During July, the Rotary Club of Kirkland hosted several beverage industry leaders, and and learned more about wine, beer, and cider. Betz Family Winery co-founder and widely recognized wine making consultant Bob Betz offered his perspective on why and how the wine industry has exploded, where it is today, and the opportunities and challenges of the future. Dr. Scott Vanderheiden shared his experiences developing, opening, and operating a local, craft brewery, Maelstrom Brewing Company, that currently offers 10 varieties of beer and other beverages.
Finally, Dr. Jeff Peterson introduced Rotarians to the history of cider production around the world and in the northwest, explained how cider is produced, share insights gained through a personal journey in the cider business, and led Rotarians in a taste test of five varieties of Twin Sisters Cider and one cider by another producer. Thank you to Dave DeBois for assembling this speaker series.