Chaddsford Hard Cider Sports Contemporary ACI Screw Cap

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Chaddsford Hard Cider Sports

Contemporary ACI Screw Cap 

on Fast-Growth Traditional Colonial Beverage
 

Newly launched craft cider keeps its freshness with ACI’s “fizz” screw cap liner

Chadds Ford, PA--Today’s packaging technology merges smoothly with Jim Osborn’s historical approach to crafting hard cider. Osborn, the winemaker at Chaddsford Winery, the largest and best known in Pennsylvania, evokes a centuries-old tradition with his contemporary rendition of the beverage favored by North American colonists and now embraced in a dynamic revival. The new “fizz” screw cap liner from ACI Cork USA marries well with Chaddsford Hard Cider, thanks to its unique ability to retain fresh crisp flavors while offering ease of consumer opening and reclosability.

Chaddsford’s own history is one of award-winning wine production. A stone’s throw from the famous Revolutionary war site, the Battle of Brandywine, the Winery has steadily established a tradition of locally-sourced, quality wines since its founding in 1982. Osborn was inspired to apply his talent and creativity to hard cider early last summer. He started with 1,000 gallons of fresh-pressed apple cider, which he then cold-fermented and left unfiltered, capturing the pure, simple nature of the fruit. The result is a European-style cider much like that consumed by his forefathers—and a big hit among visitors to both the Winery tasting room and the Chaddsford retail shop in Peddler’s Village, in nearby Bucks County.

Osborn was also drawn to hard cider for pragmatic reasons. Using just Pennsylvania-grown apples, the cidery that provides a key ingredient in Chaddsford’s Spiced Apple wine presses the proprietary blend on demand, with overnight delivery for maximum freshness. The availability of a year-round supply aligns perfectly with Osborn’s plan to produce hard cider on demand as well. “The beauty of it is that I am not locked into a specific season, and I can utilize all the equipment we already have in house,” he comments.

He did have to find an appropriate closure for the 750-ml amber-colored glass bottles selected to represent the product’s brand. While the hard cider is not carbonated, a small residue of CO2 remains in the bottle, requiring a higher level of gas retention than the 60 x 30 ACI screw caps regularly used on Chaddsford wines. The solution is the ACI “fizz” screw cap with an aluminum exterior and a polymer insert with a Saranex liner, the same closure purchased by ACI customers who make sparkling cider and wine. The liner provides a total oxygen barrier to preserve the organoleptic qualities and flavor of the product at the time of bottling. Osborn points out, “I can still use the same capping equipment we use for our wine, but this screw cap offers a tighter seal that gives me a little extra insurance and allows me to sleep well at night.”

Since its debut last fall, Chaddsford has sold 500 cases of Hard Cider from its two retail outlets; plans call for an output of 2,000 cases in 2015. There is interest in launching the product into the Winery’s Mid-Atlantic distribution network, “but we haven’t cemented that decision yet,” Osborn says. As he eyes the multiple attractions of his new product—its lively taste, 6% alcohol by volume, and naturally gluten-free composition–he sees a bright and fizzy future ahead.

The Chaddsford Winery and tasting room are located at 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317, (610) 388-6221. For more information on products from Chaddsford Winery and Hard Cider, go to www.chaddsford.com.

# # March 2015 # #

ACI Cork USA, celebrating its 11th anniversary in the United States, is located at 2870 Cordelia Road, Suite 150, Fairfield CA 94534. Telephone: (707) 426-3566.