Ace Cider

Ace Cider traces its origins to California Cider, founded by Jeffrey House in July 1993 in Sebastopol, California. The company was established during the early revival of American hard cider following the end of Prohibition and is identified as one of the first cider companies formed in the United States during that modern period. Its base in Sonoma County was significant because the county, and Sebastopol in particular, had a long-standing apple-growing tradition. The area is associated with the Gravenstein apple and provided a regional agricultural identity distinct from the wine-grape production that increasingly dominated Sonoma County agriculture. House was from England and chose the Sonoma County location partly because its apple-growing landscape reminded him of his native country. That connection helped shape the company's identity: Ace Cider was not simply an alcoholic beverage producer, but a brand linked to an established orchard region and to the older cider traditions of the British Isles. Its principal business was the production of cider, an alcoholic drink made by fermenting apples. In 1999, Ace Cider opened a cider-centered pub in Sebastopol. The establishment was described as the first modern pub in the United States focused specifically on cider. The venue gave the company a hospitality platform through which consumers could encounter cider as a category in its own right. It remained open until closing in 2010. Ace Cider also became an important employer in the rural West County portion of Sonoma County. Its business represented a continuation of apple-related economic activity at a time when the region's agricultural economy was becoming increasingly concentrated around wine grapes. The company's rapid sales growth during the three to five years preceding 2013 was cited as evidence that an apple-based beverage business could remain commercially relevant in a region undergoing agricultural consolidation and homogenization. On November 15, 2021, Ace Cider was sold to Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. for $47.4 million. The acquisition ended the brand's period of independent ownership and placed it within a larger wine and beverage portfolio. The later financial difficulties of Vintage Wine Estates affected the brand's ownership outlook. In July 2024, Vintage Wine Estates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and indicated that it intended to sell all of its assets, including Ace Cider. The available reference does not identify the ultimate buyer or confirm whether production, employment, facilities, or distribution continued after the bankruptcy proceedings. Accordingly, the brand's historical development is documented, while its current corporate status remains unresolved.

• 2024

  Owner enters Chapter 11 proceedings

  [1]Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org

  Vintage Wine Estates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and planned to sell assets that included Ace Cider.

• 2021

  Acquisition by Vintage Wine Estates

  [1]Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org

  Vintage Wine Estates acquired Ace Cider on November 15 for $47.4 million.

• 2010

  Sebastopol pub closes

  [1]Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org

  The company's cider-centered pub closed after operating for approximately eleven years.

• 1999

  Cider-centered pub opens

  [1]Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org

  Ace Cider opened a cider-focused pub in Sebastopol, described as the first modern cider-centered pub in the United States.

• 1993

  California Cider is founded

  [1]Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org

  Jeffrey House founded California Cider in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, beginning the business later associated with Ace Cider.

A Sonoma County hard-cider brand rooted in the region's apple-growing heritage and in the early modern revival of American cider.

• Alcoholic cider · 1993

  Ace Cider hard cider

  The brand's core offering is hard cider produced by fermenting apples. The available reference identifies cider as the company's principal product category but does not provide a verified list of individual varieties, recipes, alcohol levels, package formats, or current product availability.

• 2024

  Asset-sale plans during owner bankruptcyStrategy

  Background

  Vintage Wine Estates encountered financial distress after acquiring Ace Cider and sought protection under Chapter 11.

  Action taken

  In July 2024, Vintage Wine Estates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and planned to sell its assets, including Ace Cider.

  Aftermath

  The available source does not identify the final purchaser or confirm Ace Cider's operating status after the proposed asset sale.

  Source

• 2021

  Sale to Vintage Wine EstatesM&A

  Background

  After operating as an independently originated cider business, Ace Cider became the subject of a corporate acquisition.

  Action taken

  Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. purchased Ace Cider on November 15, 2021.

  Aftermath

  Ace Cider entered the Vintage Wine Estates portfolio. The parent company's later Chapter 11 filing and planned asset sale left the brand's subsequent ownership unresolved in the available material.

  Acquisition price. $47.4 million (November 15, 2021)

  Source

• 1999

  Opening of a cider-centered pubStrategy

  Background

  Ace Cider operated during the early modern development of the American hard-cider market and sought to build a dedicated consumer setting for the category.

  Action taken

  The company opened a cider-focused pub in Sebastopol, creating a hospitality venue centered on cider rather than treating the drink solely as a packaged product.

  Aftermath

  The pub closed in 2010. It remains notable as an early modern U.S. example of a venue dedicated to cider.

  Source

1. 1Ace Cideren.wikipedia.org