Hye Cider Company

What Hye Cider Company does

Hye Cider Company is a craft cidery and cysery based in Hye, Texas, that produces hard ciders and cysers — a hybrid category in which apple juice and Hill Country honey ferment together in the same tank to create a beverage that sits between cider and mead. Founded in 2017, the company operates from a single tasting room on the 290 Wine Trail, co-located with Silver Dollar Winery and its Italian Bistro, and runs a portfolio of six cysers (Hye Stylin', Hye Note, Hye Hops, Hye Heaven, Hye Bay, and Gin Botanicals) and six ciders (Hye Cinner, Hye 'N Prickly, Gloriosa Mimosa, Jasmine Matcha, Strawberry Lemonade, and Peach Drifter). All ciders and cysers are naturally gluten-free; ciders are vegan. Two products — Hye 'N Prickly and Gloriosa Mimosa — are co-fermented with Silver Dollar Rosé, evidencing genuine co-production rather than shared facility space alone.

The technical foundation is a small-batch fermentation process. Recipes are prototyped in five-gallon test jars using water, honey, apple juice, and concept ingredients; A/B/C variants are evaluated side-by-side before a chosen recipe is scaled to a 310-gallon production batch, with proportions recalculated to preserve test-version flavor fidelity. Exclusively Hill Country honey from Fain's Pure Natural Honey is used in every cyser; peach inputs come from Burg's Corner's non-alcoholic peach cider for the Peach Drifter product. Carbonation is achieved primarily through natural fermentation with supplemental CO2 for finish, and ABV ranges from 5.5% (Gloriosa Mimosa, Peach Drifter) to 11.5% across the portfolio. Competition validation includes a 2022 Silver and 2021 Bronze at the New York International Competition and a 2021 Silver at the Great American Cider Competition.

The business model is direct-to-consumer led, supplemented by limited Texas retail. Bottles retail $25–$30 per 750ml with a 10% case discount; tasting flights are $20 for five flavors; a 2025-launched Cider Club delivers quarterly 4-bottle allocations in February, May, September, and December to 35 U.S. states under a three-of-four commitment minimum and member pricing of 15–20% off. Distribution runs through the tasting room (six days a week), an OrderPort-powered e-commerce storefront, H-E-B shelf placement, and biweekly "290 Live in the Grove" live-music events. Customer segments span 290 Wine Trail tourists, gluten-free and dietary-restricted consumers, beer and sparkling-wine drinkers seeking alternatives, and Cider Club subscribers. The company is sole proprietor-operated by Dom Ransay, who crafts every batch, runs the tasting room, and oversees operations with a staff of 11–50.

Name

Hye Cider Company

Legal name

Hye Cider Company, LLC

Website

https://hyecidercompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hye Cider Company is a Texas Hill Country craft cidery producing handcrafted hard ciders and cysers — an apple-and-honey fermentation hybrid — via small-batch natural fermentation. It distributes through a single 290 Wine Trail tasting room, e-commerce shipping to 35 states, a quarterly Cider Club, and H-E-B retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Hard Cider & Cyser

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD), Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling) (AFAFAAAH)

Keywords

• Craft hard cider
• Cyser production
• Hill Country cider
• Cider subscription club
• Fermented apple beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Fredericksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Bottle Sales (D2C E-commerce & Tasting Room): Single bottles sold directly through the online shop and at the tasting room. Prices range from $25–$30 per 750ml bottle depending on the product. A 10% case discount applies to 12-bottle orders. Bottles to go are always available at the tasting room.
2. Cider Club Subscription: Quarterly curated 4-bottle allocations released in February, May, September, and December. Members receive 15% off bottles and tastings, 20% off 12-bottle cases, and 15% off shipping across 35 states. Club releases are billed automatically before each quarter. Holiday allocation is optional. Minimum commitment is three of four quarterly allocations.
3. Tasting Room Experiences: Guided tasting flights at $20 for five flavors, customizable to the guest's palate. Full pours are available after tasting. The tasting room operates six days a week with indoor and outdoor (oak grove) seating. No reservations required for individuals or groups under eight.
4. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including Winston's T-Shirt (100% cotton, designed and printed in Texas, $30) sold through the e-commerce storefront.
5. Events & Private Bookings: Live music events ('290 Live in the Grove') with free entry on most Saturdays. Private event hosting available for groups; Dom handles H-E-B demos and festival appearances as demand-generation events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hye Cider Company is a craft cidery that produces and sells handcrafted hard ciders and cysers (a fermented hybrid of apple juice and Hill Country honey) through a Texas Hill Country tasting room, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront shipping to 35 U.S. states, a quarterly Cider Club subscription, and selected H-E-B retail distribution. The product line emphasizes real whole ingredients, small-batch fermentation, and naturally gluten-free profiles, with cyser as the company's signature category.

Product overview

Hye Cider Company is a craft cidery and cysery based in Hye, Texas, producing handcrafted hard ciders and cysers (a blend of cider and mead made from apples and Hill Country honey). The product portfolio centers on six cysers—Hye Stylin' (flagship), Hye Note, Hye Hops, Hye Heaven, Hye Bay, and Gin Botanicals—and six ciders including Hye Cinner, Hye 'N Prickly, Gloriosa Mimosa, Jasmine Matcha, Strawberry Lemonade, and Peach Drifter. The company also offers a subscription Cider Club with quarterly curated releases, eight themed 4-packs, merchandise, and event programming at their tasting room on the 290 Wine Trail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hye Stylin' Cyser The original flagship cyser, comparable to prosecco or champagne with a fresh apple finish. Crisp, dry, and effervescent at 8.8% ABV. Awarded 2022 Silver Award at the New York International Competition.
• Hye Note Cyser Semi-dry cyser, sister to Hye Stylin', made slightly sweeter with additional honey post-fermentation. Tart upfront, juicy in the middle, dry finish at 10% ABV. Awarded 2021 Bronze Award at the New York International Competition.
• Hye Hops Cyser Dry cyser with hop aromatics designed for gluten-intolerant beer drinkers. Bright, citrusy, and floral with Willamette hops at 9.5% ABV.
• Hye Heaven Cyser Rich, earthy dual-flavor cyser with Turkish fig and toasted cracked peppercorn. Semi-sweet with complex savory-sweet balance at 9.2% ABV. Awarded 2021 Silver Award at the Great American Cider Competition.
• Hye Bay Cyser Herbaceous cyser infused with bay leaves, designed as a culinary pour to pair with global cuisines. Dry, savory, and versatile at 9.5% ABV.
• Gin Botanicals Cyser Botanical cyser infused with juniper, pink peppercorns, cardamom, coriander, rose petals, thyme, cinnamon, and hibiscus. Inspired by gin profiles at 9% ABV.
• Hye Cinner Cider Cozy-weather cider with real cinnamon, semi-sweet apple body, and gentle spice at 6.1% ABV.
• Hye 'N Prickly Cider Bold Texas cider blending prickly pear cactus fruit with Silver Dollar Winery rosé and craft cider. Semi-sweet with watermelon, kiwi, and berry notes at 11.1% ABV.
• Gloriosa Mimosa Cider Brunch classic cider made with fresh-squeezed orange juice (not from concentrate) finished with cider instead of prosecco. Semi-sweet and celebratory at 5.5% ABV.
• Jasmine Matcha Cider Serene, tea-forward cider infused with jasmine and matcha tea. Soft floral tannins, earthy matcha depth, semi-sweet. Low ABV with calming, meditative quality.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hye Stylin' won 2022 Silver Award at New York International Competition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Silver Dollar WinerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Silver Dollar Winery extended a strategic alliance with Hye Cider in 2024, enabling Hye Cider to relocate across the highway (100 yards) from its original 2017 location. Silver Dollar provides the physical tasting room space and co-located Italian Bistro on the 290 Wine Trail. Some Hye Cider products (Hye 'N Prickly, Gloriosa Mimosa) involve fermentation with Silver Dollar Rosé wine, indicating genuine co-production rather than just shared space.
• Burg's CornercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurg's Corner supplies non-alcoholic peach cider used in Hye Cider's Peach Drifter cider. The peach cider sourced from Burg's Corner is fermented to create the product's authentic Hill Country peach character. Hye Cider also sells Burg's Corner's original non-alcoholic peach cider in their tasting room, indicating a reciprocal retail relationship.
• Fain's Pure Natural Honey (Fain's Honey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFain's Pure Natural Honey is the exclusive honey supplier for all Hye Cider cysers, sourced from Hill Country apiaries. Every cyser uses local Fain's honey, making this a foundational ingredient partnership that underpins the company's core product line.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stem Ciders: Denver-based craft cidery producing traditional and experimental dry ciders with a taproom and distribution model. Comparable to Hye Cider on craft positioning, small-batch quality focus, and tasting-room-driven brand-building, though operating in a different region.
• Argus Cidery: Austin-based craft cidery focused on dry, French-style and traditional-method ciders. Comparable to Hye Cider on small-batch Texas craft positioning, tasting-room-led model, and award-winning product ethos, but competes on the dry/traditional cider segment rather than cyser.
• Austin Eastciders: Austin-based Texas craft cidery with a broad portfolio of traditional and specialty hard ciders, multiple taproom locations, and significant Texas retail distribution. Closest direct competitor to Hye Cider in the Texas craft cider market, with overlapping customer base and price points.
• Texas Keeper Cider: Austin, Texas craft cidery producing traditional and experimental hard ciders from Texas-grown apples and other fruit. Directly comparable on Texas craft cider positioning, small-batch production ethos, and taproom-led go-to-market, though focused on conventional cider rather than cyser.
• 101 Cider House: West Coast-based craft cider producer with taproom and broad distribution. Comparable as a craft cidery competing in the same premium-flavored and traditional cider category, with a similar brand emphasis on quality and local/regional identity.
• Bishop Cider Company: Dallas-based Texas craft cidery producing a wide range of flavored ciders (seasonal and core) with strong on-premise and retail distribution across Texas. Competes with Hye Cider for Texas craft cider share and shelf space at retailers like H-E-B, though at larger production scale.

Others

• Silver Dollar Winery: Texas Hill Country winery that hosts Hye Cider's tasting room under a 2024 strategic alliance, with co-produced ciders. Comparable not as a competitor but as a venue/partner whose wine trail traffic, Italian Bistro, and Rosé supply directly enable Hye Cider's retail and product co-production model.

Broad incumbents

• Angry Orchard (Boston Beer Company): National craft cider brand owned by Boston Beer Company with extensive distribution and innovation ciders including hopped, rosé, and specialty varieties. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose innovation line (e.g., hopped ciders) directly competes with Hye Hops and similar specialty SKUs at retail.
• Woodchuck Hard Cider (Vermont Hard Cider Company): One of the largest U.S. craft cider brands, owned by Vermont Hard Cider Company, with broad national distribution and a diverse flavored cider portfolio. Comparable as a cider category incumbent whose flavored, mass-market ciders compete for the same end consumers, though at much greater scale and lower price points.

Emerging players

• Schramm's Mead: Michigan-based meadery specializing in premium, small-batch meads with a tasting-room model. Comparable to Hye Cider because cyser is a hybrid of cider and mead; Schramm's represents the mead side of the category and is a useful analog for craft, single-owner, tasting-room-led production of honey-based fermented beverages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hyecidercompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/hyecidercompany
• Xx.com/HyeCider
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hye-cider-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hye Cider Company