TELL US YOUR NAME, YOUR CIDERY NAME, AND A BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
My name is Stephen Hance - my business partner is a lifetime friend - Colin Post. The name of our cidery is Number 12 Cider. It is an urban cidery located in the North Loop We also operate a dedicated wood-fired pizza truck called Little Tomato. We have 16 tap lines that offer the full spectrum of ciders from traditional, dry and tannic to modern, fruited and semi-sweet. We source apples that we press in-house and juice from specialty growers around the midwest. We offer a range of products in distribution throughout the metro area and beyond. We believe the best ciders come from pairing the best apples with the most suitable yeast using traditional methods. We set out to reinvent the cider tradition one cider at a time.
“Cider is a category as broad as beer or wine with product profiles ranging from sweet and fruity to dry and tannic...”
WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT CIDER?
The elegant simplicity of cider is what drew us in together with its fascinating history. It is amazing that the simple interaction between apple juice and yeast can result in such a diverse range of beautiful and delicious ciders. We are dedicated to mastering all of the many methods and traditions of cider-making. We were also drawn to this tradition of cider-making after learning of its history from the silk trail, ancient Rome and its popularity in early America.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH EVERYONE IN MINNESOTA KNEW ABOUT CIDER?
That cider is a category as broad as beer or wine with product profiles ranging from sweet and fruity to dry and tannic, including barrel-aged, imperial, hopped, pet-nat and many other styles.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CIDERY’S HISTORY. WHEN WERE YOU FOUNDED? WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO MAKE CIDER?
We got our first boost of confidence winning a blue ribbon in the Minnesota State Fair cider-making contest in 2012. That cider, which was made from apples foraged and pressed together with Sapsucker Farms in Mora, was entered as "Number 12" based on the number that was assigned to the batch that year. From there we partnered with the Deer Lake Orchard and started a farm winery in about 2015 in Buffalo, Minnesota. After 3 years operating a very seasonal and part-time business we decided to go full time and moved the business to the North Loop in Minneapolis opening our doors in 2018.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU ONLINE?
Our website is www.number12cider.com. Customers can check out our offerings and even order merchandise or cider products (for out of state customers) through the website. We also have a YouTube page with cider-making videos: https://www.youtube.com/@Number12Cider, an Instagram page and a Facebook page. Come check out our beautiful taproom and patio at 614 N. 5th St., Minneapolis, MN 55401.