While perusing the grocery store or scanning a Middlebury party, you can’t miss the iconic Woodchuck Cider label. With dozens of flavors and local Vermont charm, Woodchuck Cider, which is operated out of Middlebury, continues to grow after the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen its connection to the Middlebury community.
Woodchuck Cider was founded in 1991 in Proctorville, Vt., as winemaker Greg Failing experimented with crafting hard cider. The result was Woodchuck Amber, their original cider.
“The original cider maker, Greg, was quite literally making cider out of his garage, which is actually where the name [Woodchuck] comes from,” said Bar Manager JC Dugan. “It’s in reference to someone that works hard and crafts something with their hands. One of Greg’s friends, when he was tasting them on kind of the original iterations of the cider, referred to him as a woodchuck, and the name stuck.”
In 2000, the company relocated to Middlebury. They moved to their current location on Exchange Street in 2013 and finalized the Cider House in 2014. The Cider House offers public and private events, tastings and a self-guided tour. The bar currently has 24 ciders, two beers and eight types of canned cider, according to Dugan. It is also home to activities such as line dancing lessons every Thursday.
Woodchuck sources apples locally from Sunrise Orchard in Cornwall, Vt. for their 802 Collection, the company’s traditional pairing of ciders.
“We buy half their orchard every year. Because we’re just turning [the apples] into liquid anyway, we’ll take the drops, the blemishes, the ‘imperfect’ apples. So then they get to keep all their perfect apples for pick-your-own or selling to grocery stores. So it’s a really cool partnership,” Dugan said.
While Woodchuck is a New England favorite, it officially achieved national distribution in 2012. The company has been sold and purchased several times over the years and is currently owned by Northeast Drinks Group as of April 2021.
Dugan reflected positively on this acquisition. In addition to a new high-speed canning line, the company is refocusing on growing Woodchuck’s brand across the country after its post-pandemic setbacks as well as adding new territories for retail. He also hinted at new flavors and marketing materials coming in 2024.
Dugan explained that having been in business for 32 years, they have established a solid foothold amongst the cider drinking population. He added, however, that they have not found the cider market to be as pigeonholed as some other markets.
“It’s an eclectic crowd. And we kind of try and match that with our branding. A lot of our marketing and branding is very much like ciders for everyone. And we make what we like, and we want other people to like it, too,” Dugan said.
While Dugan noted that fall foliage season is the busiest time at the Cidery, every season brings new partnerships and events. During the winter, the company is involved at the Snow Bowl through sponsorship activities. Dugan also emphasized the importance of working with local restaurants, including a partnership with Fire and Ice for the Woodchuck Salad, which features the Woodchuck Amber in its salad dressing.
“We’re always trying to keep our finger on the pulse and stay engaged in the community. The town of Middlebury has been very great to us and we try and reciprocate that as best we can,” Dugan said.
Historically, Woodchuck has hosted a music festival in Middlebury dubbed “Ciderstock,” which has featured headliners like Sublime.
As many Middlebury students took gap semesters during the pandemic, Dugan noted significantly more college students visiting the Cider House in the last year and a half. Dugan said he enjoys forming relationships with teams and other organizations that frequent Woodchuck but mentioned the difficulty of not being within walking distance of the College.
Noah Laber ’24 and Joe Mairs ’24 visited Woodchuck Cidery for the first time this fall.
“It was swanky,” Laber said. “Everything was modern and clean. We didn’t take the tour, so we didn’t get the full experience, I guess, but we got a charcuterie board, and we could make our own flights of drinks. They had a great selection. It was fun.”
Mairs also enjoyed getting to customize the flights.
“I liked how you can mix and match the different ciders that they offer there. It provided a very unique experience compared to other cideries and breweries I’ve been to. They had a wide selection, which I really appreciated,” Mairs said.
When asked about his favorite Woodchuck product, Dugan was quick to answer.
“I’m sure my regulars are sick of hearing me talk about it, but the 802 Little Dry, hands down, will probably always be my favorite. We do a slightly different fermentation on that, which leaves a little bit of that yeasty flavor in the cider. It presents as kind of a floral note to some people. It’s the most real alcoholic apple juice.”
Charlie Keohane ’24 (she/her) is an Editor at Large. She previously served as the SGA Correspondent and a Senior Writer.
She is an environmental writing major and a psychology minor from Northern California. Outside of academics, Charlie is a Senior Admissions Fellow at the Middlebury Admissions Office. She also is involved with the women’s track team and hosts Witching Hour, a radio show on 91.1 WRMC. In Spring 2023, she studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching Greta Gerwig movies, polar plunging, sending snail mail, and FaceTiming her rescue dog, Poppy.
