Our Story
In 2012, Nine Pin Cider started with an idea: to connect New York State’s apple crop, the second largest and most diverse in the nation, with the cidermaking expertise of Alejandro del Peral, our founder. With true passion, he committed to creating a New York cider company with the mission of supporting and adding value to New York farms and orchards. After convincing his family that his vision was supported by a solid plan, his mother, Sonya del Peral, signed on.
Finding the ideal manufacturing space was a challenge due to the specific requirements needed for a cidery operation including ceiling height, power requirements, loading docks, etc. In a twist of fate and clearly bringing good karma to the mother-son team, Nine Pin landed in Albany’s Warehouse District in the shadow of the 32 foot rose that his father had painted roughly 15 years earlier! Nine Pin started with a 5000 square foot facility that quickly expanded and it now operates in 24,000 square feet in the heart of Albany’s manufacturing district that has become a vibrant neighborhood since Nine Pin’s pioneering decision to locate there.
The founding of Nine Pin coincided with the passage of New York’s farm cidery law – a rare moment where business vision and legislation aligned. Nine Pin planned to and was able to secure New York’s very first farm cidery license. This was an incredible achievement and the recognition through media attention and other New York State marketing efforts that Nine Pin received provided brand attention that would otherwise have been impossible for the then start up.
Alejandro’s enthusiasm proved contagious. He brought in Nine Pin’s incredible orchard partner, Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York. Over the years, the Samascott team has worked closely with Alejandro to further design their orchard to meet Nine Pin’s growing demand in the variety and quantity of apples used to make its premium ciders. Over the years, Nine Pin has cultivated relationships with many other farms and orchards across New York State to provide a wide variety of agricultural ingredients for its ciders.
Nine Pin was founded with a simple mission: to support New York farms by producing quality craft ciders using 100% New York apples and other agricultural products from our state. With the guiding force of that mission, Nine Pin Cider continues to increase its production capacity and its regional distribution footprint all while benefiting New York ’s spectacular farms and orchards.
