Also new this year were some fellow cider makers. As Vander Mill becomes more and more of an anchor to the growing cider market in the region, their role is likely to be somewhat of a gateway for new converts. The more they can introduce potential customers to the best of the best, Virtue, Northern Naturals and Sietsema among them, the more likely they are to create a sustainable audience for a real trend.

Paul Vander Heide's cidery is a growing family business. Along with his wife, Amanda, his brother Stu, and his parents, everyone was on-hand for the Fest. They accommodated over 500 festival-goers this year, and raised over $1,000 for charity. And they've already completed initial construction on a new production facility for next year. More tanks, more cider, and more distribution. Two new 4,000 gallon fermentation tanks sit ready, with another on the way. In 2013, Vander Mill aims to distribute to all of Michigan, and remove the constraints on Windy City, their distributors in Chicago. In the meantime, the cider ferments in large plastic bins stacked high, and batches of house beer bubble away in carboys, used to serve Black and Tans, and snakebites on-site. This is a cidery bursting at the seams, awaiting impressive growth on the backs of their inventive, quality ciders.