. The session will also feature a tasting of different keeved ciders, allowing attendees to experience the results of this unique process firsthand. Gain valuable knowledge on how to effectively implement keeving in cider production.

A Chef's Guide to Creating Cider Cocktails - Thursday, Feb. 6th 3:45pm $15  In this session you will explore the world of cider cocktails told from a chef's perspective. Chef and bartender Chandler Tomayko of BevFluence® will take you on a journey from cider to cocktail and everything in between. Learn how to craft delicious cocktails using both high tannin and low tannin ciders, paired with seasonal ingredients and culinary techniques that elevate traditional drinks into something truly special. Tastings include 2 ciders and 2 cider cocktails made from the featured ciders.

Friday, February 7th:

Chilean Cider: Honoring Rich Traditions - Friday, Feb. 7th 10:30am $12  sold out  Chile has a long and storied cidermaking history with 500 years of culture and livelihoods built around cider, and dozens of endemic, true cider apple varieties. A new generation of cidermakers are building off of this tradition and bringing new energy and innovation into the industry, and are coming to CiderCon 2025 to share their ciders and their stories with you. From a multi-generational, Native Chilean family cidery, to the very people responsible for identifying and classifying the distinct and unique Chilean cider apples, to the most envelope-pushing producers of the day, this tasting session will be filled with overlooked history, a reflection of a modern reality for cidermaking in a place unlike anywhere else in the world, and ciders made from apples that have never been grown or even tasted in North America. Don't miss it.

Brewer's Yeast in Cider for Unique Flavor & Branding - Friday Feb. 7th 10:30am $12  This session will explore how new yeast strains are developed and brought to market. Trials were developed using nine different brewing yeast strains on bulk apple juice. The audience will learn about the analytical results and tasting data from these ciders so they can take home ideas for their own experimentation. There will be three ciders to taste during the session made with brewing yeast strains.

The Paradigm of Natural Cider Production - Friday, Feb. 7th 2pm $12  The definition of natural cider varies depending on how you look at it. In Spain it is regulated by law, which perfectly defines what can be considered natural cider. However, the concept of natural cider goes beyond a style and differs in other places, depending on the philosophy of each cider maker. Biodynamic agriculture, organic agriculture, no addition of sulfites (at any point in the process?), spontaneous fermentation without added yeasts, no stabilization... What's the paradigm of natural cider? In this debate we want to explore the limits of natural cider and define the paradigm. What is it that all those producers want the consumer/purchaser to understand by the word natural and what is it that the consumer thinks they are purchasing when buying or asking for "natural cider"?

How to Evaluate Ciders for the Certified Pommelier Exam - Friday, Feb. 7th 2pm $12  Participants will practice blindly evaluating two ciders using the ACA’s Structured Sensory Evaluation process guided by Certified Pommelier and Education Operations Director Jennie Dorsey and a panel of Certified Pommeliers. This session will teach you how to objectively assess any cider, empowering you in the cidery and in assisting customers to find a cider they love while also helping you to prepare for the sensory portion of the Certified Pommelier exam.

Apple Mistelles: History, Production and Enjoyment - Friday, Feb. 7th 3:45pm $15  Apple mistelles, a lesser-known yet richly flavorful beverage, have been gaining appreciation for their unique blend of history, craftsmanship, and taste. In this session, participants will delve into the fascinating history of apple mistelles, learning about their production process and the distinct characteristics they offer. Through a guided tasting, you will explore the full range of flavors that mistelles can provide—from sweet and rich to crisp and aromatic—while gaining a deeper understanding of their role in the wider world of apple-based beverages.

Embracing Quince: A Sensory Exploration in Cider - Friday, Feb. 7th 3:45pm $12  The use of quince in cider, as a blended ingredient or as a featured single varietal, has grown in recent years given a passionate fan base. Although quince is known for contributing unique floral aromas, customers, buyers, sommeliers and makers are still learning about this mysterious fruit. The full extent of what it can bring to a cider when done right is little known. In this session, participants will join us for a visual and sensory introduction to this exciting pome, carefully tasting through a flight of quince ciders to arrive at a better understanding of what quince offers to a cider's aroma, structure and flavor when alone or when interacting with apples.

The ACA is proud to partner with the Cider Institute of North America to develop a robust offering of production workshops at CiderCon 2025.  Many of these sessions include a tasting component. Other tasting sessions focus on sensory lexicon, flavor and terroir.  

CiderCon®   Speaker Fund: 100% of your donation will go toward speaker stipends to recruit professional speakers to teach at CiderCon® $50

CiderCon® Tee-Shirt $18 - Tee shirt sales have closed, but you can purchase one while supplies last at the CiderCon book store!

Note: Experiences, Tastings and Sessions are subject to change. Space is limited. In the event of a session cancellation, fees will be refunded.

Important! Cancellation Policy:
In the event of cancellation by attendee (in writing to info@ciderassociation.org with receipt acknowledged by CiderCon staff): Before November 1, 2024 - all fees paid less $100 for processing will be refunded.  If cancellation occurs between November 1st , 2024 and January 20th, 2025, 50% of fees will be refunded - the remaining 50% will be forfeited.  After January 20th, 2025 - the full cost will be forfeited.  No refunds will be processed after this date.  

Ticket Insurance:  

We offer an Event Ticket Protection Plan for your purchase for US-based attendees. It's important to note that your registration, sessions & optional tour fees are non-refundable after January 20 th , 2025. However, this insurance plan can be beneficial in specific situations, including injuries, illness (including COVID), involuntary job loss, extreme weather, vehicle breakdown or theft, military duty, and more. For detailed information, please refer to the Event Ticket Protection Description of Coverage applicable to your resident state .

What is Event Ticket Protection? Aegis Event Ticket Protection is an insurance plan designed to protect your conference registration & session costs. If you are unable to attend the event due to a covered illness, injury, traffic accident, involuntary job loss, extreme weather, vehicle breakdown or theft, military duty, and more, the plan can reimburse up to 100% of your ticket costs. Coverage also extends to optional add-ons and related event items included in your order. For detailed information, please refer to the Event Ticket Protection Description of Coverage applicable to your resident state.

How can I purchase Event Ticket Protection? To purchase this insurance plan, simply choose the Aegis Event Ticket Protection option during the checkout process when you are finalizing your registration purchase. This convenient step allows you to be covered for unforeseen circumstances.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: This plan contains insurance benefits (which may include disability and/or health insurance benefits) that only apply during the covered trip. This optional coverage may duplicate coverage already provided by your personal auto, home, renter’s, health, life, personal liability, or other insurance policy or source of coverage but may be subject to different restrictions. You should review the terms of this policy with your existing coverage. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer/health plan or insurance agent/broker. This insurance is not required to purchase any other products/services. Unless licensed, travel retailers and their employees may provide general information about the insurance, including a description of coverage and price, but are not qualified/authorized to answer technical questions about terms, benefits, exclusions, and conditions of the insurance or evaluate the adequacy of existing coverage. Plans are intended for U.S. residents only and may not be available in all jurisdictions.

Event Ticket Protection is underwritten by the following: In Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky and Michigan by Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. In California by Applied Assurance Company, Omaha, NE; NAIC # 21962. In Connecticut, Maine and Oklahoma by Pennsylvania Insurance Company, Omaha, NE; NAIC #21962. In all other states by Continental Indemnity Company, Omaha, NE; NAIC # 28258.

 

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