Blake's Hard Cider

Blake's Hard Cider, also known as Blake's Hard Cider Co., is an American hard cider producer based in Armada, Michigan. Founded in 2013 by third-generation farmer Andrew Blake, the company developed from the Blake family's apple-growing business, which was established in Armada in 1946.

Blake's produces hard cider using apples grown in Michigan and is known for fruit-flavored varieties including Triple Jam, a strawberry, blackberry and raspberry cider that became the company's best-selling product. The company expanded from approximately 50 cases per day at its launch to nearly 6,000 cases per day by the early 2020s, with distribution reaching 29 U.S. states.

In 2022, Blake's acquired Oregon-based Avid Cider Company. The following year, it combined operations with Texas-based Austin Eastciders to form Blake's Beverage Company, which became one of the largest cider producers in the United States.

History

Background and founding

The Blake family's agricultural business dates to 1946, when Gerald and Lovey Blake purchased an apple farm in Armada, Michigan. The farm was subsequently operated and expanded by members of the Blake family, including their sons Pete and Paul Blake.

Paul Blake's son Andrew Blake attended Michigan State University, where he studied economics and pre-law. After graduating in 2011, Blake worked for a software engineering company in Chicago and interned with a real-estate development company before returning to the family farm. He subsequently spent much of the following year experimenting with hard cider and developed a business plan for a hard cider operation using apples grown by the family.Blake's Hard Cider began commercial production in 2013. Its initial operation used wine tanks, with approximately 50 cases bottled by hand each day. The cidery was established as a year-round extension of the family's agricultural business, which had historically depended heavily on seasonal orchard traffic.

Growth

By 2019, Blake's was producing more than 26,000 barrels of cider annually.

By the early 2020s, production had increased to nearly 6,000 cases per day. Sales increased by approximately 10 percent between 2022 and 2023, and by 2024 the company's products were distributed in 29 states across the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern United States.

Food Dive reported in 2024 that Blake's Hard Cider expected approximately $54 million in revenue that year, with the company projecting revenue of more than $60 million in 2025.

Acquisitions and Blake's Beverage Company

In 2022, Blake's acquired Avid Cider Company, a cider producer based in Bend, Oregon.

In November 2023, Blake's Hard Cider and Texas-based Austin Eastciders joined to form Blake's Beverage Company, which also included Avid Cider Company. The three cider brands continued to operate under their existing names. The formation of Blake's Beverage Company created what was reported as the second-largest cider company in the United States.

Products

Hard Cider

Blake's produces traditional and fruit-flavored hard ciders using Michigan-grown apples. Its best-selling product is Triple Jam, a 6.5-percent alcohol by volume semi-sweet cider flavored with strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. Sales of Triple Jam increased by 24 percent between 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, Blake's introduced American Apple, an 8-percent ABV imperial cider. Sales of the product increased by 85 percent in 2023. The company subsequently introduced Big Jam, an 8-percent ABV imperial version of Triple Jam.

Other varieties produced by Blake's have included Flannel Mouth, El Chavo, Peach Party and Cider Mill Donut, as well as seasonal and limited-release ciders.

In 2019, the company introduced Blake's Lite Cider, a line of lower-calorie hard ciders initially available in apple, mixed berry and lime mojito varieties.

Blake's produces a range of year-round, seasonal and limited-release hard ciders. The company has also produced numerous varieties that have since been discontinued.

Blake's Brewing Co.

In addition to hard cider, Blake's produces beer under the Blake's Brewing Co. name. The brewery produces small-batch ales and lagers at the company's Armada property. Blake's Brewing Co. beers are served alongside the company's hard ciders at the Blake's Tasting Room and Orchard Square Tap.

The brewery has produced a range of beer styles, including India pale ales, lagers, stouts, wheat beers and seasonal releases. Among its beers are West Coast Bender IPA, Buck Forty, Donut Stout and Hazy IPA.

Operations

Blake's Hard Cider originated at the Blake family's orchard in Armada, Michigan, where the cider business developed alongside the family's existing agricultural and agritourism operations.

The company's primary cider-making operations are based in Armada and have historically used apples grown by the Blake family and pressed at its Michigan facilities. Blake's also operates a tasting room and restaurant at the Armada property, as well as Orchard Square Tap, an on-site taproom serving the company's hard cider.

The cider company remains associated with the Blake family's larger agricultural business. By 2024, the family's farming and agritourism operations encompassed approximately and four retail locations, which collectively received an estimated two to three million visitors annually.

Awards and recognition

At the 2021 U.S. Open Cider Championship, Blake's tied with Florida-based Broski Ciderworks for first place overall, the first tie for the top position in the competition's 13-year history. Blake's received gold medals for Grapefruit and Apple Pie, and silver medals for Amshire Iced Cider and Tropical Pineapple.

Blake's has also received numerous awards at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP). At the 2024 competition, Gold Rush received a bronze medal in Modern Cider – Dry, while American Apple and Orchard Reserve received silver and bronze medals, respectively, in Modern Cider – Sweet. Crabster and Spy 1 received silver medals in Heritage Cider – Dry, while Spy 2 received a bronze medal in Heritage Cider – Sweet. Northern Cherry received a bronze medal in Fruit Cider, Cider Mill Donut received a silver medal in Botanical Cider, and Quercus Spy received a silver medal in Wood Aged Cider. El Chavo and Sir Lush received silver and bronze medals, respectively, in Specialty Cider and Perry. Black Philip received a gold medal in Unlimited Cider and Perry, while Watermelon Heatwave, Imperial Triple Jam and Peach Party received bronze medals.

At the 2025 GLINTCAP, Blake's received ten medals. Silver medals were awarded to Mango Burn, American Oak, Key Lime and Peach Lychee, while six additional products received bronze medals. American Apple received a silver medal in Modern Cider – Sweet at the 2026 competition.

In 2025, Triple Jam received a score of 100 points and a Century Award at the PR%F Awards.

Philanthropy

In 2018, Blake's introduced the Kinder Cider series, a line of limited-release ciders associated with charitable organizations. The first release, Rainbow Seeker, was a pineapple and sage cider produced in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.

A subsequent release, Fido, supported Pets for Patriots, an organization that assists military veterans with adopting shelter animals.

In 2020, Blake's raised $10,000 for the Detroit nonprofit Empowerment Plan through sales of its Saint Chéri Kinder Cider.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Blake's converted part of its production capacity to manufacture hand sanitizer. The company and the associated Blake Farms operation also provided free lunches to children affected by school closures and collected medical supplies for area hospitals.

Controversies and legal disputes

Traffic Jam trademark dispute

In June 2019, Detroit restaurant and microbrewery Traffic Jam & Snug filed a federal trademark lawsuit against Blake Farms Hard Apple Cider LLC over Blake's use of the name Traffic Jam for a strawberry, blackberry and raspberry hard cider.

Traffic Jam & Snug alleged that the cider infringed its rights to the Traffic Jam name and could cause consumers to incorrectly believe the two businesses were affiliated. The restaurant sought damages and an injunction preventing Blake's from selling cider under the name.

Blake's disputed the allegations. Andrew Blake said the restaurant did not hold a federal trademark for the name and argued that any common-law rights were limited by the scope of the restaurant's operations. He said Blake's hoped the dispute could be resolved in a manner that allowed both companies to continue using the name.

Blake's federal trademark application for Traffic Jam, filed in April 2019 for use with hard cider, was subsequently abandoned.

2020 political rally controversy

In July 2020, Blake's faced calls for a boycott after a campaign event supporting then-President Donald Trump and law enforcement was advertised as taking place at Blake's Big Apple in Armada.

The event was associated with Republican congressional candidate Lisa McClain and was advertised as a rally supporting Trump and police. Promotional material listed members of the Blake family among the event's hosts and advertised appearances by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke.

The Blake family subsequently canceled the event. Andrew, Pete and Paul Blake said the business had originally agreed to rent private space under the impression that the event would be a small private gathering. According to the family, they canceled it after learning that the McClain campaign was publicly advertising it as an event supporting Trump and using the Blake family name in the promotion.

The Blake family said the business had historically rented space to members of multiple political parties and characterized the episode as a miscommunication. The controversy nevertheless resulted in calls for a boycott and negative reviews on social media and review websites.

Dinverno lawsuit

In 2021, Blake's became involved in a legal dispute between former Blake's marketing director Elena Dinverno and Rochester Community Schools. Dinverno sued the school district and two officials, alleging that they retaliated against her for social-media posts opposing remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Dinverno's lawsuit, school board president Kristin Bull contacted Blake's chief financial officer Marty Blake regarding Dinverno's activity in Facebook groups advocating a return to in-person education. Dinverno alleged that, during the call, Bull referenced Blake's president Andrew Blake's inclusion on Crain's Detroit Business's "40 Under 40" list and threatened to have the recognition revoked over alleged threats Dinverno had made against the school district.

Dinverno was subsequently called to a meeting with Blake's human resources department and, according to her account, was told to be cautious about her online activity. She denied having threatened the district and characterized her comments as advocacy for reopening schools. Blake's terminated Dinverno in December 2020, telling her that her position was no longer necessary. Dinverno alleged that the school officials' contacts with Blake's contributed to her termination.

Rochester Community Schools denied wrongdoing, and Blake's was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Andrew Blake said the company could not comment on the litigation because it was not a party to the case.

The school district later acknowledged in a court filing that a deputy superintendent had contacted Dinverno's employer, although it continued to deny wrongdoing. In 2022, the district settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pay $116,209 to Dinverno and $72,540 to her attorney.

See also

• Cider in the United States
• List of cider brands
• Michigan wine

External links

• Blake's Beverage Company
• Avid Cider Company
• Austin Eastciders