Blake's Hard Cider

Name

Blake's Hard Cider

Legal name

Blake's Family of Companies, Inc.

Website

https://blakeshardcider.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hard Cider & Craft Beverages

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Apple Orchards (111331), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Wineries (312130)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Alcohol-Free & Low-Alcohol Beer/Wine/Spirits Production (AFAFAAAJ), Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Craft hard cider
• Apple cider production
• Craft beverages
• Cider tasting room
• Orchard wines

Headquarters

HQ city

Armada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail/Wholesale Distribution: Blake's generates revenue through selling canned and bottled cider products to retail stores across 35+ states. Products are distributed through major chains including Whole Foods, Total Wine, and Meijer, representing the largest revenue stream.
2. Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce: Blake's sells products directly to consumers through their website, shipping across the United States. This channel allows for direct customer relationships and margin capture without retailer intermediaries.
3. Tasting Room On-Site Sales: Blake's operates tasting rooms including their main location in Armada, Michigan where visitors can sample products, purchase bottles/cans, and enjoy the cidery experience. Generates margin-rich direct sales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blake's Hard Cider produces and sells a portfolio of craft hard ciders, including core year-round varieties, limited seasonal releases, a philanthropic Kinder Cider Series, ready-to-drink cocktails, zero-proof beverages, and orchard wines. The company controls production through vertically integrated, estate-grown apple farming and operates tasting rooms and direct-to-consumer e-commerce alongside wholesale retail distribution across 35+ U.S. states.

Product overview

Blake's Hard Cider is a family-owned Michigan craft cidery that operates as a portfolio of distinct beverage brands. The company produces a diverse range of hard ciders including core year-round offerings (Triple Jam, Big Jam, Jam Session, Original, El Chavo, American Apple, Tropical Mango, Backyard Blueberry, Peach Party), limited seasonal releases (Pomegranate Fizz, Key Lime Pie, Cider Mill Donut, Raspberry Tea, Apple Lantern), and the philanthropic Kinder Cider Series (Black Phillip, Salted Caramel Apple, Blue Raspberry, Cherry Limeade, Passion Seeker, Rainbow Seeker, Saint Cheri, Grand Cherry). The portfolio also includes zero-proof alternatives (American Fashioned, El Chavo Margarita, Triple Jam Mojito), ready-to-drink Bar Cart Series (Paloma, Tropicolada, Mule De Pomme), Farmstand Series lemonades, Blake's Orchard Wines, and vodka-based RTDs. In 2023, Blake's formed Blake's Beverage Co. through mergers with Austin Eastciders and Avid Cider Co., creating the largest independent craft hard cider company in the US with nearly two million cases. The company distributes across 35+ states and operates an award-winning Tasting Room in Armada, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kinder Cider Series: Philanthropy-focused cider line supporting causes including equality, homelessness, and urban farming. Partners include LGBTQ National Hotline, Empowerment Plan, and Keep Growing Detroit.
• Blake's Zero Proof
• Bar Cart Series
• Farmstand Series

Products and services

• Triple Jam A semi-sweet hard cider made with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, handcrafted on Blake's farm.
• Big Jam Imperial 3-Berry Hard Cider turbo-charged to 8% ABV featuring strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
• Jam Session A lighter semi-dry hard cider made with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, containing 80% less sugar than leading national cider brands.
• Original Classic apple hard cider that is light, crisp, and refreshing.
• El Chavo Mango Habanero hard cider featuring sweet tropical mango complemented by a hint of habanero burn.
• American Apple Imperial hard cider made from a unique blend of apple varietals with balanced sweetness and no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.
• Tropical Mango Imperial tropical hard cider featuring mango, peaches, and pineapple notes.
• Backyard Blueberry Imperial blueberry hard cider made with homegrown American apples and real blueberries.
• Peach Party Peach and blackberry flavored hard cider in the core lineup.
• Pomegranate Fizz Limited edition hard cider featuring pomegranate and cherry, described as juicy, bright, and bubbly with real fruit.
• Key Lime Pie Limited edition hard cider featuring key lime and graham cracker flavors emulating a key lime pie taste.
• Cider Mill Donut Limited edition hard cider inspired by cider mill donuts with cinnamon sugar and crisp autumn apple flavors.
• Raspberry Tea Limited edition hard cider featuring steeped raspberry flavors with a hint of herbal tea notes.
• Apple Lantern Limited seasonal hard cider featuring warming apple and roasted pumpkin flavors for autumn occasions.
• Watermelon Heatwave Limited cider featuring watermelon and chili flavors.
• Black Phillip Hard cider featuring blood orange citrus and bold cranberry flavors, made in support of Blake's nonprofit network partners as part of the Kinder Cider Series.
• Salted Caramel Apple Hard cider blending crisp apple with smooth caramel and a hint of salt for a sweet and salty finish, part of the philanthropic Kinder Cider Series.
• Blue Raspberry Hard cider featuring bold blue raspberry flavor balanced by a crisp finish, with proceeds supporting nonprofit partners as part of the Kinder Cider Series.
• Cherry Limeade Hard cider featuring bright cherry and lime flavors, part of the philanthropic Kinder Cider Series.
• Passion Seeker Tropical hard cider bursting with pineapple, passion fruit, and guava, made in support of nonprofit partners.
• Rainbow Seeker Pineapple flavored hard cider crafted in support of the LGBT community as part of the Kinder Cider Series.
• Saint Cheri Bourbon barrel aged Michigan cherry hard cider made in support of the Empowerment Plan, a Detroit nonprofit helping break the cycle of homelessness.
• Grand Cherry Imperial hard cider featuring Michigan cherries, oranges, apples, and oak, made in support of nonprofit partners.
• American Fashioned (Zero Proof) Alcohol-free (0.0% ABV) version of American Apple, lightly carbonated with ripe apple flavor, smooth oak, and a hint of cherry-orange zest.
• El Chavo Margarita (Zero Proof) Non-alcoholic margarita inspired by El Chavo hard cider with juicy mango and subtle habanero kick, featuring lime twist.
• Triple Jam Mojito (Zero Proof) Booze-free version of Triple Jam featuring strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, citrus, and mint finish.
• Paloma Ready-to-drink cocktail featuring grapefruit, agave, and lime flavors, part of the Bar Cart Series.
• Tropicolada Ready-to-drink cocktail featuring orange, coconut, and pineapple flavors, part of the Bar Cart Series.
• Mule De Pomme Ready-to-drink cocktail featuring pomegranate, ginger, and lime flavors, part of the Bar Cart Series.
• Blake's Orchard Wines Line of Michigan-crafted wines including fruit wines (Homestead Honeycrisp, Blueberry Bushel, Harvest Cranberry, Raspberry Meadows, Triple Berry, Sweet Cherry, Peach Honey, Strawberry Fields) and premium wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Farmhouse Red, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio).
• Strawberry Lemonade Fresh squeezed hard fruit beverage in the Farmstand Series.
• Blueberry Lemonade Fresh squeezed hard fruit beverage in the Farmstand Series.
• Mixed 12-Packs Curated mixed packs including Fully Loaded, Bushel of Blake's, Vacation Mode, and other seasonal varieties.
• Shore Thing Vodka Lemonade Vodka-based lemonade line targeting consumers seeking refreshing ready-to-drink beverages for summer occasions.
• Blake's Tasting Room On-site tasting room and dining venue in Armada, Michigan, featuring 30 tap lines, full kitchen, live music, and event space seating up to 130 guests. Named one of Esquire's Best Bars in America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blake's contains approximately 50% less sugar than Angry Orchard and other leading cider brands

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Avid Hard Cider Co.coreOthers · 1 January 2023Blake's acquired the operating assets of Avid Hard Cider Co. in Bend, Oregon in 2023. This acquisition expanded Blake's production capabilities to the West Coast and brought Avid's cider production under the Blake's Beverage Co. umbrella.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 2 Towns Ciderhouse: 2 Towns is an Oregon-based craft cidery with a comparable premium/craft positioning, real-fruit ingredient story, and broad SKU portfolio. Closely aligned on differentiation messaging, target consumer, and craft-retail distribution.
• Strongbow Hard Cides: Strongbow, marketed by Heineken, is a national cider brand cited alongside Angry Orchard as Blake's primary mass-market comparison. Competes head-to-head in mainstream grocery and on-premise accounts.
• Angry Orchard: Angry Orchard, owned by Boston Beer Company, is the largest mass-market hard cider brand in the US and the primary competitive benchmark cited by Blake's in its '50% less sugar' positioning. Directly comparable product category, target consumer, and retail channels.
• Woodchuck Hard Cider: Woodchuck is one of the original US craft hard cider producers with national distribution and a flavor variety strategy very similar to Blake's. Direct competitor in flavored and traditional craft cider across retail and DTC.
• Schilling Cider: Schilling is a Pacific Northwest craft cidery focused on bold, fruit-forward flavors and real-fruit formulations, closely mirroring Blake's El Chavo, Tropical Mango, and Triple Jam positioning. Similar craft-retail and DTC emphasis.
• Stem Ciders: Stem is a Colorado craft cidery with a tasting-room-centric model that complements wholesale distribution — directly comparable to Blake's Armada tasting-room-plus-retail format. Overlaps on craft cider and experiential brand-building.
• Austin Eastciders: Austin Eastciders is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blake's Beverage Co. after the 2023 merger, but historically operated as a Texas-based craft cider peer. Same product category and similar direct-to-consumer plus taproom model.
• Avid Cider Co. Avid Cider Co. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blake's Beverage Co. following the 2022 asset acquisition of the Bend, Oregon cidery. Previously an independent PNW craft cider peer with comparable flavor and ingredient positioning.
• Crispin Cider: Crispin, owned by Molson Coors, is a national craft-style cider brand with a broad flavor lineup. Comparable SKU strategy, retail footprint, and c-store distribution to Blake's core line.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Beer Company: Boston Beer Company, parent of Angry Orchard and Samuel Adams, is the broadest incumbent across craft beer and craft cider in the US. Most relevant as the parent entity dominating Blake's largest competitive set, with overlapping distribution, marketing scale, and brand portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blakeshardcider
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/blakeshardcider
• Facebookfacebook.com/blakeshardciderco
• Instagraminstagram.com/blakeshardciderco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blake's Hard Cider