Small Business Success Story: Mountain West Hard Cider Company

On a business trip to Ireland, Jennifer and Jeff Carleton fell in love with dry European cider. A few years later, they moved to Salt Lake City and fell in love with the Beehive State. That led to them becoming Utah’s first dedicated hard cider manufacturer.

Today, Mountain West Hard Cider Company’s award-winning beverages represent 21% of cider sales in Utah. Next year, the veteran-owned business will celebrate its 10-year anniversary, with an eye toward growth into neighboring states.

Here the Carletons share insights from their entrepreneurial journey, how Zions Bank was able to support them and their business, and what makes their ciders unique.

Where did your entrepreneurial journey begin?

Jennifer: Jeff and I are originally from the East Coast. We were both working in Philadelphia for an insurance company when he had the opportunity to travel to Ireland for business.

I had never been a big beer drinker; I didn’t like how I felt after drinking it. While in Ireland, we discovered dry Irish cider. That kicked off an interest in hard cider in general.

This was 2008, before hard cider took off in the states. After that trip, we became cider enthusiasts and traveled around the country and world to seek out hard ciders. In 2010, we moved to Utah as part of a job relocation. We fell in love with Utah and Salt Lake City and saw there was an opportunity to become the state’s first dedicated hard cider manufacturer.

Jeff: We recruited a cider maker with 30 years of wine- and cider-making experience. We incorporated in late 2014 and opened for business in 2015. We’ve been growing ever since.

What should people know about your small business?

Jeff: We were Utah’s first dedicated hard cider manufacturer. Our products represent 21% of hard ciders sold in Utah, including large national brands. We’re in all 52 liquor stores in Utah and are also licensed to sell our products onsite, Sundays included. We plan to expand our distribution into surrounding states in the next 24 months.

In addition to manufacturing cider, we have a bar license which allows folks to come and taste our ciders. Our locally focused menu includes just about every Utah-made beer and spirit.

During the warmer months, we open our outdoor music venue. It’s a great outlet for enjoying ciders and it’s dog friendly. There’s also a tasting room and bar. We offer tours so people can come learn about ciders.

Jennifer: We like to support local nonprofits and have hosted events in our space for the nonprofit community. We partner with Green Urban Lunchbox to produce hyper-local hard ciders, sourcing apples that would have otherwise gone to waste from trees across the Salt Lake Valley. Every year, a portion of the proceeds are donated back to the nonprofit.

What makes your hard ciders unique?

Jennifer: There’s a misconception that ciders are sweet. Our craft ciders have a traditional European taste in contrast to major brands with a more saccharine flavor. All our ciders are made with fruit juice, and we don’t use concentrates or aromas. We offer five standard ciders year-round as well as rotating blends using ingredients that are in in season. We usually have four or five specialty ciders at any given time.

Jeff: While most of our ciders are similar to European dry ciders, we’re also branching off into some creative flavor blends ranging from chocolate to jalapeno pepper. Marcio Buffolo is our current cidermaker, responsible for the 25 medals we’ve won in the last year at national and international hard cider competitions. You might not consider Utah to be a cider region – we’re not known for apple growing – but our ciders can compete with the best.

How has Zions Bank supported your entrepreneurial journey?

Jeff: I was an Army lieutenant right out of college and spent six years active duty and then a couple years of National Guard duty. From the beginning, our banker at Zions connected us with veteran support services and gave us the resources and attention we needed. To this day, we appreciate those services and that effort on behalf of Zions Bank.

Looking to start or grow your own small business? Zions Bank offers online business tools including business templates, columns, videos and financial calculators. Our Business Resource Centers in Salt Lake City and Boise provide 1-on-1 counseling and group training for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Zions Bank’s Small Business Diversity Banking Program was designed to offer greater access to capital for veterans, minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community, and includes lines of credit, term loans, owner-occupied real estate loans and long-term fixed asset financing. Visit a local Zions Bank branch to learn more about banking benefits for veterans.

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