Cider Corps is well on its way to tripling production capacity with a permanent 14,000 square-foot cidery in Gilbert. Multiple public records have hinted, and Cider Corps has confirmed, that their new production facility is on a 2.5 acre property at 685 S. Gilbert Road.
Co-owner Jason Duren, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant, tells What Now Phoenix that all their cidery production will be moved to the Gilbert facility. In addition to production, the space will also be adapted for distribution and retail with 1,000 barrell capabilities and a canning line.
Further down the road, they may open the property to the public, possibly turning the surrounding outside space into a beer garden or simply operating an on-site tap room. But until then, Cider Corps will continue operating its main taproom on Robson Drive in downtown Mesa.
Cider Corps is owned and operated by Jason and his brother Josh. What started as a hobby for the brothers has now become Arizona’s largest craft cidery and taproom. Initially, Jason turned to cider brewing as a therapeutic hobby following deployment in Afghanistan, where he suffered two traumatic brain injuries from multiple IED blasts.
In the two years that following his return home, Jason struggled through the medical retirement process, making it apparent that disabled veterans needed more support. His newfound love of crafting cider, coupled with the desire to serve and give back to fellow veterans, led to Cider Corps’ first two releases in September 2017.
They opened their taproom in downtown Mesa on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2017, selling 2,600 pints on that first day. Since then, they have seen the taproom become the gathering spot they hoped for: a space where everyone can honor great sacrifice of our veterans and raise awareness for the many challenges they face back home.
Currently, the Mesa taproom rotates 12 to 15 cider styles and three cider slushies served by the glass. Their most popular flavors include Sangin’ Sangria, made with prickly pear, strawberry, orange, passionfruit, elderberry and lime, plus Mango Foxtrot, a blend of mango and rose hip that received a gold medal at the 2019 U.S. Open Cider Championships. For more information, visit CiderCorpsAZ.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
