The Beer Drinker’s Cider Debuts in Bellingham
Written and photographed by Cocoa Laney
If you’re a beer aficionado, you might think you don’t like cider– but chances are high that Dry Humor will change your mind. This crisp, approachable brew is the flagship flavor from Logan Cider, and it’s already causing a buzz in the Bellingham brewing scene.
Logan Cider is the brainchild of Founder and Co-owners Ryan and Emma Trude, who also happen to be husband and wife. Emma Trude is a fan of English-style ciders, which are often less sweet– but she had trouble finding a U.S. brand to suit her palate. The solution? The couple began brewing cider in their shed in 2018, and thus Logan Cider was born.
“Logan Cider came to fruition and exists for one simple purpose, which is to provide people with an easy-drinking, consistently dry hard cider,” says Ryan Trude.
Another key player in Logan Cider’s development is Co-owner Dylan Preble, who has known Ryan since their college years in Colorado (and even introduced Ryan to Emma). In addition to his background in sales and marketing, he has his own “cider origin story” that connects him to the brand.
Preble says he was a beer drinker until being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2018. Shortly after, the Trudes had him sample an early version of Logan Cider at a New Year’s party, and the idea of giving up beer suddenly seemed less daunting.
“It’s definitely a beer drinker’s cider,” Preble says– and he’s certainly not alone in that thought.
The No. 1 feedback that Preble receives from customers is that they normally reach for beer over cider– but Logan Cider is an exception. It’s been described as approachable, “crushable,” and– perhaps most amusingly– the “lawnmower beer of ciders.”
Of course, producing Logan Cider on a larger scale necessitated expanding out of a shed. The company’s roots are still in Bellingham, but they teamed up with the Wenatchee-based cider company The Source to produce Logan Cider for market. The Source uses the Trudes’ recipe as well as their apples of choice (the main one being Pink Lady apples).
“Through all that development and transition– from what was happening in a little shed to having a warehouse with several thousand cans of cider– we’re able to maintain those things that made it different to me the first time I tried it,” Preble says.
Logan Cider’s flagship flavor, Dry Humor, finally hit the market in late 2022 (just six weeks before the time of writing). The team plans to introduce a lower-ABV version and potentially some seasonal flavors; otherwise, the beauty of Logan Cider lies in its straightforwardness.
“There’s so many good-quality hard cider companies out there, especially in Washington,” Ryan Trude says. “We think we do something a little bit unique [in that] we just try to keep it simple.”
You can sample Logan Cider for yourself at various local watering holes including Elizabeth Station, McKay’s Taphouse, and Menace Brewing. (For a full list of locations, visit logancider.com.) Preble and Ryan Trude both feel immense gratitude towards the Bellingham community, noting that so far, Logan Cider has been welcomed into the local beverage scene with open arms.
“I’ve been in Bellingham for 10 years– but I’ve made more friends in the last six weeks of that,” Preble says with a laugh. “Maybe that’s because they know I have cider in my garage.” Bellingham, logancider.com, @logancider
