FRANKLIN, W.Va. – Swilled Dog Hard Cider, a West Virginia hard cider company based out of Franklin, WV, is adding more ciders to their lineup, is expanding into Virginia, and has added one of its owners to the Board of the US Association of Cider Makers.
The family-owned business based out of Franklin, WV will now be offering its ciders in select counties of Virginia through its new partner, Dixie Beverage. The new territory will cover many northwestern Virginia counties including Loudoun Co., Fairfax Co., and Rockingham Co., and cities such as Winchester and Leesburg.
Beginning this week, Swilled Dog will also be offering its new Spring/Summer Seasonal, Rosé, across the entire state of WV and the Swilled Dog Virginia footprint. This craft cider is uniquely made with a blend of semi-sweet apples and is co-fermented with merlot grapes, while using the grape skins and a hint of hibiscus for the signature pink color. Unlike many of the commercial rosé ciders on the market, this cider features a lower sugar content and actual merlot grape juice to allow the natural flavors to provide an authentic, crisp finish. With sales of rosé wines and ciders fueling growth for the industry, Swilled Dog believes that its take on a rosé cider will provide a different flavor profile that both wine and cider drinkers alike will enjoy. Look for it in 6-pack cans and on draft in local stores, bars, restaurants and festivals.
In addition, Brooke Glover, Co-Owner and Sales and Marketing Director of Swilled Dog was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) for a three-year term. The USACM is an organization comprised of over 400,000 cider makers across the country. Brooke joins the 11-person Board that includes cider makers from companies such as Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, Bold Rock, Stem, and Noble. Her platform is to help push regulatory change for the growing industry on a national level and provide a fresh perspective for craft cider-makers.
Lastly, Swilled Dog put the finishing touches on its 2017 WV Scrumpy and will be selling it at local fairs, festivals, and events. WV Scrumpy is a heritage craft cider made entirely from donated West Virginia apples from across the state. 100% of all sales proceeds benefit local causes and charities. Proceeds from the 2017 Scrumpy have already gone to benefit organizations such as Crittenton Services in Wheeling, WV and Hair of the Dog, an event to benefit Kanawha County area animal shelters in Charleston, WV. The 2017 batch is following up its 2016 batch that took a silver medal at GLINTCAP and allowed the company to make an important impact across the state of West Virginia.
Swilled Dog Hard Cider Company is an award winning family owned hard cider company located in Franklin, WV. Launched in 2016, Swilled Dog’s passion is to bring their customers fun, flavorful, and refreshing craft hard ciders to enjoy with friends and family during the moments that matter the most while making an impact in the communities they serve. At Swilled Dog, they truly mean it when they say, “Live Life. Drink Great Cider.” Swilled Dog’s multi-state distribution footprint encompasses the entire state of West Virginia as well as northwestern Virginia. The company currently offers 6-pack 12 oz cans of their flagship and seasonal ciders. They have committed to donating at least 1% of all sales proceeds to local communities and charities.