Guild Member Spotlight: Five Maidens Cider Company
Brian Williams and Andrew David
Tucked into the Southside Arts District of Bethlehem is the taproom and production facility of Five Maiden’s Hard Cider. What might be unassuming on the outside, has produced some of the Lehigh Valley’s (and country’s) best craft hard ciders around. Owned and operated by Andrew David, Brian Williams, and Andrew’s wife Mandy David; Five Maiden’s Cider is the realization of a dream inspired by giving hard cider a seat at the craft beverage table and a larger voice within the industry.
Childhood friends Brian and Andrew got their start in the industry back in 2009 through homebrewing and entering competitions. They made quite a name for themselves, winning several awards throughout that time. Their involvement grew into, both men, becoming judges within the homebrew club and further cementing themselves within the industry as a whole. Hard cider and its production became essential to the pair in 2014 when Mandy, Andrew’s wife, was diagnosed with celiac disease. Brian and Andrew shifted their production to cider and continued to rake in awards for their craft beverages.
Brian and Andrew set out to find a space for their cider production facility and taproom, and like so many of our recent members, were met with early challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But once the current space at 327 Polk Street was found, the pair knew this was the space and the lease was signed 10 days later. Officially opening their doors on August 6, 2021; they have been on a mission to provide quality, local, craft cider for the Lehigh Valley.
When we were able to sit down with Brian and Andrew back towards the end of the summer, we were fortunate to get to try many of their award winning ciders as well as talk about their plans for the future of Five Maidens Cider. With both men maintaining their full time occupations alongside running the business, slow and steady growth is at the forefront of their mind. Their plans for expansion include a canning line that will help them better distribute their incredible craft cider.
One of the unique cider variations we were fortunate to try while sitting down with Brian and Andrew were their single varietal series. Reminiscent of the popular “Single Hop” trend in beer, Five Maidens sought to answer this by utilizing single styles to pull out that unique flavor each of the respective varieties of apples presents. Partnering with Scholl Orchards for their pressed apples, Andrew has created several distinct and unique “Single Varietal” ciders that have become quite popular with the Five Maiden’s patrons. At the time, the most recent was using Pink Lady apples and was aptly named Rizzo.
Something evident when sitting down with Brian and Andrew was their commitment to family and supporting their local community. This can be seen even in the symbolism of their striking logo. A fun fact for all you trivia-minded folks, a “maiden”, while usually used to describe a young woman, is also a common name for a young apple tree, which is the prominent feature of Five Maiden’s logo. The Five Apples on the tree represent the collective 5 children of the owners. It is clear that even in a world largely dominated by corporate cider being accessible every which way you look, that Brian and Andrew’s commitment to family-owned, quality local cider is making waves in the industry both locally and nationally.
Looking ahead, the minds behind Five Maidens’ Cider are looking forward to further distribution throughout the Lehigh Valley. Ideally having their cider on at as many local restaurants and bars as well as canning and self distribution. Patrons of the taproom can continue to look forward to single varietals as well as new and innovative ciders flowing from the taps (such as the steep series utilizing tea). Brian, Andrew, and the rest of the taproom team look forward to welcoming more and more people into the taproom space to try their award-winning cider.
We can say for certain that the Lehigh Valley Brewers’ Guild is extremely fortunate to have such a powerhouse in craft cider production as one of our members. Local craft cider has long been overshadowed by the corporate cideries, but now the tide is turning, and it’s because of spots like Five Maiden’s Cider and people like Brian, Andrew and Mandy. We hope you’ll stop in and visit our friends at 327 Polk Street soon.
Cheers!
Five Maidens Cider Comapny
Visit Five Maidens and other members of the Guild to partake in our 2023 Winter Beer Tour!
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Written by: Leila Kaczmarek
Photography by: Jerry Collins