Christine Bauman Walter is ready to go to work in Portland as Bauman's Cider Co. plans a inner southeast location with a taproom opening in the spring of 2024

Bauman’s Century Farm near Gervais announced that it’s entering 2024 with sights set on a second location for Bauman’s Cider Co. – Portland.

Work has already begun on inner SE Portland site, the former Ecliptic Brewing Moon Room, which was located on SE Oak St. near Sandy Boulevard. Plans are to open a taproom in the adjoining space this spring.

“For the business, this has been a crucial step to relieve the pressure on the original Farm’s infrastructure and means that we at Bauman’s Cider can now begin to imagine what it looks like to build an efficient and sustainable system for the long-term health of the farm and the cidery,” Bauman Cider Co. Founder and Head Cider Maker Christine Bauman Walter said.

Bauman sources toast the cidery’s first dedicated space in the city as a move that coincides with the eighth anniversary of when Bauman debuted its ciders at Portland’s CiderCon in 2016; CiderCon is returning to Portland this January for the first time since that landmark occasion.

Bauman’s Cider seeks to significantly expand its presence with the new site. The cidery’s current production space on the farm will maintain its cider operations and public tasting room, and it will focus on crafting Bauman’s harvest-driven, small batch ciders, like the award-winning Mountain Rose Single Varietal.

Bauman’s sources stress that the Portland location will focus on modern cider styles to meet the growing demand for all the company’s offerings throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“The Portland location is a key investment in the cider community, and will shine a light on what Bauman’s Cider has been doing in the Eastern Willamette Valley since 2016,” Walter said. “We’re excited to have a home base in Portland where we can highlight produce grown on Bauman’s Farm, and bring in other amazing cidermakers who are working collaboratively to expand the footprint of cider as a category.

“This is a great opportunity for us to keep the farm-driven production and tasting room right where it is at Bauman Farms, while being able to bring the farm and cider to SE Portland,” she added.

One constant through both sites will be Willamette Valley agriculture production.

“For us, Bauman’s has always been as much about the farm as it is about the cider,” Walter shared. “We see it as two sides of the same coin. The ingredients we grow on the farm —including the apples, the peaches, the berries, and all that — that will always be an important part of what we create and will continue to be included in the cider made at both locations.”

This core value is touted one that defines the craftsmanship of all Bauman’s cider; while fruit is carefully selected from partner growers across the Pacific Northwest, the majority of Bauman’s ferments derive from ingredients sourced directly from Bauman’s Farm.

For Bauman’s Cider, the move aims to build an integral bridge from the farm to the larger cider-drinking community.

While the core food program is still in development, guests can expect a menu sourced directly from produce grown on Bauman’s Farm. With 30 taps, occupancy limits of 230 (including the outdoor area), and a full-service kitchen, the spring 2024 taproom opening will launch one of Portland’s largest dedicated cider spaces and reopen a citywide-favorite patio just in time for sunnier weather.

The growth of both locations highlights Bauman’s unique blend in the American Cider Community, which merges traditional and modern cider-making approaches. This unlikely pairing is rare in the industry, and along with Walter’s entrepreneurial determination to build one of America’s best cideries, has led to the innovative style that continues to build international renown for Bauman’s Cider. The approach has earned the cidery over 150 medals and four consecutive Mid-sized Cidery of the Year awards at two of the most prestigious US cider competitions.

In the face of recent years’ economic downturn for both Portland and the brewing industry, Walter looks to this move as a beacon of hope for Bauman’s, the cider industry and the city at large.

“We’re excited to grow deeper roots here in SE Portland,” she enthused. “I’m a born-and-raised Oregonian and represent the 5th generation of family farming Baumans’ orchards. Oregon and the farm are in my blood, and I want to help both grow and prosper.”

To learn more about opening dates for the taproom, follow Bauman’s on Instagram at @baumanscider or visit baumanscider.com.