Madrone Cellars

In the Summer of 2017, Shaun and Amy were asked to make cider for a friend’s wedding. Shaun had worked with hard cider at Hard Row to Hoe and was up for the challenge of making cider for a crowd. It was at that wedding Shaun and Amy realized that apart from wine, they could make a cider that challenged the sweet stigma that hovers around the word ‘Hard Cider’.

They wanted to do something different: they needed a niche. Why not make a cider that employs the same methods that a fine wine does? And more specifically, a fine champagne? Using these ideas, Shaun crafted the first small batch of cider in the winter of 2017.

Madrone Cider works with local farms for their hard cider apples and local ingredients. The local apples are used for special blends and single varietal Hard Ciders. Although the goal is to work with local farms only, Madrone has to source some off island fruit. For this, they sources their apples exclusively from Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee. Only fresh, natural fruits and ingredients are used during production, to preserve the purity of flavor.

Over time Madrone Cider has grown significantly, with a local and regional following creating a steady flow of production. However, the growth does not change the goal. Cider should be appreciated for its acidity, depth of flavor, and food pairing capabilities.