464: Czech Cider: From Roadside Apples to Cellar Ferments

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 old trees in his one-acre garden-orchard near Prague.

3. Small Scene, Big Potential

• Early cider makers in the Cech Republic began around 2007.
• Prague had a cider shop (InCider) and a cider bar, but today you can find cider at most bars.
• Cidrerie Kliment and Utopia are two standout producers—Utopia leans all natural.

4. Enthusiasts Leading the Way

• Many Czech homes still have fruit trees.
• Backyard fermenters use presses ranging from barrel-style to hydraulic.
• Gardening clubs and university programs help spread knowledge.

5. Beyond Apples

• Dan grows quince and medlars and has a Sorbus domestica tree in his orchard.
• Morovia which is to the north of Prague has a Sorubus Domestic museum.
• There's a growing appreciation for traditional and lesser-known fruits in fermentation.

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Czech Cider Data Base https://databazecideru.online/dejv/
• Natalia who write the Cider Explorers blog post on Czech Cider and Prague Cider Fest
  https://ciderexplorer.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/where-to-drinkbuy-cider-in-prague/
• Prague Cider Festival – Slavnost Cideru to be held June 12–14, 2026
• Art + Science Concerts and Campouts start July 5th | Oregon
• De Groote Wei Cider Fest – August 16, 2025 | Netherlands
• The Flower Expo
• Paper Crane Cannabis – Boey Bertold organic and regenerative family-owned farm
• Totally Cider Tour UK_Edition 20225

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