USACM Changes Name

After eight years of being known as the United States Association of Cider Makers, USACM has updated its brand.

On Tuesday, the group unveiled a shorter, more direct name, the American Cider Association.  The Association said the new look and name go hand in hand with new aggressive strategies to grow the cider industry, including achieving legislative and regulatory goals on behalf of the association’s members.

“We’re doing so much more in DC than we were four years ago. We’re speaking up for common sense labeling regulations, lobbying for legislation to lower excise taxes, campaigning for the permitted use of harvest dates on cider labels over 7% ABV, pushing for 355ml as an approved volume of fill, supporting transparency on labels regarding state of origin for apples, and more,” executive director, Michelle McGrath detailed.

Cider is a grassroots industry, but it generates over a billion dollars in annual sales. We’re ready for the next evolution of our trade association,” she continued. “Cidermakers will always be our #1 audience, but Congress is rising in importance. Lobbying with our old name was challenging. People often found it confusing, and you lost them about halfway through. It was long! American Cider Association is much more straightforward.”

Another goal for the Cider Association is to support more campaigns directed toward consumers and trade. “We will continue utilizing our Pick Cider brand for those efforts,” she said.

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