Tapped Apple Part 1

Transport & Casking

I first learned of the Tapped Apple origin story at an Ocean Chamber After Hours event that was hosted in their Tasting Room. Three generations of Wiedenhefts have a hand in every aspect of the Tapped Apple business; from fermentation to canning and delivery, and everything in between. What started as a hobby grew into a full scale production and distribution business that specializes in hard apple cider and wines. 

Tapped Apple ciders aren’t nearly as sweet as most of their apple based counterparts. Their finished products are an alchemy of personal taste, experimentation and constant ingenuity. 

How the Cider gets made

I approached the team about documenting their process. I wanted to show how the Cider gets made, so to speak, but also try to show the sheer volume of work that goes into a family run business. Cider is harvested in the fall, and the Tapped Apple team only has a few weeks a year to purchase and ferment ALL of the cider that will turn into the next year’s product.

The timing of my project and their fermenting season could not be better, and it was a complete coincidence. That shows the importance of simply showing up and being open to new ideas and projects; you never know what you can uncover by asking simple questions. This couldn’t have been planned better if I tried. 

My first visit found John IV cleaning out a vat in their tasting room after transferring 600 gallons of fermented cider into a temporary cask. This batch had been fermented months before my visit and was ready to be moved to their long term storage facility on the other side of town. 

John has been incrementally expanding the capacity of their facilities over the past few years. Their warehouse is filled to the brim with 600 gallon batches of ciders and wines in various flavors and stages of fermentation. Once canned, they are distributed directly to liquor stores, bars and restaurants throughout Rhode Island. 

This was a great first day for my project, as I was able to see both their tasting room and their warehouse. All three Wiedenhefts were on the job in various capacities, too; cleaning vats and kegs, moving products and helping each other out. 

Up Next

The process starts with fermentation, which is the focus of part 2 of my series. Part 3 will look at canning a finished product and packing it for delivery.

Tapped Apple’s tasting room is located at 37 High Street in Westerly, Rhode Island, and their products are available in restaurants and liquor stores throughout the state. 

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