Rheum After 5: Finding the Balance

“My first batch was 500 gallons,” Dr. Petersons says. “I brought some to our state rheumatology society for sampling and then began selling the cider commercially in 2018.”

Production

Dr. Peterson visits the farm on weekends along with his wife and their son, Cameron, when he’s home from college. Fall is the busiest time of year for Dr. Peterson’s cider production because that’s when the crops are ready for harvest.

“I hire a local high school football team to help pick apples, and my family picks pears,” he says. “After the fruit is picked, I press the apples on weekends, and then the fermenting process begins, which takes three months.”

The cider ferments during the winter months, and Dr. Peterson bottles his creations in the spring.

He says the most challenging aspect of being a cidermaker, has been learning how to market his brand, while the most rewarding part is the positive feedback from customers. Dr. Peterson has won several awards from Cidercraft Magazine, including a silver medal in 2020 for his Twin Sisters Perry and a Judges’ Pick last year.

“Working on the farm, making cider and mowing the fields, accompanied by our white German shepherd, Luna, provided me with a great way to destress,” Dr. Peterson says. Luna died last year at the age of 13, but her photo adorns the Twin Sisters label.

With the North American cider market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% through 2026 and reach a valuation of $4.66 billion, according to a Market Data Forecast report, Dr. Peterson is poised to see his cider business grow.

Luna, who died last year at the age of 13, is featured on the label of Dr. Peterson’s Twin Sisters cider.

Looking to the future, he says he’d like to work on more special orders, creating craft ciders on demand.

“Clients can tell me the characteristics of what they’re looking for in a hard cider (e.g., sweet or dry), and I’ll create a distinctive, custom blend,” Dr. Peterson says.

A Tasty Science

Being a cidermaker, Dr. Peterson says, combines his scientific background and his appreciation for fine cider.

“I love putting my headphones on and tending to the crops,” Dr. Peterson says. “I love making ciders that people enjoy. I’d never sell anything that I wouldn’t drink myself.”