05/30/2023
Over the past few months quite a few people have reached out to ask us when we will be reopening this year. We are overdue for an update.
The Sutliff Farm & Ciderhouse has meant a lot to us. Sutliff Cider is the first cider company in Iowa, and one of the earliest craft cider brands in the Midwest. Sutliff was founded by Scott and Pia Ervin nearly twenty years ago, and for a long time was the only cider made in Iowa, but luckily for all of us cider lovers, they made an amazing product. And so many amazing memories are housed in the historical barn that Scott and Pia carefully restored and developed into a proper Ciderhouse - from live music and Sunday Funday to weddings hosted on the farm.
Paul met Scott not long after we moved to the area. They bonded over a passion for cider and old barns. Early on, Paul told Scott that he had plans of establishing his own hard cider business; rather than being frustrated or competitive, Scott and Pia were always gracious and helpful. Since we planted our commercial orchard in Solon in 2007, Scott has been one of our biggest supporters, and our apples have been a part of what makes Sutliff Cider so unique. Scott and Pia have been friends and allies in restoring a cider culture in Iowa.
When they relocated to Kansas City in 2018, we agreed to purchase the brand and wholesale business, and then when the opportunity presented itself in 2020, we agreed to manage the operations of the Farm & Ciderhouse on Sutliff Rd.
In truth, the fact that we owned the brand and wholesale business, while Scott owned the Farm & Ciderhouse has been a bit awkward operationally and confusing for many of you all. Our intention in agreeing to manage operations was to reintegrate the brand and wholesale business with the property, and recreate the experiences that made it so special in the first place.
Unfortunately, the decision has been made to not reopen Sutliff Farm & Ciderhouse for now. We appreciate your patience as we worked to exhaust all options. Scott and Pia plan to turn the property into a private residence, we appreciate you all respecting their privacy. We want to thank Scott and Pia for the opportunity to steward the Farm & Ciderhouse. We also want to thank our amazing team who helped us operate the property. We tried a lot of things and made so much progress in a short period of time.
Over the past two and a half years we have met some amazing people and are extremely grateful for your support. You all are what makes the experience unique; you want to see the Sutliff succeed just like we do and that means the world to us.
Going forward, our hard ciders will still be available at bars, restaurants, and retail accounts throughout Eastern Iowa. The Sutliff Farm & Ciderhouse programming, including the Sunday Funday live music series will be moved to Wilson’s Orchard & Farm just south of Solon on Highway 1. We look forward to seeing you all there, and hopefully someday back at 382 Sutliff Rd.
