Woodchuck Hard Cider officially opened its new cidery Wednesday morning, August 6th. Before the official ribbon cutting Dan Rowell, Vermont Hard Cider President and CEO introduced US Senator Patrick Leahy and Commissioner, Vermont Department of Economic Development, Lisa Gosselin. Rowell thanked all the people involved in the project including Design Group Facility Solutions, the project managers and the 45 Vermont subcontractors that they used to build the facilities.
“Through the years Woodchuck has had a couple different houses, but Vermont has always been our home,” said Woodchuck CEO, Dan Rowell. “We consider this cidery a $34 million investment in ensuring Vermont remains at the forefront of cider movement in the United States, because we ‘give a ‘chuck’ about craft cider, our people, our partners, and our community.”
“The story of Woodchuck is representative of Vermont’s ethos, of a place known for craft and quality, “ said Vermont’s U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. “From the early days in Proctorsville, to the move to Springfield and the remarkable growth and the innovation in Middlebury, it’s clear that a commitment to putting out a quality beverage has been at the center of Woodchuck’s vision throughout.”
The new $34 million dollar, state-of-the-art cidery has been under construction for the last 15 months. It represents Woodchuck’s commitment to Vermont and keeping the state at the forefront of the rapidly growing national hard cider movement.
Woodchuck Hard Cider introduced the U.S. to craft cider from a two car garage in Proctorsville, VT. 23 years later, craft cider has caught on and Woodchuck continues its leadership role in the craft cider industry.
The new cidery is unlike any other in the U.S. and encompasses several traditional Vermont architectural elements, while implementing the best and most efficient new machinery and equipment. The cidery is 100,000 square feet and houses 23 cider tanks and a brand new bottling line. In addition, a timber frame visitor center, gift shop and tasting center will welcome fans to Middlebury. The cidery allows the brand to grow while remaining rooted in Vermont and brings a boost to the local economy.
Woodchuck was first crafted from a two-car garage in Proctorsville, Vermont in 1991. Woodchuck moved to Middlebury in 2000. In 2007, Woodchuck became the first cider company to sell one million cases in a year. Woodchuck is sold in all 50 states.
Woodchuck revived the cider industry in the US through a visionary mix of innovation and tradition, and leads the craft cider category today. Woodchuck offers a wide variety of ciders including Woodchuck Amber, their first style crafted cider. Seasonal and Private Reserve ciders rotate throughout the year. New ‘Out on a Limb’ cider series will feature the most innovative cider styles they have ever crafted. Woodchuck Local Nectar is their latest cider that is only available in Vermont and made with 100% Vermont apples. It is available on draft now and will be available in cans and bottles starting this October. All Woodchuck cider is naturally gluten-free.
Woodchuck employs 167 people, including more than 100 Vermonters, with a sales staff of more than 50 spread across the country. Woodchuck buys roughly 40% of the processed apples in Vermont. Woodchuck is also working to grow more apples in Vermont through a Working Lands initiative with the University of Vermont and Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association.Construction
Quick facts
• $34 million construction project with a 15-month construction timeline.
• 100,000 square foot building including Cider House, Office, and Production/Warehouse areas.
• 45 different Vermont companies were hired throughout the construction process. (See list below.)
• Cider House is post and beam construction with cedar siding on both the interior and exterior walls.
• Extremely energy efficient building with input from Efficiency Vermont on water, insulation, lighting,heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
Process
• 23 cider tanks total.
• 6 external tanks can ferment up to 24,000 gallons of juice each.
• 17 tanks inside used for blending and crafting Woodchuck Cider styles.
• More than a mile of stainless steel piping connects tanks to bottling line.
Production
• The filler is capable of filling and capping 600 bottles a minute.
• Pasteurizer is highly energy efficient and is one of the first of its kind to be installed in the UnitedStates. It uses minimal water, enabling Woodchuck to craft a preservative free product, whileminimizing the impact on Vermont’s natural resources.
• Over 900 feet of stainless steel conveyor belts move bottles around the line. 150 different sensorsautomatically adjust conveyors to keep line running smoothly.
• A finished case of Woodchuck Hard Cider is weighed, sealed, and dated every two seconds.Cider House and Gift shop
• Opens to the public Thursday, August 7th at 11AM.
• Will be open every Thursday thru Monday featuring tours, gift shop, and cider samples.
• 20-tap draft system that will feature core Woodchuck Ciders as well as experimental ciders onlyavailable at the Woodchuck Cidery.
Vermont companies that worked on the new Woodchuck Cider building
Otter Creek Engineering, Inc.
East Middlebury
Arnold and Scangas Architects
St Albans
Summit Engineering
So Burlington
Knight Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Williston, VT 05495
The Hartigan Company
Middlesex
Cassella Waste Systems, Inc.
Rutland
NES Rentals
Williston, VT 05495
Munson Earthmoving Corp
Williston
Northern Drilling & Blasting, Inc.
New Haven
Anything Grows, Inc.
Richmond
S.T. Paving, Inc.
Waterbury
IMS
Williston
Scott’s Line Striping
Williston
Middlebury Fence Company
New Haven
Parent Construction, Inc.
Hinesburg
C.L. Concrete, Inc.
Sheldon
J.P. Carrera, Inc.
Middlebury
CSE, Inc.
Williston
Neagley & Chase Construction
South Burlington
RK Masonry, Inc.
Cambridge
L.N. Interiors, Inc.
Williston
AP Timberline Construction, Inc.
West Rutland
The Glass Connection, Inc
Milton
Abatiello Design Center
Rutland
Russ/Wood Decorating
Richmond
Lajeunesse Interiors
Barre
Amoskeag Woodworking, Inc.
Colchester
CleanTech Building Maintenance
Essex Junction
Vermont Timber Frames, Inc.
Bennington
Stark Mountain Woodworking
New Haven
Palmieri Roofing, Inc.
St. Johnsbury
Magic Brush Painting
Rutland
Vermont Protective Coatings
Brandon
Overhead Door Company of Rutland, Inc.
Rutland
Vermont Heating & Ventilating Co.
Winooski
Acousta Therm Corporation
Shelburne
Cx Associates LLC
Burlington
Trane
Williston
Omega Electric Construction Co., Inc.
South Burlington
All Links Communications
South Burlington
Marshall’s Alarm Service
Salisbury
JK Mechanical & Fabrication
New Haven
Interstate Maintenance
South Barre