Events / kid friendly

September is our busiest month of the year and this year was no exception.  We spent 8 days at the Big E in Springfield MA and during that time we gave out over 25 gallons in samples alone, holy wow, that's a new record! Twenty five gallons translates to about 17,500 Fire Cider samples - in home compostable sample cups of course!  We are so thankful to everyone who came out and gave our strange tonic a try. [caption id="attachment_742" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Sheri and Dan taking their daily shots of Fire Cider at the Big E.[/caption] While the Big E was going on, four of us went to Baltimore Maryland for Natural Products Expo East, second only to Expo West which we will be attending in March.   We were lucky to have Daniel Esko, formerly of the Berkshire Coop Market join Team Fire Cider on September 2nd.   Daniel, Brain, Dana and I drove 6 hours to Baltimore, in two cars packed to the gills with Fire Cider for the Expo. [caption id="attachment_746" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Arriving at Expo East in the Baltimore Convention Center.[/caption] We had an awesome time at the Expo- we met a whole bunch of our retail partners, whom we have known for years via email and phone.  It was so nice to finally meet them in person!  We also connected with a lot of people who were excited to try Fire Cider for the first time as well as some super fans who went home with free bottles, t-shirts and shot glasses. [caption id="attachment_747" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Having fun at the Expo! Daniel, Brian and Dana with the backdrop I made.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_749" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Fire Cider was nominated for the NEXT award given out by New Hope Media who runs Expo East and Expo West, what an honor![/caption] It was certainly not all work for the three days we were at the Expo in Baltimore.  Mom's Organic Market, one of our retail partner's held a party at Alewife, a local bar with 40 beers on tap, at the end of the first day of the Expo.  We had a blast, thanks guys! [caption id="attachment_743" align="aligncenter" width="538"] The Mom's Organic Market party was the place to unwind after the first day![/caption] And we got a recommendation to try out a Butcher Shop and Restaurant called Parts and Labor that sources local and humanely raised, free range animals which they butcher and cook on site, using the whole animal.  This place was so similar to Fore Street in Portland Maine it's almost as if the idea of nose to tail local butchers working closely with near by farms is catching on! [caption id="attachment_754" align="aligncenter" width="538"] This Wendell Berry quote on the menu really captures the whole knowing your food and your farmer idea.[/caption] And on that note we ate about half the menu, our dinner ended with a recommendation from our server Issac who we will all remember forever for his insights: [caption id="attachment_752" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Best ham ever, it was truly a divine experience.[/caption] Thanks Baltimore, it was fun, it was exciting and we are already planning for Expo West in L.A. this coming March 2015! [caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Sheri had more than a TON of shipping to do after the Expo, 4 pallets plus the cart, all in one day![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Dana and Sean with our other new addition![/caption] We are getting ready for our biggest fall yet and so we have hired our first full-time employee, welcome to team Fire Cider Mr. Callaghan!   Sean's actually been helping us out, officially and unofficially, for years.  Sean and Benny 'Fingers' Kohn wrote and recorded a rock n roll theme song for Fire Cider in 2012.  Sean has helped us in the kitchen making Fire Cider, and has personally hand washed many, many pounds of horseradish roots.  Sean is now offering in store Fire Cider tastings and attends the SoWa Farmer's Market in Boston every Sunday. [caption id="attachment_687" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Ready to rock at the SoWa Market in Boston. Nice T-shirt![/caption] Now that he's officially, finally, part of Team Fire Cider, you'll see Sean all over New England offering free samples of Fire Cider at festivals, shops and cafes.  Sean will be working closely with our retail partners too.  Want to see Fire Cider for sale somewhere?  Feel the need for an in store demo aka free samples?  Sean can be emailed directly at, you guessed it: [email protected] The Big E is held in Springfield MA every year.  Sean, Dana, Brian, Sheri and I will be there, next to the Massachusetts building on the weekends, Friday September 12 through Sunday the 14th, the weekend of the 20th and 21st and Friday the 26th to Sunday the 28th.  Last year we gave out about 15,500 samples of Fire Cider (in biodegradable cups!) over the course of the event.   Let's see if we can't beat that record this year! [caption id="attachment_686" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Sean and Dana having a laugh in the warehouse.  DIY Halloween costume![/caption]

Show us your best Fire Cider face!   Or your Fire Cider tattoo (no, seriously, we heard this was a real thing!), your friends trying Fire Cider for the first time, the funniest, weirdest, coolest way you use Fire Cider.  Get creative and you could win one of four $25 gift certificates to your favorite Fire Cider retail shop.  Sound like fun?  Here's how to enter the contest: Send us one photo OR one 60 second or shorter video along with your favorite place to buy Fire Cider.  We'll let our Facebook fans pick two photo winners and two video winners and each will receive a $25 gift certificate to the shop of your choice. [caption id="attachment_635" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Amy and Dana say: Beware The Underdose![/caption] Email your photo or video with the subject line "Fire Cider Contest" to [email protected] by Monday July 14th at midnight est.  We will post your photos and videos on our Facebook and Twitter during and after the contest.  Brian, Dana, Sheri and Amy will narrow down the entries to our top favorite picks and let people vote on our Facebook page starting on Tuesday July 15th. [caption id="attachment_636" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Our daily doses, down the hatch![/caption] Like us on Facebook if you haven't already!  The four winners will be emailed directly with how to redeem their gift certificates.  You can send in as many submissions as you like, one per email please.  Here's Amy and Dana's Fire Cider faces, show us yours!! [caption id="attachment_637" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Hurts so good![/caption]

Team Fire Cider is looking for 20 or more friends to join us for the annual Pittsfield MA, Independence Day 5 K race! We are giving out Fire Cider T-shirts to wear for the race and keep forever for the first 20 team members to show up for the race. Prizes will be awarded for first place, last place and best costume; think red, think fire, or just dress up like a pirate!  I have a feeling the prizes will be Fire Cider. We will meet at 9 am at Wahconah Park to hand out shirts, trash talk, stretch like we mean it and take a vote for best costume. Pittsfield Independence 5K Road Race, Wahconah Park , Pittsfield, MA, 9:30 am start time, Before Pittsfield Parade Here's a link to all the official details of the race: http://www.plattsys.com/waspeview.asp?eventid=1154 Send in your application for the race and run with Team Fire Cider!  Find the event here on Facebook and we'll see you on the 4th of July. [caption id="attachment_391" align="aligncenter" width="538"] A loud and clear message on the back![/caption]

Have I mentioned lately how amazing it is to be working in partnership with the Franklin County Community Development Corporation- say that 5 times, fast!   They offer guidance to anyone interested in starting a business and they have provided us with a space to produce Fire Cider and continue to grow our small business.  The CDC is currently under construction to expand their cold and dry storage as well as their commercial kitchen.   We are stoked to have more space to make more batches of Fire Cider. Last year the CDC's loan program, headed by Alan Singer, made it possible for us to upgrade all of our equipment to food grade stainless steel.   We were super happy to say goodbye to all of our plastic barrels.  We found them homes as rain barrels! [caption id="attachment_323" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Stainless steel steeping tank, stainless steep pump parts, only the best for your Fire Cider![/caption] Less than a year later, we approached Alan with another loan request, this time for two pieces of kitchen equipment that would save us many long hours in the kitchen, taking a lot of stress and physical labor out of making Fire Cider.  The result?  An awesome scrubbing tunnel that has turned a 10-12 person hour job into a 30 minute exercise.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It used to take 2 people working non stop scrubbing organic horseradish for hours on end just to prep that one ingredient for 2-3 batches of Fire Cider.  Now, we can achive even better results in just 30 minutes, and that includs set up, clean up and break down!   Here's a fun video of Dana and Brian trying out the scrubbing tunnel for the first time.  It's a bit loud, so turn the volume down! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f43-STEMEe8&feature=youtu.be Here are the before and after photos, can you tell we are super impressed with our investment?! [caption id="attachment_644" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Organic horseradish, covered in not so delicious organic dirt![/caption] [caption id="attachment_645" align="aligncenter" width="538"] So fresh and so clean and ready to be turned into Fire Cider.[/caption] With our second loan we were also able to purchase a chopper for the lemons and oranges.  Processing hundreds of pounds of citrus by hand is just asking for carpal tunnel, not to mention an injury waiting to happen.  This chopper, with it's graphic warnings, is definitely scarier than the chef's knives we've been using, and will save our hands and arms, as long as we keep them away from the blades! [caption id="attachment_646" align="aligncenter" width="538"] All thumbs ups, not to worry, we have cut resistant gloves to protect our hands while cleaning the machine.[/caption] And here's our new chopper in action, making batches Fire Cider just got a lot easier, which means that the three of us can safely continue making you Fire Cider for many years to come.   Yup, this video is loud too, what can I say, I'm working on my videographer skills! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSoH5OwJdiE&feature=youtu.be We are super thankful to the CDC and their staff for supporting the growth of our small business, we truly couldn't do this without them!  If you are thinking about starting a business, the CDC has you covered from the very beginning.

Our official SoWa market representative, Sean, will be sampling and selling Fire Cider at the SoWa Sunday Market in Boston every Sunday this month from 10 am to 4 pm - May 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th!  Oh, and he'll be there for the rest of the season too, though October!  Sean- you can even email him- [email protected] will take special orders for bulk, t-shirts and more, stop by anytime for a free shot of your favorite fiery health tonic! [caption id="attachment_405" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Getting ready for another great Saturday at New Amsterdam Market![/caption] Amy and Dana will be at the first New Amsterdam Market of the season on May 31st, Saturday from 10-5pm!  We are looking forward to seeing you all there! [caption id="attachment_575" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Blue Russ Health Coach sharing the love![/caption]

And, if you want to learn more about living the healthy life from the comfort of your home or office, check out this awesome      FREE 4 Day Women's Health Summit lead by Holistic Health Coach Blue Russ.

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Join us on Saturday March 8th at 7 pm for an intimate opportunity to learn about cooking with Fire Cider.  Let Dottie's, Carolann Patterson and the founders of Fire Cider show you how to really showcase it in your cooking! Dottie's chef will be featuring Shire City Herbals, co founder, Amy Huebner's healthful, mindful recipes as well as recipes from the Fire Cider Cookbook. You will take home an 8 oz bottle of complementary Fire Cider to experiment with and Enjoy!

Here's the Menu: Fire Cider Meat Loaf with Amy's mashed roasted cauliflower, steamed greens and Fire Cider slaw.

For dessert we will enjoy Fire Cider Apple Chutney over Ginger Ice Cream

The cost for this event is $30

Sign up NOW by calling Dottie's, 413-443-1792, as space is extremely limited.

Please feel free to share this event with your friends. We look forward to serving you!

[caption id="attachment_506" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Fire Cider 'slaw as served at Dottie's in downtown Pittsfield, MA[/caption]