Cider, Sweat, and Teamwork.

It began with Marie and Matt Raboin, as they embarked on the journey of realizing a shared dream called Brix Cider. Over the course of several years and numerous glasses of cider, the concept took shape. Support and assistance flowed in from friends and family, who generously dedicated their time and effort to tasks ranging from farm cleanup and tree planting to cider production and tasting.

In moments of need, reliable babysitters also played a crucial role. The venture would undoubtedly be adrift without the collective support received. Since the modest outset, a skilled team of individuals has joined the cause, contributing their expertise to nurture the growth of the business and turn the founders’ aspirations into reality.

In the heart of Wisconsin’s rich orcharding tradition, where weather whims make apple cultivation an intricate dance, Marie and Matt have added a unique twist. Recognizing that even the tastiest apples may fall short of today’s beauty standards, they’ve become champions for local orchards. By providing an outlet for second-quality apples that would otherwise be deemed losses, they’ve turned imperfection into opportunity.

With over 25 orchards, including their own, in their harvest mix, the Raboins view each apple’s quirks as a chance to infuse character into their small-batch ciders. They’ve found that imperfection is the secret ingredient, enhancing the depth of flavor in every sip. Each orchard contributes its own distinct characteristics and apple varieties, allowing for a vibrant palette of flavors. This diversity not only makes each batch unique but also opens the door to creative experimentation with other locally-sourced ingredients, harmonizing with the distinct flavor profile of each orchard’s harvest.

43.008177,-89.738306

Brix Cider

From Home Brewer to Microbrewery

Argyle Brewing Company began when three local homebrewers with ties to the then dry town of Argyle banded together to establish a small state farm brewery in Washington County. Using local ingredients, the brewers at Argyle Brewing Company craft unique local beers that have gained popularity over the past few years.

With increased demand for their beers, the brewers at Argyle Brewing Company began searching for a way to bottle their beverages more efficiently. They discovered that finding a cost effective packaging solution for their beverages was not going to be easy. As a small-scale operation, they struggled to find a bottling or canning machine to fit their scale and their budget, let alone finding a solution that did both. In the end, the MicroBottler® All In One from DK Advanced Technologies was the ideal solution.

The MicroBottler® enabled Argyle Brewing Company to bottle and can their craft beverages more efficiently, which in turn allowed them to enter the bottled & canned beer market and broaden their distribution. As a cost-effective small-scale bottling solution, the MicroBottler® was a perfect fit for Argyle Brewing Company. Below is Matt Stewart from Argyle Brewing Company giving us his thoughts. 

Here are a few things Matt felt were selling points for the Microbottler, brought to you by DK Advanced Technologies.

43.094,-73.5053

Argyle Brewing Company

Hand-crafted cider and mead, designed for taste and quality.

Josh grew up on the border of Virginia and West Virginia in a region of Appalachia called the Allegheny Highlands.  He is fond of telling folks that growing up there: “If you were old enough to chop wood and make hay, it meant that you were old enough to make and drink hard cider.” 

After many travels and ventures he used the GI bill to study Horticulture at WVU, during which time he also went overseas and studied oenology in Europe.  During this time hard cider really started to make a comeback, however, none of what was available resembled those natural barrel aged ciders of his youth.  With a deep desire to get back on the farm, and seeing a hole in the market, Josh put all his effort into what is now Hawk Knob.

At Hawk Knob they hope to provide more than the cider they make; they hope to share a little bit of their culture and Appalachian heritage. Since before, during, and after prohibition, hard cider has been made in their region and throughout much of Appalachia. Many of these ciders were made from heritage apple varieties, wild apples, or a combination of the two. More often than not, these ciders were fermented and aged in used whiskey and bourbon barrels.

While barrel aging and barrel influenced ciders are becoming more common these days, and considered by many to be a modern trend, this style of cider making is part of their cultural heritage. Much of what they do at Hawk Knob is an homage to the old-time cider crafters and their Appalachian roots. 

Here are a few things Josh felt were selling points for the Microbottler, brought to you by DK Advanced Technologies.

43.094,-73.5053

Argyle Brewing Company

Kitchen Kombucha

Bri and Helen are both trained herbalists, seasoned gardeners, brewers, and service industry veterans with over 25 years of experience between them. Their extensive understanding of growing and preparing medicinal and culinary plants stems from formal herbal trainings and ongoing practice as herbalists in the community. Their shared insight of how herbs grow best and how and when to harvest seasonal edible plants is coupled with experience formulating recipes to best showcase the botanicals in each batch of our kombucha.

They got started at home in their kitchens, experimenting with fermentation. Brought together by a mutual love for wild and cultivated medicinal plants, they combined their crafts and started making kombucha. When they shared their brew with family and friends, the people wanted more!

Here are a few things they felt were selling points for the Microbottler brought to you by DK Advanced Technologies.

43.194,-70.8815

Auspicious Brew – 1 Washington Street Suite 1103 Dover, NH 03820

From Home Brewers to Brew House. 

Raquette River Brewing is located in Tupper Lake at the crossroads of the Adirondack Mountains in Northern New York State. The brewery was founded in 2013 by natives Mark Jessie and Joe Hockey. What began as just two friends brewing together in a garage with a $4,000 home brew kit quickly transformed into a dream. After mastering their skill, they decided to make their dream a reality and open the doors on Balsam Street. Raquette River Brewing was born from a passion for craft beer and brewing. Brewing on a small scale affords the opportunity to experiment and innovate with a variety of ingredients, some local, some exotic.

They believe that every batch of beer should be as unique as the people enjoying it.

Here are a few things Matt felt were selling points for the Microbottler brought to you by DK Advanced Technologies.

44.224,-74.4641

Raquette River Brewing

From Hobby to Lifestyle.

City Scape Winery was born in Greenville, South Carolina in 2009. Owners Josh and Deb Jones are the youngest winery owners in the southeast. Here is their story:

It all started on a cold, rainy day in the fall of 2009. Stuck inside with nothing interesting to do, the pair decided to confront the issue of “boredom” head on and started to think of some creative things they could do.

Their minds went to the thought of making beer, as plenty of their friends were pursuing this as well, but they didn’t want to be like everyone else. Well, “How about wine?” Being raised near the Finger Lakes wine region in New York, the pair grew to have a passion for wine over the years. 

Naturally, they turned to YouTube tutorials on the winemaking process to see if they were ready to commit to the process. After doing research, they decided they were ready to take the plunge. They found a local winery and winemaking supply store near their home in Greenville, South Carolina. They pulled up to “City Scape Winery” and were greeted by owners Wayne and Anita Tamme. Hours later, they walked out with the proper wine making supplies and their first winemaking kit. Little did they know that this action would change their lives.

Here are a few things Josh felt were selling points for the Microbottler brought to you by DK Advanced Technologies.

34.5794,-82.2908

City Scape Winery

A Sunday Kind of Love.

Michelle and Bill Snyder, owners of Windy Brew, opened this family-run business with a passion, a garage, and a love for beer.  Starting out with a beer kit as a gift, turned into buying a kettle and going into a full-grain brewing hobby. 

Windy Brew was founded on Bill’s love of home-brewing beer in the kitchen on a Sunday morning. After visiting a brewery in Ohio where patrons could brew their own creations, they wanted to bring this experience back to New York as a weekend hobby. They transformed their garage into a brewery with an addition for a taproom and opened in March 2017. In 2020, Bill was unable to brew due to an injury — he taught the current Head Brewer, Russ the ropes, and Windy is now fortunate to serve both their creations to their customers!

After 6 years of operation and surviving the pandemic, Windy Brew was looking to start something new. Following the success of their Strykersville location, the team at Windy Brew has recently opened a second location in Batavia, NY! They’ve transformed a 2500 square foot space into a brewpub, which features 16 beers on tap made and packaged in their Strykersville location.