Midwest Microbrew Spotlights Iowa Cidery's Journey From Homebrew Hobby to Craft Cider Brand

WAVERLY, Iowa - Rezul -- Midwest Microbrew released a new interview featuring Mark Westbrock, founder of PAHA Cider, detailing how the Northeast Iowa cidery turned a home fermentation hobby into a growing hard cider business built on fresh-pressed, locally sourced fruit.

PAHA Cider, now approaching its third year in business, produces a full lineup of ciders ranging from dry to sweet, including canned core offerings and small-batch traditional ciders aged in glass or oak. The company sources apples from its own orchard as well as regional growers in Iowa and Michigan, and uses only fruit and honey for sweetening rather than refined or artificial sugars.

"Modern and traditional ciders made with real fruit and nothing artificial," Westbrock said, describing the company's approach in a single sentence.

The cidery's roots trace back to Westbrock's homebrewing hobby, which began in 2006 and eventually outgrew a dedicated home brewery. After relocating to Iowa and starting a small diversified farm, Westbrock shifted from beer to cider, pressing his first batches in a garage. Production grew from 15 gallons to 60 gallons within a few years, prompting the family to plant an orchard in 2020 that has since expanded to nearly 375 trees. PAHA Cider sold its first commercial batch in fall 2023.

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Westbrock said the cidery has worked to challenge assumptions about the beverage. "I really enjoy having people tell me they don't like cider and then pouring them one of our dry ciders and having them have a big smile," he said, addressing the common misconception that all cider is sweet.

The interview also covers PAHA Cider's core lineup — including its dry-hopped Brute cider and best-selling pear cider — along with upcoming seasonal releases such as a blueberry aronia cider in August and a returning pumpkin spice cider this fall. PAHA Cider hosts monthly open house events at its farm production facility, located along a regional bike trail, featuring live cider, local beer, food trucks and live music.

More information, including newsletter sign-up, is available at pahacider.com. Check out the full article here: https://midwestmicrobrew.com/how-paha-cider-turned-a-hobby-into-an-iowa-cidery/

About Midwest Microbrew: Midwest Microbrew connects craft beverage makers across the region with the journalists, retailers and consumers who follow them. Through interviews and features, Midwest Microbrew highlights the people and stories behind the Midwest's breweries and cideries. Visit https://midwestmicrobrew.com to learn more.