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David White jokes that he was brewing hard cider before anyone was drinking hard cider. Of course, he was drinking it and experimenting with different varieties of apples to come up with the best blends. A graduate of the Evergreen State College, David White was working in the coffee and espresso business by day and fermenting cider in his spare time.

In 2008 David attended a course on cider practices and principals offered at the Washington State University Experimental Agriculture Station in Mount Vernon, Washington. He soon figured out that he was pretty good at bringing out the best qualities of the apple in his ciders and Whitewood Cider Co. was born.

David White and his partner Heather Ringwood – hence that name Whitewood Cider Co.- set out to become the South Sound’s first craft cidery. David and Heather take the “craft” seriously and make each batch of cider in the most traditional way. They use heirloom apples from the Northwest, sourcing product from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. “There is a big difference between apples and ciders,” explains David. “I learned from lots of trial and error which apples produce the best ciders,” White adds.

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David White and Heather Ringwood are the co-owners of Whitewood Cider Co. Photo credit: Carrie Bell

David begins each fall by purchasing apples directly from the orchard. He brings a mobile press directly onto the orchard property and apples are pressed into juice just after picking. The cider that White ferments in tanks beginning each winter will mature and be ready to drink in June or July.

Whitewood Cider Co. distributes to many bars and restaurants in the area. According to the United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM), the cider market in the United States only averages about 2% of total beer sales. That number is slightly higher, reaching almost 3% in just five states including Washington and Oregon. Cider lovers can rejoice in knowing that cider drinking is trending up.

David and Heather both dreamed of bringing their ciders directly to the customer but knew the time and location had to be right. One day, they passed what I like to call “food truck alley” on the corner of 4th and Plum. Heather remarked that if the building housing Abby’s Cupcakes ever became available, it would make the perfect cider taproom. Less than six months later, they learned from the owners of neighboring Nineveh Assyrian that Abby’s would be consolidating to her Capitol Way location.

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Patrons of the taproom room enjoy some cider on a sunny fall day in the courtyard. Photo credit: Carrie Bell

The Teeny Tiny Taproom was a labor of love with many family members and friends working to get the building ready. Windfall Lumber provided tabletops, a bar top and seats. The cider taproom was busy almost immediately with people clamoring for one of the 14 seats inside the tasting room. A small courtyard outside the building is available when weather permits.

When I visited, the taproom had eight different hard ciders on tap. David plans to rotate the taps and offer at least five or six different varieties. Ciders range from Red Cap, which is described as a light, crisp, refreshing everyday cider, to Old Fangled Heirloom Blend that is made from 100% Washington grown heirloom apple varieties.

The neighboring food trucks have enthusiastically welcomed the taproom. Patrons are encouraged to visit the food trucks and bring their purchases into the taproom where David or one of his three new employees will gladly choose a compatible cider for your meal. On a recent visit to Akashic, I was even told that if I would like to wait in the  taproom, they would be happy to bring my food into me.

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The cider taproom has a selection of rotating taps and is served in 4 oz and 6 oz servings. Photo credit: Carrie Bell

David White is a founding member and past president of the Northwest Cider Association and has judged many prestigious cider competitions such as the Portland International Cider Competition and Sip NW’s Best of the NW competition.

The Teeny Tiny Taproom is located at 728 4th Avenue East and open weekdays from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. It is closed on Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday it is open from 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. You must be 21 or older to enter.

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