The American Cider Association is honored to announce that they will welcome Chile as the guest cidermaking country of honor for CiderCon® 2025 in Chicago next February. Chile has a long and storied history of cidermaking as an important part of the country’s local culture and economy. Each year, millions of gallons of cider produced from the forests of heirloom cider apples growing in Chile. Most of this cider is sold under the name “chicha” but there is a growing movement of new cidermakers and established companies that are seeking to bring cider to the forefront of the Chilean beverage industry. The Chilean delegation will feature cidermakers, orchardists, educators, researchers, and government officials who are working to bring cider to local, national and international markets.
The delegation attending CiderCon® 2025 are members of the Chilean Cider Collective (COSICHI). Featured speakers include Harriet Nahrwold, co-founder of Sidrería Quebrada de Chucao; Carlos Flores, orchardist and and co-founder of Punta de Fierro Fine Cider; Rene Galindo Quidel, founder and cidermaker of Sidrería TenCai; Gicella Thamar Saldivia González, family farmer and orchardist who is also president of the Chilwe Cooperative, an organic farming and cidermaking cooperative from the island of Chiloé; Carlos Martinez Cárdenas, partner at Agrícola Tralcao, producers of the Lemon Apple and Della Cha ciders, and Agronomic Advisor at Austral University; José Antonio Alcalde, orchardist and professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and co-author of the first Chilean Cider Guide (Guía de la Sidra en Chile), 2022; Fabian Lara Mercado, Policy Coordinator for INDAP, the most important financial arm of the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, responsible for helping small-holder farmers and orchardists and a BJCP certified cider judge; and Eli Shanks, co-founder of Punta de Fierro Fine Cider.
“The Chilean Cider Collective and its members represent a wide diversity of Chilean cidermaking across 750 miles of territory. We are all very excited and humbled to be invited to participate in CiderCon® and share about the past, present and future of cider in Chile,” says Eli Shanks.
The rich history of cidermaking in Chile, influenced by immigrants from Spain, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands, as well as the native Mapuche people, has led to unique cidermaking techniques and orcharding practices that will be of interest to CiderCon® 2025 attendees.
The Chilean delegation will be joining sessions in CiderCon®’s Explore History, Flavor & Terroir track, Grow Amazing Apples track, and others. The theme for CiderCon® this year is “Cider’s Balanced Future: Planet, People, Profit.” This theme is well represented by the Chilean cidermakers who integrate the triple bottom line approach to sustainability in their cidermaking principles.
CiderCon® registration will open on September 17, 2024 for ACA members.
