The orchard-to-bottle cidery will expand its operations to 930 SE Oak St, site of former Ecliptic Brewing Moon Room, with plans to open its first full-service taproom to the public in Spring 2024
PORTLAND, OR—January 2, 2024—Bauman’s Cider is proud to announce the opening of a second location in inner Southeast Portland, marking the cidery’s first dedicated space in the city. The facility will begin production in January, with plans to open a taproom in the adjoining space this spring. This move coincides with the eighth anniversary of Christine Bauman Walter, Founder and Head Cider Maker, debuting her ciders at Portland’s CiderCon in 2016. CiderCon is returning to Portland this January for the first time since that landmark occasion.
The new facility will significantly expand Bauman Cider’s impact. Their current production space, located on Bauman’s Farm in Gervais, Oregon, will maintain its cider operations and public tasting room and will focus on crafting Bauman’s harvest-driven, small batch ciders, like the award-winning Mountain Rose Single Varietal. The Portland location will focus on modern cider styles, to meet the growing demand for all of Bauman’s offerings throughout the Pacific Northwest. “For us, Bauman’s has always been as much about the farm as it is about the cider,” shares Christine Walter, “we see it as two sides of the same coin. The ingredients we grow on the farm—including the apples, peaches, berries, and more—will always be an important part of what we create, and will continue to be included in the cider made at both locations.” This core value defines the craftsmanship of all Bauman’s cider; while fruit is carefully selected from partner growers across the Pacific Northwest, the majority of Bauman’s ferments includes ingredients sourced directly from Bauman’s Farm.
For Bauman’s Cider, this move builds an integral bridge from the farm to the larger cider-drinking community. While the core food program is still in development, guests can expect a menu sourced directly from produce grown on Bauman’s Farm. With 30 taps, occupancy limits of 230 (including the outdoor area), and a full-service kitchen, the spring 2024 opening of the taproom will launch one of Portland’s largest dedicated cider spaces and reopen a citywide-favorite patio just in time for spring sunshine.
The growth of both locations highlights Bauman’s unique blend in the American Cider Community, which merges traditional and modern cider-making approaches. This unlikely pairing is rare in the industry, and along with Christine Walter’s entrepreneurial determination to build one of America’s best cideries, has led to the innovative style that continues to build international renown for Bauman’s Cider. The approach has earned the cidery over 150 medals and four consecutive Mid-sized Cidery of the Year awards at two of the most prestigious US cider competitions.
In the face of recent years’ economic downturn for both Portland and the brewing industry, Christine Walter looks to this move as a beacon of hope for Bauman’s, the cider industry, and the city at large. “We’re excited to grow deeper roots here in SE Portland,” she shares, “I’m a born-and-raised Oregonian and represent the 5th generation of family farming Baumans’ orchards. Oregon and the farm are in my blood, and I want to help both grow and prosper.”
