Alpenfire Cider

What Alpenfire Cider does

Alpenfire Cider is a family-owned cidery operating from a 2-acre USDA-certified organic estate orchard at 220 Pocket Lane in Port Townsend, Washington. Founded in 2003 by Steve "Bear" Bishop and Nancy Bishop, the company planted ~900 heritage European cider apple trees (Kingston Black, Foxwhelp, Vilberie, Muscadet de Dieppe, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, plus red-fleshed Airlie Redflesh) sourced via earlier study with Peter Mitchell at WSU and travel through cider regions of England, France, and Spain. It is the first USDA-certified organic cidery in the nation, additionally certified under the Real Organic Project. Core production is small-batch (~180 gallons per batch) using rack-and-cloth pressing, wild or pitched-yeast fermentation in temperature-controlled tanks (rarely above 60°F), 8+ months of oak and stainless aging, and traditional bottle conditioning with hand bottling and labeling.

The product portfolio spans old-world bone-dry and bittersweet ciders (Pirates Plank, Ember, Spark!), single-varietal estate expressions (Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Ashmead's Kernel, Cortland), biennial méthode champenoise sparkling ciders (Flame, Cinders), fruit-influenced and rum-barrel-aged ciders (Calypso, 3 Pommes), a draft-only rotating Traditional Heirloom Cider (THC) line with 60+ blends since inception, fortified mistelles/pommeaux (Rosy Pommeau, Smoke, Royal Pomme), and a club-exclusive Burnt Branch Reserve series.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid DTC-plus-regional model: direct online sales via Vinoshipper (UPS, multi-state shipping, Seattle doorstep delivery), a three-tier Cider Club subscription (Dolgo $55–$65/quarter, Foxwhelp $100–$110, Kingston Black $200–$220), on-site group tasting experiences ($120 for 6+), wholesale to PNW grocery (Port Townsend Co-op, Getables) and on-premise accounts (The Watershed, Capitol Cider, Finistère, Eight Row), and recurring cider-pairing dinner events. The company is bootstrapped (no external investors), has 1–10 employees with a three-person Bishop family core, and is currently transitioning to a new off-site tasting room location.

Name

Alpenfire Cider

Legal name

Alpenfire Orchards LLC

Website

https://alpenfirecider.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alpenfire Cider is a family-owned, USDA-certified organic estate cidery in Port Townsend, Washington, producing heritage apple ciders (single-varietal, méthode champenoise, draft, and mistelles) sold via DTC subscription club, online store, and Pacific Northwest wholesale and restaurant accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hard Cider

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Apple Orchards (111331)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing) (AFAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Organic hard cider
• Estate cidermaking
• Cider club subscription
• Heritage apple varieties
• Bottle-conditioned cider

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Townsend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Online Sales: Online bottle sales through Vinoshipper platform with UPS shipping. Free shipping on 6+ bottles, discounted shipping on 3-5 bottles. Seattle area doorstep delivery for 6+ bottles.
2. Cider Club Subscription: Quarterly subscription shipments with three tiers: Kingston Black (12 bottles, $200-$220), Foxwhelp (6 bottles, $100-$110), Dolgo (3 bottles, $55-$65). Automatic billing four times per year with membership-level discounts on additional purchases.
3. Wholesale/Grocery: Distribution to grocery stores and retail locations including Port Townsend Co-op and Getables, with expansion throughout Puget Sound region.
4. Tasting Room and Events: On-site sales at tasting room, cider dinners at partner restaurants, harvest dinners, and special tasting experiences. Group tastings available by reservation at $120 for groups of 6+ with one-case minimum purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alpenfire Cider is a family-owned estate cidery that produces USDA-certified organic hard ciders from roughly 900 heritage and bittersweet apple trees grown on its own 2-acre orchard in Port Townsend, Washington, supplemented by locally foraged and partner-grown fruit. It sells those ciders — including single-varietal, méthode champenoise, Pommeau and smoked expressions — direct to consumers through its website, cider-club subscription, on-site tasting room, and selective wholesale placement in restaurants and natural-grocery stores.

Product overview

Alpenfire Cider is a family-owned cidery offering a diverse portfolio of authentic ciders ranging from traditional old-world to innovative new-world styles. The product lineup includes: Core lineup of annual releases (Pirates Plank, Ember, Spark!, Glow, Calypso, Traditional Cuvée); Methode Champenoise sparkling ciders released biennially (Flame, Cinders); Specialty single varietal and limited releases including Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Ashmead's Kernel, Cortland; Various blends (Discovery Trail, 3 Pommes, Dungeness); Mistelle/Pommeau fortified ciders (Rosy Pommeau, Smoke, Royal Pomme); Draft-only Traditional Heirloom Cider (THC) rotating blends; and exclusive Burnt Branch Reserve Series for Cider Club members. The company also operates a membership program (Cider Club) with three tiers and offers experiential tastings at their orchard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burnt Branch Reserve: Exclusive cider club member-only reserve releases
• Traditional Heirloom Cider (THC)

Products and services

• Pirates Plank Cider A flagship bottled cider from Alpenfire, designed as an accessible introduction to the cidery's organic, estate-grown style for craft-beverage drinkers.
• Ember Cider A bottled organic cider in the standing Alpenfire lineup, made from estate and locally sourced fruit.
• Spark! Cider A sparkling bottled organic cider in Alpenfire's core range.
• Glow Airlie Red Rosé Cider A rosé-style organic cider made from Airlie's Red apples, aimed at natural-wine-style drinkers who want a fruit-forward, sulfite-light cider.
• Calypso Cider A bottled organic cider in Alpenfire's standing portfolio, made from estate-grown and locally sourced apples.
• Traditional Cuvée Cider A bottled traditional-style blend in Alpenfire's lineup, intended as a benchmark representation of the cidery's house style.
• Flame Méthode Champenoise A bottle-conditioned, méthode champenoise sparkling cider made using traditional secondary fermentation in the bottle, for sparkling-wine drinkers.
• Cinders Méthode Champenoise Rosé A méthode champenoise rosé sparkling cider from Alpenfire, bottle-conditioned using traditional secondary fermentation.
• Foxwhelp Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made exclusively from Foxwhelp apples — a heritage bittersweet English cider variety.
• Kingston Black Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made from Kingston Black apples, the classic English bittersweet cider apple.
• Dabinett Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made from Dabinett apples, a traditional English bittersweet cider variety.
• Yarlington Mill Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made from Yarlington Mill apples, a traditional bittersweet English cider apple.
• Ashmead's Kernel Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made from Ashmead's Kernel apples, a heritage dessert and cider dual-purpose variety.
• Cortland Single-Varietal Cider A bottle-conditioned single-varietal cider made from Cortland apples, a classic North American cider and dessert apple.
• Discovery Trail 'The Bagnum' Cider A bottled organic cider named after Discovery Trail, reflecting the foraged and locally sourced side of Alpenfire's fruit sourcing.
• 3 Pommes Cider A blended three-apple cider in Alpenfire's lineup, showcasing the cidery's blending of estate and locally sourced fruit.
• Rosy Pommeau A bottled Pommeau — a fortified apple aperitif — made by Alpenfire from apples and apple spirits.
• Smoke Cider A bottled smoked cider in Alpenfire's specialty lineup, produced by smoking apples prior to fermentation.
• Royal Pomme Cider A bottled specialty organic cider in Alpenfire's lineup.
• Traditional Heirloom Cider (THC) — Draft A draft-only cider made from traditional heirloom apple varieties, available on tap at the cidery and select accounts rather than in bottle.
• Burnt Branch Reserve Series Ciders A series of limited-release reserve ciders from Alpenfire, produced in small quantities and allocated primarily to cider club members and select accounts.
• Cider Club Subscription A recurring cider-of-the-month subscription that ships (or makes available for pickup) a curated selection of Alpenfire ciders to enrolled members on a tiered basis, including limited-release and reserve bottles.
• Cidery Tasting Room Experience An on-site tasting and bottle-purchase experience at the Alpenfire cidery in Port Townsend, WA, where visitors can sample current releases and buy bottles to take home.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19% award rate at 2023 Northwest Cider Cup with 4 medals including Best of Show
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Peninsula Trails Coalition / Olympic Discovery TrailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2018Partnership to create Discovery Trail 'Cider on the Go' benefit cider. A percentage of each cider bag sold goes to assist in expanding the Olympic Discovery Trail as well as trail care and maintenance. The trail will eventually extend approx. 130 miles connecting Port Townsend to the Pacific coast.
• Finistére RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPort Townsend restaurant that hosted Alpenfire's 10th anniversary Firestarter Dinner in 2017 (kickoff for Olympic Peninsula Apple and Cider Festival) and ongoing cider pairing events.
• The Watershed Pub & KitchencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNorth Seattle restaurant that has collaborated with Alpenfire for 5+ years on annual cider pairing dinners during Washington Cider Week, featuring multi-course menus paired with Alpenfire ciders.
• Hot Stove SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeattle culinary education center that partnered with Alpenfire for Harvest Dinner 2019, featuring cider-paired multi-course menus prepared by Chef Artie.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greenwood Cider: Seattle-based small-batch craft cidery producing traditional and barrel-aged styles. Comparable as a craft PNW cidery competing for similar restaurant and DTC accounts.
• Schilling Cider: Pacific Northwest craft cidery based in Auburn, Washington producing traditional and modern cider styles with broad regional distribution. Directly comparable as a Washington-based craft cider producer overlapping with Alpenfire in channels and customer segments.
• Liberty Ciderworks: Washington State cidery producing traditional English-style ciders from heritage apples. Comparable on craft, terroir-driven cider positioning and PNW regional presence.
• Finnriver Farm & Cidery: Organic farm and cidery on Washington's Olympic Peninsula producing traditional, sparkling, and fruit ciders. Closely comparable on organic certification, estate orchard sourcing, and craft DTC plus on-premise channel mix.
• Seattle Cider Company: Seattle craft cidery producing traditional dry and modern cider styles with broader retail distribution. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest cider peer with overlapping on-premise and grocery channels.
• Wandering Aengus Ciderworks: Oregon craft cidery focused on traditional and single-orchard ciders using heritage apple varieties. Directly comparable to Alpenfire in heritage-apple sourcing philosophy and traditional-style cider portfolio.
• Tieton Cider Works: Washington State cidery producing estate and orchard-based ciders, including single-varietal and traditional styles. Highly comparable to Alpenfire in estate-grown, terroir-driven approach and PNW craft positioning.
• 2 Towns Ciderhouse: Oregon-based craft cidery producing a broad portfolio of traditional and specialty ciders with strong Pacific Northwest wholesale and DTC distribution. Closely comparable in craft positioning, multi-channel GTM, and cider club model.

Broad incumbents

• Angry Orchard: National mass-market cider brand owned by The Boston Beer Company with extensive grocery and on-premise distribution. Relevant as the dominant large-scale cider competitor setting category price expectations.
• Bold Rock Hard Cider: One of the largest U.S. craft cider producers with national distribution across grocery and on-premise. Relevant as a broader market incumbent competing for the same shelf and tap space Alpenfire targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alpenfirecider
• Facebookfacebook.com/alpenfirecider
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alpenfire-cider

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Alpenfire Cider