Local Wichita Business Spotlight: White Crow Cider Company

If you have not yet tried the delicious cider at White Crow Cider Company, you are missing out! For those who have tried it, this amazing, local, family owned business has become a fast favorite. White Crow Cider Company is an urban cidery that creates modern style cider. Fresh pressed apple juice from Kansas orchards helps make their cider extra tasty, and all of their products are vegan and gluten free. They offer eight different unique flavors of cider. A growler of Jackberry Binger, Karma Apple, or Cinnamon Oak would make a wonderful holiday gift! Customers are encouraged to stop by the White Crow Cider Company tasting room to sample the flavors for themselves, and choose a growler to go. They also offer curbside pick up. We recently visited with Kenneth and Denise Gardner, the owners of White Crow Cider Company, to learn more about this exciting local business.

1. Business Name? White Crow Cider Company

2. How many years have you been in business? We opened July 29th, 2020

3. What inspired you to start this business? We spent a summer in Bristol, England and tried all the amazing cider England had to offer. When we came back home we couldn't find anything like it and really missed it. We decided to try and make it at home. Our first 1 gallon homemade cider was so fun to make and tasted awesome. We kept experimenting and making more and more cider. It got to the point we were giving it away since we were making so much. After a few years, it was clear we both loved making and sharing cider and decided to make it a business. It's nice to be able to educate people on the process and that not all cider has to be sweet. It can range in taste.

4. What kind of education or training prepared you to operate your business? Lots and lots of experiments and reading. We both took a cider making course at The University of Washington Extension Center outside of Seattle.

5. How did you know that Wichita was the perfect city to open your business in? It's a great city with lots of friendly people. There isn't a lot of craft hard cider in the state. It seemed like a logical choice to offer our hard cider in a place where the people are willing to try it and there isn't much hard cider to begin with.

6. What is your favorite thing about owning and running a business in Wichita? The friendly people!

7. How do you feel your business has impacted our community? We'd like to think that we are offering something unique to Wichita with craft hard cider made right here in the city. It's nice that people now have the choice to try something new and decide for themselves. It's also really helpful for the gluten free community to have another local option to drink.

8. What is the most heartfelt compliment a customer has given you or your business? It's always nice to hear that people are surprised how good the cider is, especially when they weren't expecting to like it.

9. What is the most amusing or funny experience you have had happen at your business or while you were operating your business? Denise had to add some nutrients to a batch of cider while it was fermenting in our tank. When you add nutrients to juice it tends to bubble and foam up like a science experiment volcano. Unfortunately, she didn't get the lid on the port fast enough and a volcano of apple juice erupted out soaking her head to toe in sticky apple juice. Hours later, after the entire floor had to be scrubbed and hosed off, her hair had dried completely hard. It was a sticky ride home to take a long shower.

10. How much do you treasure your employees and the people you work with? Well, right now it's just the two of us and we are married. Hopefully, we REALLY treasure each other.

11. What is the most satisfying aspect of being a business owner? We have a say in how absolutely everything is handled. What juice we buy, how the shirts look, the cleaning supplies we use, and all the local companies we deal with - it's all our decision. It's always satisfying to see a happy customer as well.

WHITE CROW CIDER COMPANY

Address: 1719 N Rock Road, Suite 133, Wichita, KS 67206 (Behind Havertys)

Phone: (316) 202-8191

Email: contact@whitecrowcider.com

Website: www.whitecrowcider.com

Instagram: @whitecrowcider

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteCrowCider/

Hours of Operation:

Wednesday - Saturday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Sunday - Tuesday: Closed

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