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OUR MISSION
Mountain West Hard Cider started with a dream. A trip to Ireland revealed to founders Jeff and Jennifer Carleton the age old tradition of dry ciders. Upon their return to the states, they found locating high-quality, dry ciders to be a challenge. After extensive research, Jeff and Jennifer took the plunge and started Utah’s first dedicated cidery, located in Salt Lake City.
In the past five years, Mountain West has grown to be the most popular cidery in the state by cider sales, solid reputation and in our efforts to give back. We have partnered with several Utah-based nonprofits to help the community by donating a portion of sales revenue, hosting donation drives and raising funds for these organizations. We support local artists by hosting various events where artists and artisans alike can sell their goods, musicians can perform and creative communities can come together. As a result, Mountain West has developed a loyal fan following. Many cider drinkers gravitate toward local, small and independent producers. Local and sustainable, high-quality products are in high demand amongst consumers, further fueling hard ciders’ popularity.
Our Approach
Each Mountain West cider is produced on a small scale and is unique in that every batch is slightly different than the last – adding to its artisan feel. They produce the cider in their manufacturing site utilizing the traditional, old world style methods with modern equipment.
THE PROBLEM
Despite the increasing popularity of craft beverages and hard cider, the Mountain West region of the US is still largely untouched by the craft hard cider scene that dominates the Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes and Eastern seaboard. While craft beer production has skyrocketed in the past several years, the presence of a company that exclusively produces gluten-free, all natural cider hasn’t existed.
Contributing to hard cider’s success is its consumers shift to bolder, more diverse and upscale alcoholic offerings. Hard cider is a versatile base allowing for a variety of flavors that appeal to a broader audience.
Hard Cider, especially those small and regional cideries have created a new niche in the alcoholic beverage industry. Regional and local hard ciders currently account for more than 40% of industry sales and that trend is expected to continue for years to come.
The US cider industry has experienced double-digit sales growth year over year since 2014. Utah, and the middle states of the country have always been “late to the game” or lagged behind in adopting new trends, ideas and fads. Mountain West feels they are on the cusp of explosion and primed for expansion.
Mountain West sees an opportunity to grow the brand through expansion. We aim to expand distribution into other states, increasing production capacity and embark on a taproom and restaurant buildout for the local community to gather.
The Solution
Mountain West operates as both a manufacturer and retailer, so our customers can purchase our products directly from the source. We remain the only manufacturer in the state that exclusively produces hard-cider, which allows us to focus all of our efforts on creating a line of products that reflect the quality and tradition of the process.
As a retail or on-premise establishment, consumers can purchase our product 7 days a week for consumption off-site and take advantage of smaller batch offerings.
On-premise sales, specifically through our Tasting Room and Garten Bar experienced steady growth year over year. Mountain West operates the cidery as a community gathering and local hangout for good drinks, live music, entertainment and food trucks.
We have won multiple local accolades, and want to build on our established, loyal customer base by building out a restaurant to complete the customer experience and seize on the opportunity and also expanding beyond Utah. This requires new, larger infrastructure, equipment, vehicles, staffing support, and so on.
Our facility has 10,000 square foot workable space inside and 8,000 sq ft in event space. While the facility serves as the home base for the manufacturing and sale of cider, we possess a full-bar license where customers can enjoy their ciders or any of the products from their Utah-focused bar menu. The cidery and surrounding outdoor space have made the venue an excellent location to host weddings, private events/parties, company celebrations and even full-scale event exhibitions.
We are eager to capitalize on the space and expand the business.
The Market
Alcohol sales in Utah have been climbing year over year, reaching a record height of $479 million in fiscal 2018-2019. Overall, cider retail sales revenue is 10x what it was 10 years ago, with 40% of consumers between ages 21 and 29.
Consumption of hard cider among young adults has increased significantly. This demographic appeals to the local nature of the product, innovative packaging, and diversity in flavors. While Generation X consumers (43-55 year olds) are taking to craft beer and hard cider in significant numbers, it’s the millennial generation (25-42 year olds) that is accounting for much of the growth and a considerable share of cider sales. (Sundance Research, 2020). The cider Industry benefits from health-conscious and gluten-free trends. It has seen a significant increase in sales to consumers who prefer a healthier alternative to other alcoholic options.
On-premise cider sales are 4.5X larger than flavored malt beverage sales and statistically speaking, cider drinkers visit and spend money at on-premise establishments more often than beer drinkers. Regional and local cider now makes up ⅓ of cider retail sales and 17 out of 25 of the top cider brands are regional or local brands.
Our Traction
Mountain West has experienced significant revenue growth since inception and, based on revenue, we are the #2 Cider in Utah; which also makes Mountain West the #1 most purchased local cider year-over-year. We have been voted City Weekly Utah’s “Best Cider” every year since we’ve been in business and have won awards for our ciders both locally and nationally.
“Best Hard Cider” brand of 2018
Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition (2018)
Silver medal in “Hopped Cider” category for Cottonwood Cider
Bronze medal in “Fruit Cider” category for Desolation Cider
“Best Cider 2017” for our Cottonwood Cider
World Cider Championships (2016)
Silver medal for Excellence in Brewing
Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition (2016)
Silver medal in “Modern Cider” Category for our 7-Mile Cider
Bronze medal in “Modern Cider” category for our Ruby Cider
Since inception, Mountain West Cider has partnered with several not-for profit organizations in our community. Beginning in 2016 , our partnership with local Community Supported Agriculture and food-share agency Green Urban Lunchbox afforded us the opportunity to produce a hyper-local cider using fruit harvested within a 25-mile radius of Salt Lake City. A portion of proceeds from each bottle sold are donated to Green Urban Lunchbox to fight hunger and food insecurity in the state.
Partnerships with local small business and nonprofits, such as the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, (SUWA), Utah Humane Society, Utah’s Pride Center, Mark Miller Subaru and The Subaru Share the Love Event, to name a few, enable us to broaden our efforts and assist in fundraising for causes and the communities we support and call home.
What We Do
Mountain West’s award-winning hard cider varieties include Ruby, 7-Mile, Cottonwood, Desolation and Sweet Alice Sweet. All ciders are made using a blend of apples sourced from the Mountain West Region and are free of artificial aromas, colors, and flavors. Our ciders are available in our retail store and taproom, state controlled liquor stores and on- premise locations around the state.
As a result of the pandemic, Mountain West Hard Cider partnered with Bevv.com, direct to consumer e-commerce platform to offer a variety of ciders to consumers in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, and Nevada. We have seen a steady sales increase on this platform and will add more states in the coming months.
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Location, location, location! Mountain West Hard Cider not only operates as a manufacturer of hard cider, but our expansive outdoor space and bar are situated in the heart of the growing West Capitol Hill neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah’s largest city. Our proximity to many newly developed luxury housing complexes, the SLC International Airport, sports venues, entertainment venues and the downtown area make Mountain West Hard Cider a sought-after and convenient space to gather. Coupled with the fact that we offer retail sales on Sunday, many out-of-state residents find solace in our near constant accessibility.
The Business Model
From 2015 to 2019 a large portion of our sales were attributed to the State of Utah and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control meaning that our principle lines of cider have been made available across the state in nearly every county for consumers. In addition to the supply and demand of the state-run stores, we have built strong relationships with bars and restaurants throughout the state of Utah amounting to hundreds of establishments serving one or more of our products.
How We Are Different
We saw an opportunity to bring our love of hard cider to an underserved community and we seized it!! As of now, Mountain West Hard Cider is the only exclusive hard cider manufacturer operating in Utah, meaning that though there are producers of hard apple cider in the state, they primarily produce other alcoholic and or non-alcoholic beverages whereas we only produce dry, hard cider.
The Vision
The expansion of Mountain West Hard Ciders has been swift and effective. Within the next 5 years, we aim to be a $5-$7 million gross revenue cider manufacturer and distribution company, as well as a bar/restaurant owner and management organization. In-state sales will continue to grow with the addition of new ciders and the transition to cans, and our costs will continue to decrease as our volumes grow and we negotiate more favorable agreements with our vendors.
Our current operation is scalable, and we can increase production volumes with limited additional expenses. We plan to begin production and distribution in states across the country and we are actively pursuing out-of-state distribution opportunities. Currently we ship our products to select states through a third-party direct to consumer platform, but our overall goal is to have direct relationships with resellers in surrounding states.
Currently, state-level legislation is actively being lobbied for, which would change the current regulations regarding the sale of high ABV products by retailers like grocery and convenience stores. The pandemic events of 2020 have led many local bars and restaurants to lead new efforts to change the restriction on “to-go” items and zoning restrictions for outdoor drinking areas. All of these efforts have begun to shift the narrative at a state level and have opened the door for more clear and concerted lobbying efforts.
Additionally, fundraising will support the addition of a restaurant in our current space. Pro forma expectations would indicate a $300,000 addition to net revenues. In the next 5 years, we would like to add an additional cider-centric brew pub. We’ve been approached by multiple developers but want to get the current space at our location ready for full-scale service first.
OUR LEADERSHIP
The founding members of Mountain West Hard Cider, Jeff and Jennifer Carleton saw the chance to bring their love for hard cider and knack for business together in a way that would make craft cider locally available for the first time. They were fortunate to have recruited Joel Goodwillie, a wine-making veteran, who had retired from his own successful business in the industry and was quick to hop on board. With the idea and plans in tow, Larissa Brown joined the team in the first year to take direction of Sales and Account Management. Today, the Mountain West team is composed of the same four cider-loving people, but has grown to include a marketing department and full bar staff. Mountain West is a place that truly feels like home, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Why Invest
Mountain West Hard Cider is a family-owned and operated business that came to fruition because of the love that our owners have for not only the region that we operate in, but the tradition behind the craft. We source ingredients with sustainability and quality as the core of our criteria for our suppliers. Creating cider that tastes good and does good for our community is the cornerstone of the operation. We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the space that we thrive in. Through partnerships with non-profit organizations and fellow brewers in the valley, we seek to make every day a day fit for celebration. We make cider because we love it, but we sell it because our customers love it more. Backed by a community of loyal customers who share in our passion for cider, we are ready for the next level of nationwide distribution, and we can’t wait to have you on board!
"I’m very much aware that this is SLUG’s Beer Issue and not the Cider Issue, but ciders and beers go hand in hand across the globe. They are the two most popular beverages in the world, beer being No. 1. Though they have their differences (apples versus grain), the ever-changing and evolving nature
Here we are, on the Gallivan Center stage alongside our fellow judges and other staff from SLUG. After a few nervous words in the mic, we utter the not-exact quote, “A cider has won the beer festival!” That’s right: Mountain West Cider had entered a truly tasty new cider called Garden Party. They su
This is an all-time list of the top cideries according to Yelp. We identified businesses in the cideries category, then ranked those businesses using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews.
Utah is lucky to have so many breweries and distilleries to choose from and some may not know that we also have a Dry Cidery in town. Mountain West Hard Cider is located just outside the heart of downtown Salt Lake. It has a tasting room, bar, and retail shop where you can sample a product, or
Wife-and-husband co-founders Jennifer and Jeff Carleton launched Utah's first hard cider operation with a plan for growth.
Mountain West Hard Cider: A First for Utah
“Does the limited-edition labeling make Ruby’s Gay Hard Cider taste any different than our regular Ruby Hard Cider? No. Will it make you gay? You can always hope.” Setting the tone for the specially labeled flagship cider on the back of the bottle, Mountain West Cider aims to “put some gay in your
Mountain West will continue to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each bottle of Desolation Cider to The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), in an effort to help protect and defend the Utah’s red rock wilderness and spectacular public wild lands that inspired the Cider’s creatio
Episode 63: Hard Cider in Utah
Today, Jeff and Jennifer Carleton are looking to bring back the popularity of hard cider. The husband-and-wife team founded Salt Lake City-based Mountain West Hard Cider in November 2015 after realizing it is an untapped niche. The Carletons also wooed longtime wine and cider maker Joel Goodwillie..
Utah hard cider maker says state's liquor markups squeezing profits, forcing expansion to Nevada
Before Prohibition started in 1920, hard apple cider, also known as apple jack, outsold beer as the go-to American beverage of choice. After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the country’s taste shifted more toward beer, with hard cider being viewed as a European import. But Jennifer and Jeff...
Company | : | Mountain West Cider Company, Inc. |
Corporate Address | : | 425 N 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84103 |
Offering Minimum | : | $10,000.00 |
Offering Maximum | : | $1,070,000.00 |
Minimum Investment Amount(per investor) | : | $250.00 |
Offering Type | : | Equity |
Security Name | : | Common Stock |
Minimum Number of Shares Offered | : | 10,000 |
Maximum Number of Shares Offered | : | 1,070,000 |
Price per Share | : | $1.00 |
Pre-Money Valuation | : | $6,500,000.00 |
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Time-Based:
Friends and Family Early Birds
Invest within the first 48 hours and receive additional 20% bonus shares
Super Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first week and receive additional 15% bonus shares
Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first two weeks and receive an additional 10% bonus shares
Amount Based:
250+
Seedling Member
- MTN WST Hard Cider Logo'd lanyard and bottle opener
- Inclusion in monthly opportunity drawing for local and MTN WST giveaways and merchandise
- Invitations to public and membership events (space limited)
500+
HoneyCrisp Member
- All above perks
- MTN WST Hard Cider T Shirt
- Free 32oz MTN WST Hard Cider Logo'd Growler
- 12 Month membership access in MTN WST In-Cider club access and benefits (see offering details for membership description)
2,000+
Golden Delicious Member
- All above perks
- 2 Complimentary Growler Fills (2 fills per 12 month period)
- 50% Discount on MTN WST sponsored event/festival attendance
- BOGO access to Quarterly food and cider pairing events (max 2 tix for 4 ppl)
- 2 Tulip Cider Glasses
- MTN WST hat
- 4 MTN WST Stickers
4,500+
Kingston Black Member
- All above perks
- Cidery tour and tasting for you and up to 10 of your closest friends
- VIP access to MTN WST hosted festivals/events
- Free admission to Quarterly food and cider pairing event(s)
- 4 Tulip Cider Glasses
- a second MTN WST Hat
- 4 Stickers
- 1 Night free stay at a downtown SLC Bonvoy property (room accommodations only, all incidentals and extra expenses will be at your own expense. Bonvoy property category 1-4 Property in the United States. Property blackout dates apply and availability is not guaranteed.)
10,000+
Spartan Member
- All above perks
- VIP Access & table discounts to MTN WST sponsored events/festivals for 2 people
- Free admission to quarterly food & cider pairing events (2 tickets)
- Birthday Box - includes limited release cider & a signature series cider Membership Meeting
- $300 credit in Airfare for a trip to Salt Lake City to visit the Cidery
*state restrictions may apply
** Membership includes:
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% StartEngine Owners’ Bonus
Mountain West Cider, Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Class B Common Stock at $1.00/ share, you will receive and own 110 shares for $100. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are canceled or fail.
Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.
The Company will not incur any irregular use of proceeds.
A crowdfunding investment involves risk. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. These securities have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, these authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this document. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not pass upon the merits of any securities offered or the terms of the offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering document or literature. These securities are offered under an exemption from registration; however, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that these securities are exempt from registration.
Investors, In-Ciders, Friends and Supporters,
Today is your last opportunity to invest in Mountain West Cider Company, Inc. We’ve enumerated all the reasons we think this makes sense for your portfolio and your community basket and I’m hoping that this last minute reminder will spark a call to action. Making the investment is made easy on the Start Engine website and the minimum is only $250. Buy now and we’ll see you at the first Founders party in 2022.
It’s officially a wrap on “The Garten”, our outdoor venue. Work will soon begin on it’s replacement, a year round, restaurant/bar and entertainment venue. We’re shooting for a March opening, and will keep you posted on our progress for those of you who follow our Facebook page. This year was our highest grossing revenue summer on record so we’re expecting continued growth in our new facility.
My personal thanks to all of you who have supported our efforts to grow the business. Your confidence is not unnoticed and is certainly appreciated. Thanks to the Mountain West Cider employees who have explained and encouraged investors and represented us well to the public. Thanks to Sara Gillins our marketing director, that posted innumerable notices and articles and picture to help paint a compelling story.
Hope to see you soon!
Hello fans and supporters…
Well, we’re down to just two weeks left to raise funds. The offering closes on October 14th. This has been quite a journey for us. I think we started this process almost a year ago.
So, some great news. Revenues continue to outpace our pre-Covid run rate. I’m convinced this will be our highest grossing year yet. In the midst of that growth, plans are underway to start construction on the “new” Garten. The tents and stage will come down in the next couple of weeks and we’ll begin construction of the Garten Restaurant, a year-round, heated and air conditioned, full service bar and restaurant. I know that those of you who’ve endured the heat in the middle of the summer under the festival tent, will truly appreciate the new venue. And of course, we’ll still have one of the largest pet friendly patios and performance and entertainment venues in the city. We’re really going to upgrade the stage and lighting for the new space.
There is still time to invest as little as $250 in Mountain West Cider, but why would you do that?
Thanks for taking a look at this opportunity and thanks to those of you have already invested.
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the Mountain West Cider offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
Issuer extended the length of their campaign by 30 days.
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
Another reason to invest in Mountain West Cider… This past week we were informed that one of our ciders, Elliott Gold, had won a gold medal at the Great American International Cider Competition in New York. We’re especially pleased by this recognition of our great ciders because a local orchard owner, Jordan Reilly, brought the apple to our attention.
We’ve been buying apple juice from Jordan for years and last year he suggested that we make a single variety cider from a Utah developed and locally grown apple called the Elliott. Months later, this straw colored cider, bright, slightly tart, with a subtle spice flavor and aptly named Elliott Gold, brings home the gold medal. https://bit.ly/ElliotGold
I think it speaks to our willingness as business owners to collaborate with partners and pursue opportunities to grow our business. We’re also in a committed relationship with a local distiller to produce a Calvados, (apple brandy). In barrels for almost two years now, this will be a new source of revenue as early as late 2022. And we’ve recently begun conversations with another spirits distributor to produce an Apple Jack product.
We’ll continue to pursue opportunities to grow our business and with your help as an investor, we’ll just get there a bit faster. Thanks as always for your support, and remember you can invest for as little as $250.
- Jeff (Owner/Founder)
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello!
As you might know, Mountain West Cider has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Mountain West Cider be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.
This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.
Thanks for funding the future.
-StartEngine
It’s been quite a week and our numbers for July were recently finalized. I’m pleased to let you know that we’re on pace to generate more revenue in 2021 than in any previous year in an environment that continues to deal with the angst of Covid and the new Delta variant. I happen to be on a road trip to pick up apple juice in Washington and the state to state differences in how to best protect the public are very different. You can imagine, travelling from conservative Utah, through more conservative Idaho to Oregon and Washington. Wow. As a country, we are all over the place. But one thing is clear, people are anxious to get out, socialize and enjoy a beverage and cider is as in demand as ever.
The Mountain West staff manned a pouring booth and VIP space at the Utah Beer Festival this weekend. On Saturday, we poured for 9 hours straight and never had a break with lines that never seemed to end. Cider is still a much sought after gluten-free alternative to beer and we have an incredible following in the state of Utah. Our fans seek us out and invest in our future and continued growth.
If you are one of those fans and you haven’t taken the opportunity to learn more about Mountain West Cider and our growth plans, please go to https://www.startengine.com/mountain-west-cider and consider investing. You’ll find details about our history, our growth plans and lots of great perks you can earn as an investor. Thanks for your consideration.
Jeff Carleton, President
Friends, Supporters, Investors, and InCiders,
We’ve been honored and humbled by your support and hope that we’ll find additional investors that want to help us grow. While we’ll continue to promote the offering, we’re making plans for our Founder’s Day party next year. All investors will be invited to attend and celebrate our new Garten, (check out the perks section for more details), and plans are well underway to replace our festival tents with a fully air conditioned and heated two story building complete with kitchen and smoke house. Of course, we’ll still have one of the largest pet patios in Salt Lake as well as an outdoor stage for our local performers.
If you haven’t invested yet or are considering adding to your initial investment, know that we will grow substantially in the next 12 months. This is a great time to get on board with a minimum investment of only $250. Please share with your friends and hope to see you at the Garten this year before the close on the weekend of October 2nd & 3rd! That will be a blow out weekend, make sure you’re here to enjoy the fun! Construction on the new place will begin shortly after.
Thanks for your continued support of Utah’s craft cider.
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