“Utah is my eighth state,” Joe Bott admitted laughing as if even he still finds it hard to believe. “We moved constantly for my mom’s job. But somehow this ended up being the place that made the most sense to come back to.” Joe’s journey is as winding as the story behind Second Summit Hard Cider Co., which he owns in partnership with his mother, Vicki.

“Finally, something I actually enjoy drinking.” That was the reaction of Jennifer Carleton when she first tried hard cider in a pub outside Galway.” Jennifer is the founder of Mountain West Hard Cider along with her husband Jeff. Jennifer had always loved mulled cider - the warm, spiced, non-alcoholic kind served during the holidays. But it was not until a 2008 work trip to Ireland that she discovered its boozy cousin: crisp, refreshing, and poured like a pint of beer.

“Our mission is really about being stewards of cider culture and providing education to people that don’t know a lot about cider and the wide variety there is.” Elisabeth Osmeloski, co-owner of Scion Cider Bar in Salt Lake City, has been a pivotal figure in introducing and promoting the cider culture in the region.