HAMPTON, Va. – Sir Clyde Ciderworks will open the first hard cidery in Hampton Roads in the Phoebus area of Hampton, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced Wednesday.
The company plans on opening their production facility along with a tasting room in a renovated, historic house, a large outdoor seating area, and a small heirloom apple orchard.
Along with the creation of seven new jobs, the cidery will invest nearly $500,000 and purchase all of its apples from Virginia farmers. They also plan to distribute their cider to restaurants throughout the region.
“We look forward to crafting amazing hard cider in Hampton Roads using Virginia-grown apples,” said Tim Smith of Sly Clyde Ciderworks. “Phoebus is becoming a hub of new businesses as a result of investments from the City of Hampton and the Commonwealth of Virginia. We plan for our locally crafted Sly Clyde Cider to be one of the anchors in Phoebus’ renewal.”
“The investment Sly Clyde Ciderworks will make in Hampton, along with their commitment to source 100 percent of their apples from Virginia growers, demonstrates the impact agriculture can have on urban areas of the Commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Investments like this create jobs, tourism activity, and growth in the tax base, while providing new markets for Virginia’s farmers. Today’s announcement is a great win for Virginia’s craft beverage industry and our ongoing efforts to build a new Virginia economy.”
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with the City of Hampton and Sly Clyde Cider to secure this project for Virginia. Governor McAuliffe approved an $30,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which Hampton will match with local funds.
