There is a question that keeps coming up in cider, small business, and independent media:

Is this sustainable?

In this episode, Ria sits down with Adrian Luna, known as the Hard Cider Guy, for a conversation that goes well beyond cider. What starts as a discussion about content creation quickly turns into something deeper. Two practitioners, each with their own discipline, circling around the same hard truth: if you do not value your work, no one else will.

This is not about rejecting collaboration or generosity. It is about understanding the long-term cost of working for free, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

From orchard life to media strategy, from martial arts philosophy to the realities of burnout, this episode asks what it really means to take your role seriously, whether you are making cider or telling its story.

Timestamps

00:00 Is Cider Work Sustainable

01:28 Episode Theme and What's at Stake

02:12 Orchard Life and Spring Work

03:47 Planting, Grafting, and Growing Trees

07:02 French Cider Tour and Limited Spots

10:22 Meet Adrian Luna The Hard Cider Guy

11:20 The Cider Sensei Mindset

13:42 Finding Cider and Career Shift

15:51 Building the Hard Cider Guy Brand

17:21 From Scholarship to Cider Career

19:13 Too Many Hats Small Business Reality

20:53 Burnout in Cider and Media

24:20 Mission Statement Versus Making Money

26:03 Does Cider Need Independent Media

27:54 Should Creators Be Paid

29:32 Why You Should Not Work for Free

29:59 Martial Arts Discipline and Cider Ethics

30:50 Why Cider Media Needs Support

32:24 Finding Your Lane in Cider

33:16 Education and Audience Building

35:29 Hooks Versus Authentic Content

37:19 Discipline Through Adversity

42:33 Community Responsibility in Cider

48:15 Key Takeaways from the Conversation

49:12 Support Cider Chat and Keep It Going

50:12 Strange Apples Outro

Find the full show notes for Episode 505 at CiderChat.com
Direct Link at: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/505-cider-senseis-media-value/

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and do not forget to subscribe so you never miss what is coming next in Ciderville.

Prefer to watch?
Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.

Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP by supporting Cider Chat.
Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.

What happens when breweries start making cider… not because they have to, but because they want to keep drinking beer?

That question kicks off episode 504 featuring Dan Kramer and Ben Anhalt of Element Brewing Company.

"Most breweries probably see cider as a way to let them continue making beer."

That line says a lot. And it opens the door to a bigger conversation.

Breweries adding cider isn't just about diversification.
It's not just about gluten-free taps.
And it's definitely not just about adding another SKU.

Something is shifting.

In this episode, we dig into:
• Why breweries are turning to cider right now
• What changing consumer habits have to do with it
• How cider fits into a beer-first business model
• What this trend means for independent cider makers

At Element, cider isn't an afterthought. It's part of a strategy to stay relevant in a changing market and a window into where craft beverages may be heading next.

Time Stamps
00:00 Why Breweries Are Making Cider
02:01 Season Travels Recap and Road Notes
04:44 Tours, Travel Updates, and France Signup
06:44 Meet Element Brewing Company
07:07 From Brewing to Distilling: The Origin Story
10:43 Barrels, Aging, and Apple Brandy
15:37 Sourcing Cider and Apples for Production
19:23 Why Breweries Are Adding Cider Now
23:53 Branding and the Element Two Concept
25:44 South Deerfield Expansion Plans
29:13 Cider Making Mindset
29:40 Tasting a Dry Botanical Cider
30:36 Yeast Choices and Sweetness Strategy
32:15 Balance First: Building Flavor
33:38 ABV, Structure, and Serving Glassware
34:59 Learning Curve and Cider Books
35:50 Apple Varieties, Terroir, and Flavor
38:33 Experimentation and Small Batch Cider
41:12 Personal Palates and Fridge Favorites
42:40 The Bigger Shift: Breweries Moving to Cider
46:00 Advice: Make Your Cider Stand Out
48:53 Apple Brandy Toast
49:40 Why Independent Cider Media Matters
51:54 Tom Oliver and 500 Episodes
53:00 #CiderGoingUp Campaign
53:45 Final Sign-Off

Find the full show notes for Episode 504 at CiderChat.com

Direct link: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/504-breweries-making-cider-element/

Mentions in this episode: Totally Cider Tour to France

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

Prefer to watch? Find Cider Chat on YouTube

💛 Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP

Episode 503 takes you through England and Wales with audio snapshots from the UK Blossom Time Totally Cider Tour while exploring one big question: What is a proper cider?

Travel orchard roads through Somerset, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wales as tour guests share reflections on traditional cider, perry pears, wild fermentations, farmhouse hospitality, blossom-covered orchards, and the people keeping cider culture alive. From Ross on Wye and Oliver's Cider and Perry to Gwatkin Cider Mill and beyond, this episode captures the feeling of living inside cider country for a little while.

Time Stamps

00:00 Proper Cider Defined
01:42 Tour Craft and Group Flow
04:07 Season Updates and UK Teasers
07:22 Pouring Quince and Rolling Clips
08:50 Trevor's Tour Takeaways
13:25 George and Marla's Cidery Story
20:18 France vs UK Cider Culture
24:35 Tom's Cider Journey via Spirits
32:28 Richard and Elizabeth's Mountain Cidery
39:36 Tour Gratitude Recap
40:52 UK Apple Diversity Takeaway
41:39 Cider Kindergartner Graduates
44:19 Cheese Box and Stinking Bishop
45:55 Perry Pear Center Passion
46:43 Usk Castle Cider Picnic
47:27 Blossom Tour with Syracuse Duo
49:11 Far Orchard Mystique and Bees
50:22 Cask Cider Hospitality
53:03 Gwatkins Bag in Box Secrets
55:21 Why Guided Tours Work
59:16 Last Minute Traveler Gene
01:01:08 Farmhouse Cider and Beer Overlap
01:06:33 Proper Cider at Wilkins
01:10:24 Signing Off and Theme Song

Find the full show notes for Episode 503 at CiderChat.com

Direct Link: https://ciderchat.com/podcast/503-uk-blossom-time-proper-cider/

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss what's coming next in Ciderville.

Prefer to watch?
Find Cider Chat on YouTube for more cider stories, orchard adventures, and global cider culture.

Enjoy cider? Help keep #ciderGoingUP by supporting Cider Chat.
Your support helps keep the podcast on the air and makes it possible to share more conversations like this one.