Ace Cider is a company and brand name used by California Cider Company, Inc., of Sebastopol, California.
Contents
History
California Cider was founded by Jeffrey House and formally incorporated in July 1993. The company makes “hard cider,” an alcoholic beverage fermented from apples, and was one of the first hard cider companies formed in the US after the end of Prohibition. Ace Cider also opened the first modern cider-centered pub in the US in 1999. While the pub closed in 2010, the company maintains a cider tasting room on its premises. Mr. House located his business in the Sonoma County historic apple growing region because it reminded him of his native England.
Products
Ace flavors some of its fermented ciders with other types of fruits, including pears and berries. As of 2016, Ace ciders are sold in 48 US states and can be found in few international markets.
Location
Ace Cider has become a significant employer in the largely rural "West County" portion of Sonoma County. The company's existence and success (as demonstrated by rapid sales growth in the 3–5 years prior to 2013 in particular) bucks the trend of the "homogenization" of the county's agricultural economy, i.e. the domination of agriculture by the production of wine grapes. See, e.g., Jesse McKinley, "Gravenstein Apples Struggle to Survive in Sonoma County," New York Times, September 1, 2011.