Q. Are Woodchuck Hard Ciders gluten free?
Woodchuck Hard Cider is naturally gluten free as it comes from apples which contain no gluten!
Q. Why are your ciders priced differently in different stores?
We don’t get to set the final price you pay for Woodchuck. (Sorry.) Our independent distributors and retailers get to do that. Stuff like local sales taxes on alcohol and shipping costs come into play so they have to charge different prices.
Q. Is it possible to get a tour of the cidery in Vermont?
You bet! In August of 2014 we opened a brand new Cidery in Middlebury, with a brand spanking new Cider House. There is a self guided tour through our history and of course tasting bar and gift shop. More information including Cider House hours can be found here.
Q. How can I get a keg of Woodchuck?
Contact us here or at info@woodchuck.com and we will see how we can help!
Q. Are these questions really frequently asked or did you guys just make ‘em up?
Yes, they’re real. All except for this one, which we made up.
Q. Why do some people celebrate Groundhog Day on February 2nd and others celebrate Woodchuck Day?
The groundhog is just another name for a Woodchuck. You can also call them land beavers or whistlepigs if you want to.
We, however, recommend calling February 2nd Woodchuck Day so you have a solid reason to drink Woodchuck. If you call it Whistlepig Day, you’ll just get weird looks.
Q. Is Woodchuck Hard Cider an apple beer?
Nope. While apple beer and cider are both made from fermented stuff, apple beers have malt. Cider is made from pure apples, which, in our slightly biased opinion, is way better. (And gluten free!)
Q. Is the champagne yeast in your cider the same thing as brewer’s yeast in beer?
It’s not quite the same. The sort of yeast we use gives our cider a lighter character and higher alcohol content than brewer’s yeast would.
Q. Is your brewing process vegetarian and vegan safe?
We do not certify that our products are vegetarian and vegan safe. To our knowledge there are no animal, fish, egg or dairy materials in our products. These items are sometimes used in the beer and wine industry as a filtering agent (such as in glass) however Woodchuck Hard Ciders are not filtered using these agents.
Q. Are your products Kosher?
We don’t believe that there is any reason why Woodchuck Hard Ciders are not kosher, however they have not been kosher certified. We plan to research the requirements of becoming kosher-certified to see if our company is prepared to obtain such certification(s).
Q. What’s the difference between hard apple cider and apple wine?
Ciders have less alcohol. They contain about 5% alcohol compared to the 10 to 11% in most apple wines. Ciders are also carbonated. (Who doesn’t like bubbles?)
Q. Do you filter your cider in the production process?
Yup, twice actually.
Once after the base cider fermentation is done, using a Cross Flow filter. (If you’re a guy who knows his filters, you know that’s pretty good.) Later on, a set of membrane filters are used to achieve a really darn high level of purity. This is one of the reasons Woodchuck has such a long shelf life.
Q. What does Woodchuck do to help the environment?
As much as we can, actually. We recycle all of our waste plastic, paper, cardboard and glass. Our cidery has some fancy water saving measures that cut water usage in half. Also, during periods of peak power consumption, we’ll even shut down the place from time to time to save energy (enough companies have joined us in this program that we’ve all effectively reduced the need for one power plant in New England). Our bottles are made with up to 50% recycled glass. We even use Earth-friendly cleaning products. 91.5% of our power comes from renewable sources!