Remember that time in Italy when you saw a picture on a wine label that reminded you of the unspoiled landscape back home, so you commissioned a local artist to capture your favorite view in an oil painting, and that masterful combination of brushstrokes became the inspiration for the hard cider business you launched four years later?
Because the exact same thing happened to us. And if it hadn’t, we might all be drinking hard cider that’s far less extraordinary.
Remember that time in Italy when you saw a picture on a wine label that reminded you of the unspoiled landscape back home, so you commissioned a local artist to capture your favorite view in an oil painting, and that masterful combination of brushstrokes became the inspiration for the hard cider business you launched four years later? Because the exact same thing happened to us. And if it hadn’t, we might all be drinking hard cider that’s far less extraordinary.
But hey, we’ll bet your cider is pretty good too. Just not Clarksburg good.
Nothing blurs the line between work and fun more than making hard cider. Whether we’re developing a new flavor or delivering the final product, there’s not a part of this job I don’t enjoy.
Michael is what you might call an accidental businessman. His lifelong attachment to earth, air, and sea has allowed him to keep conference rooms and dress codes at a safe distance while working wherever nature served as his office space. So, it only made sense for Michael to translate his love of the land into starting a company that truly appreciates the fruit that it bears. And if it means breaking down and buying a sport coat for the occasional distributor meeting, he’s ok with that. As long as he can get home in time to walk the dogs.
Why hard cider? Because the soil said apples were best. The soil also said I needed to lose weight, but I pretended not to hear that.
Bryan was initially considered to join Clarksburg because his lanky six-foot-four frame ensured that no apple would go unpicked from even the highest boughs. But once it was determined that Bryan was not just a numbers guy, but also the only one who knew how to operate a backhoe, he proved to be a key ingredient in helping move the product from the branches to the shelves. Armed with a fancy marketing degree, Bryan oversees every aspect of Clarksburg Cider’s operations. Still, he remains the humble guy around the orchard, knowing if anyone wraps him up at the knees, he’ll go down hard.
It never gets old seeing someone take their first sip of our cider and hearing ‘It’s delicious!’
It’s been said that when Keith Richards noodles around on his guitar, everyone leaves him alone in anticipation of his next brilliant riff. The same is true when Larry walks his farm pondering his next big idea. But before the reality of launching a hard cider business could take root, he enrolled himself and his son Michael in what he casually refers to as “cider school” at Cornell University. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Larry still strolls the grounds of the sleepy hamlet that shares his cider company’s name. Only now he has to watch out for the apple trees.
We want our tap room to be as approachable as our ciders, with no standing on ceremony. Unless it’s my birthday. That’s when everyone must address me as ‘Jonathan Von Ciderhausen’.
Jon loathes Buffalo winters nearly as much as he dislikes when people spell his first name with an “h.” With that kind of fire underneath the hood, we knew he was the right person to manage our tasting room. Or at least tend the pizza oven. But his 25 years in the hospitality industry are no joke. More than a friendly face, Jon creates memorable experiences for cider drinkers who are looking for something serious, and for those who are just playing the field. So, eat with him; drink with him; laugh with him. Once the temperature dips below 70, you’re all he’s got.
Alcohol is in my blood. Correction: making alcohol is in my blood. I craft cider the same way my dad taught me 15 years ago—with the best ingredients, patience, and a whole lotta fun.
A former naval submarine sonar technician, Eddie eventually surfaced to immerse himself in the science of brewing beer and hard cider. Drawing upon the range of flavor profiles he experienced while traveling in the service, Eddie brought his passion for experimentation to the craft, sharpening his skills at the knee of his father, whose credo was “When life hands you lemons, ferment ‘em and see what happens.” Now at Clarksburg, Eddie is happiest when he’s tinkering with ingredients, each batch one step closer to our next offering—or to completely blacking out.
My ultimate goal is to take what many people consider to be characteristics of craft beer and bring them into the world of hard cider.
When Corey visited our Tap Room as a thirsty traveler on the Western New York Beer Trail, she had no idea she’d be coming back so often.
After her wife, Jenny, became one of our line cooks, Corey jumped in to help us with canning when we were shorthanded. And with six years of brewing experience, she couldn’t resist being pulled back into an industry she loves.
Those ‘Wet Floor’ signs I put out aren’t for decoration.
When the original Karate Kid film was released in 1984, we would still have to wait eleven years until Zach was born. So, he had no idea that all the chores we made him do around the cidery would impart the physical strength and mental agility to help us run the place. But he still has to wear shoes to operate the forklift.
When I showed up to a building surrounded by dirt that wasn’t being prepped for an underground pig roast, I just told my husband that my day was ‘fine’.
It’s not uncommon for Western New York natives to leave the area for school or work and eventually return home. Unless your new office is a 5-star luxury resort in Maui. But somehow, Maria felt compelled to trade her ukulele for a snow shovel and bet it all on the success of an up-and-coming hard cider company. We’re glad she did. Because once you get a taste of paradise, you can’t help but recreate it wherever you go.
Of course, hard cider is delicious on its own. But for me, it’s a canvas—a chance to create unexpected combinations and flavor profiles that customers never saw coming. But can’t wait to try.
While bartenders are typically on the receiving end of other people’s stories, Jamielynn has a few interesting ones of her own. An authority on craft specialty cocktails, her recipes have been published in a 3-book series called The Bartenders Guide to Murder. And she was voted Best Mixologist in 2018 by Mount Gay Rum and Ski Magazine for her winning Après Ski cocktail. Today, Jamielynn continues to captivate audiences by reimagining hard cider cocktails that leave them thirsty for more.
What do you mean I don’t have summers off?”
Marc originally wanted to be a history teacher before he went to culinary school. Maybe it was his tweed allergy. Or his ambition to create his own future instead of focusing on the past. But after years of cooking in kitchens large and small, Marc’s passion for cooking with beverage-infused food brought him to Clarksburg. And the rest is … nope, not gonna say it.
