Corvallis, Ore – Feb 20, 2025 – 2 Towns Ciderhouse announced that Co-Founder & VP of Sales, Aaron Sarnoff-Wood, has been awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award by the American Cider Association. This prestigious honor is given annually to an individual who has made a significant and lasting impact on the cider industry.
Sarnoff-Wood’s advocacy has helped shape policies critical to the future of craft cider. His work in defending Oregon’s cider and craft beverage producers from excessive taxation under the HB 3610 Task Force on Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services was instrumental in preventing an industry-wide tax increase. As one of only two industry representatives on the task force, he exposed misleading claims and ensured that policymaking remained data-driven and transparent.
His leadership also extends to federal legislation, where he played a key role in securing support for the Bubble Tax Modernization Act of 2024 during U.S. Representative Val Hoyle’s visit to 2 Towns Ciderhouse. This important measure seeks to modernize outdated taxation laws that unfairly penalize craft cidermakers for using additional fruit and carbonation—barriers that have long stifled innovation and growth in the industry.
Sarnoff-Wood expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating,“I’m truly honored to receive this award and to be part of such a dynamic industry. There’s still important work to be done, but the future of cider has never been more exciting.”
“The cider industry has grown in ways we never could have imagined when we started 2 Towns Ciderhouse over 14 years ago,” said Lee Larsen, president and CEO of 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “Aaron’s dedication to the industry—from championing fair taxation to driving policies that foster innovation—has played a crucial role in shaping its future.”
About 2 Towns Ciderhouse
2 Towns Ciderhouse was founded on the belief that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality, whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. Over the years our company has retained these core values to branch out into different segments within the alcohol beverage space to become a premium total beverage company. Our goal is to create the best craft beverages on the market and continue to develop and evolve the beverage space in innovative new ways.
From humble beginning in 2010 in an old 900 sq. ft. 2 car garage we have grown into one of the largest craft beverage companies in the northwest now employing over 100 individuals, distributing to 15+ states and running 3 different production facilities totaling almost 100,000 sq. feet. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft beverages.
