Portland Cidery Cider Riot Announces Closure

Six weeks ago, Portland cidermaker Abram Goldman Armstrong sent out a press release seeking investors for his cidery, Cider RIot! I am sad to report that he was unable to find any and has announced the closure of Cider RIot effective November 9th.

Closing Party
Saturday, November 9th, 7pm
807 NE Couch
Cover bands, dock sales of vintage cider, and of course, a lineup of special ciders on tap.

Abram launched a successful Kickstarter in 2013 and began operating Cider Riot in his garage. His love for cider goes back much further, however, sparked in part by an early project called White Oak. Orchardist and cidermaker Alan Foster planted English cider apples and started selling cider in the mid-1990s when Abram got his first job off the family farm helping out at White Oak Cider. These are the ciders, which he would later call “proper cider,” he fell in love with. “I’ve wanted to own a cidery since I started making cider in my dorm room when I was was 17,” he said. His appreciation deepened when he traveled to Ireland in college and drank from two-liter plastic jugs while watching soccer. He would go on to write about beer, but never forgot about proper cider. Finally, the world caught up with him, and cideries started succeeding in the late 2000s. By the time Abram launched Cider Riot, the market was humming.

At Cider Riot, he made a broad range of ciders, but was an evangelist for dry, characterful examples. “I was hoping to get people to appreciate dry ciders,” he said. “I wanted them to understand that cider isn’t just this sweet, fizzy thing. I wanted them to know that good cider is made from cider apples just like good wine is made from wine grapes.” He loved making converts, “We had a lot of people say, ‘This is the first cider I’ve enjoyed.’”

His best-selling ciders were made from dessert fruit, but his first love was the ciders made of traditional apples—which he sourced from Foster’s White Oak orchards. Among them were single-varietal ciders and his award-winning 1763, named for the year of the eponymous riots that inspired the name. In 2017, 1763 won a medal at Bath and West, a prestigious English competition (three of his other ciders have also won). “To get those ciders recognized at Bath was meaningful to me,” he said. “To get those judges, who know so much about cider, to recognize ours was a big accomplishment.” Like any cidermaker, Abram wanted to sell his cider, but he also wanted to educate people about its potential.

In 2016, he expanded to a pub and production facility on NE 8th and Couch, taking on debt to fund the move. “It was profitable in the garage,” he said. “Cider was gaining 39% in 2015 when we signed that lease.” Unfortunately, the cider market went through a correction, going flat and then declining in 2017. Local cider continued to grow, but not enough to pay Cider Riot’s bills. “We had a great pub and great cider that was beloved by the community. We just didn’t have enough money to keep going.

Abram was aware that this failure comes freighted with the weight of darker events, and he dreaded the announcement of the closure. Earlier this year, far-right activists associated with Patriot Prayer descended on Cider Riot and attacked people enjoying a pint after May Day events around town. One woman was clubbed and others injured. Six people associated with the attacks were later indicted, and Goldman-Armstrong filed a lawsuit against five of the men.

“They’re going to be gloating about us shutting down, and I don’t want this to become another opportunity for them to spread hate. We were proud of the stand we took. The closure has nothing to do with Patriot Prayer—it’s just financial.” This is a difficult time in Portland for craft beverage makers. In the past week, three breweries have announced they were closing—most recently Coalition as I was writing this post. The troubles with the attack just made the closure that much more difficult.

The lawsuit, he emphasized, is still going forward.

Abram is one of the most respected cidermakers in Oregon and the news was a blow to colleagues. Kevin Zielinski, whose love of French-style cidre mirrored Abram’s, called it a tragedy. “Abe and Cider Riot represent a truth in cider as both a beverage for enjoyment in community, and a beverage that is truly a craft founded on traditional methods of production. The absence of Cider Riot is a loss to our industry. Abe spoke for and encouraged the trade by enthusing his colleagues about the history and importance of cider past, and present. He also made very satisfying cider.”

Nat West founded Reverend Nat’s around the same time Cider Riot got going, and was a frequent collaborator. “Abram and I have been cider-friends since before either of us started our cideries. He helped me select my signature yeasts and I helped him plan out his garage cidery. Back then, we shared a common vision for what traditional cider is and a passion for sharing that vision with new drinkers. But customers are opinionated, in the Pacific Northwest, they've largely decided that the traditional, dry and tannic ciders that Abram makes are not what they want to drink in large quantities. I'm sorry that his original dream didn't come true.”

He also inspired a new generation of cider makers. Shannon Wolcott Mosley currently makes her ^5 Cider at home like Abram did, and is building out a production site now. “Abe has been a leader in local cider community for years. He was an inspiration for me to start my own cidery at home. I followed his kickstarter, then I was able to visit his cidery after I had started my own. His passion for proper cider is truly admirable.”

Finally, English cider maker Tom Oliver, who has done so much to revive interest in traditional ciders in the UK and America, added, “Cider is cider and while Cider Riot may be gone, I really hope to see Abe returning to continue his cider odyssey. As soon as possible. He is too good to lose, and cider does flow through his proverbial veins.”

There is some possibility the brand will live on. Abram is in discussion with a local brewery to continue making Cider Riot ciders. Whether that happens or not, they won’t be made by Abram nor sold at his wonderfully homey little pub (they will follow his process and use the same apple varieties). Abram also hopes to keep Pressing Matters alive—his annual celebration of traditional ciders. There is no plan for 2020, but look for that to continue.

We’re losing a good one. You do still have a week to stop into the pub and say goodbye. Abram was surprised when Rock Bottom closed without warning and didn’t give fans a chance to say goodbye. There will be closing party on Saturday, November 9th (and growler fills on Sunday), and I definitely plan to be there to offer a proper goodbye. With a pint of proper cider.