New to Duluth, Minnesota, the fledgling Wild State Cider is a story of two friends who came together over their love of the great outdoors to make cider that is a bit on the untamed side. The cider produced by Adam Ruhland and Andrew Price is made as natural as possible, without any additives like sugar or concentrates, providing the people of Duluth and beyond the opportunity to try a new, unadulterated cider from a new local business.
Ruhland has shown an interest in cider ever since he was a special education teacher back in 2010. In 2014 his passion for cider had grown so much that he began to play with the idea of creating his own cidery.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
“From 2015-17, I continued learning about cider, making it at home, I took a course at OSU [Oregon State University] on cidermaking and decided I was ready to take the leap and start my own business,” Ruhland says.
By last year, he started to make plans to secure his own business. This is when his partner Price came into the picture. A longtime summer camp friend of Ruhland’s, Price had a background in brewing and knew how to manage the construction of the production facility, instantly becoming an essential part of the cidery’s process.
Inside an old restored warehouse, the duo opened Wild State in April with a taproom and production space conveniently located to Duluth Heritage Sports Center and the Lincoln Park Craft District.
“We want to celebrate and protect what’s wild,” Ruhland says. “To us this means making a clean, natural cider, 100-percent fresh-pressed, no concentrates, no added sugar, no harmful preservatives.”
Wild State Cider strives towards achieving a handcrafted, natural cider that’s unique flavor shines through every sip. In that, Ruhland adds the team loves the outdoors and wanted to operate sustainably while promoting that lifestyle.
CIDER BY NATURE
“There’s something rewarding about making anything with your hands,” Ruhland adds. “Sharing it with others in a communal space is also a great feeling. I’ve worked in many office environments as a digital marketer, and in a world of technology, a nice glass of cider with friends is something to appreciate.”
The taproom itself offers a unique ambiance, with an open interior that is bright, airy and welcoming — featuring a living wall that hangs 180 thriving plants from it. For families, the cidery offers a designated kid area where parents can safely sip cider from a distance while their littles get the wiggles out.
“What we are doing as a business is our attempt to make a high-quality product and take care of the people and places around us,” Ruhland says of the community support the cidery plans to provide. “We started the business for two reasons: making really natural ciders utilizing higher standards than other products out there, and doing good for the people and places we value. We’re inspired by well-known, thoughtful brands like Patagonia, New Belgium Brewing, Bob’s Red Mill and many other companies that are for-profit but have a social mission.”
