Cider Chat

A conversation with Czech Cider Fan Dan Samek This episode brings us to the heart of Europe by way of Vermont. Ria sat down with Dan Samek, a cider enthusiast and home distiller from Prague, to talk about the evolving cider scene in the Czech Republic. They met at Kilowatt Park which is on the west side of the Connecticut River in White River Junction, Vermont. Dan Samek This was the first stop on the Cider Tour to Vermont and New York in May 2025. In this Cider Chat featuring Czech Cider 1. A Fruitful History The Czech Republic is rich with apples, pears, plums, and cherries and exports a lot of fruit. For centuries, fruit trees lined roads to feed traveling soldiers. This is a legacy left from the  Barak times, in the 18th century 2. Cider by Way of Calvados Dan journey to cider started while he was working at a French winery He has an affection for Calvados and thus made cider to distill. His process blends natural fermentation and dry yeast (He favors the yeast known as 72B). The apples come from ol