Diner Brew Co., is putting a unique spin on traditional hard ciders.
Chris Sheldon, the founder and head cider maker at Diner brewery, currently sells seven different ciders, including Cidre Des Huguenots, a farmhouse hard cider, Herbalist’s Cider, a lavender coriander hard cider, and Checkmate Sour Cider, a hard cider fermented twice with German and Japanese yeast.
“[The ciders] are always going to drink like a dry prosecco or champagne, made from apples, not grapes,” Sheldon told the Review.
The ciders fall between 7 and 8 percent alcohol. Sheldon, a native of New Rochelle, said this was important for him because these percentages put his ciders at an alcohol level that falls between that of beer and wine, when a majority of ciders on the market typically fall under that percentage.
“It’s nice for the wine drinker, and it’s nice for the beer drinker,” he said. “I wanted to be able to hit both markets.”
Sheldon first began trying his hand at brewing in 2008 while he was a junior at Boston College.
Sheldon said he and his roommate were feeling unsatisfied with the beer made available to them in stores and at bars, so they sought out a beer-making kit to create their own.
While the initial product wasn’t satisfactory, Sheldon said, “it kind of like sparked an interest.”
He went on to say, “That’s how you start, by fumbling along and trying your best and following your recipe.”
After they had run out of ingredients, Sheldon took the kit and made his first batch of cider.
“I just listened to someone’s instructions, used the equipment I had, [and] made sure I was sanitary with my process,” he said. “At the end of the day, the cider that I made that very first time was inspiring.”
Fast forward nine years later, and Sheldon has his ciders on tap in 16 different retailers in New York, including Smokehouse in Mamaroneck, Growlers in Tuckahoe and DeCicco & Sons in Larchmont. “The passion grew into an obsession, which then started taking over all of the livable spaces I was in,” he said.
Sheldon said after realizing that cider making had begun taking over his life, he knew he had to turn it into a profession.
Sheldon knew he would need help running his business, so he turned to Pedro Santos.
The two met at a meeting of the Dogs of Wort, a homebrewing club in New Rochelle, which Sheldon co-founded.
Santos shares a similar background to Sheldon in how they both became home brewers during college.
“I just got tired of drinking what was available,” said Santos, who attended college in Puerto Rico.
He began working with Sheldon a month ago, and has already witnessed the rapid growth of Diner Brew Co.
“I think it’s going to grow really big, to the point that we’re going to get more employees, expand and move somewhere bigger,” Santos said.
Part of what has made Sheldon’s product so popular are his unique flavor twists on hard ciders.
“I don’t want my ciders to ever be comparable to an apple-based malt beverage,” he said.
With his products Sheldon hopes to be able to expand people’s expectations and understanding of what can be done with a hard cider.
He showcases this desire in two of his drinks, the White Shiro Miso hard cider and the Double Perk, a coffee cider.
“This is kind of pushing boundaries,” Sheldon admits.
He explained that his dream for the company doesn’t stop there.
Sheldon currently holds a farm cidery license, which allows him to produce and sell cider in New York State, and is working on acquiring his farm brewery license, which would allow him to brew and sell beer as well as cider in New York State.
Sheldon said he sees the company growing in many different directions, but despite his business’ success, he intends to take things slow.
For a full list of places with Diner Brew Co. on tap, or to order their merchandise, visit Dinerbrewco.com.
