Ridge Cider Unveils New Packaging
Ridge Cider, one of Michigan’s fastest-growing hard cider producers, announced the addition of the Pure Michigan logo to its new hard cider packaging, signifying that the company’s hard cider is made with at least 75% ingredients grown in Michigan.
Ridge uses whole apples grown locally on the Fruit Ridge, West Michigan’s legendary apple country, as the base and main ingredient for its hard ciders. “Using local products is not only important to us, but also a huge part of our brand, as we’re named after the Ridge and use the shape of the state of Michigan in our logo,” said Matt DeLong, founder of Ridge Cider.
“Adding the Pure Michigan logo to our packaging is not only a way to further communicate our commitment to local to our customers, but also a way to cement that commitment for the future.” The logo appears on Ridge’s three canned ciders: Raspberry, Berries and Porch Sittin’, which contain other Michigan ingredients including blueberries from Jawor Brothers in Ravenna, strawberries from Lutz Farms in Manistee and raspberries grown in Sparta.
The Ridge area is considered a “fruit agricultural mecca” because of its unique features that make it one of the prime fruit-growing regions in the world, including deposits of fertile clay loam soils with excellent moisture holding qualities, elevation of greater than 800 feet and proximity to Lake Michigan. The Ridge is about 8 miles wide by 20 miles long, covering 158 square miles and accounts for 65% of all Michigan apple production, or 7.15% of national production.
Launched in 2015, Ridge produces more than 30 dry, artisanal ciders in the European tradition, made from 100% fresh Michigan apples, personally selected by DeLong. Ridge employs traditional farmhouse production methods that include native and secondary fermentation and use of wild yeasts, native to the region. Michigan is the third largest apple-producing state with 28 million bushels annually, or 11% of US apple production. Ridge Cider cans with the Pure Michigan logo will appear on shelves in mid-June 2018.
Source: Ridge Cider
