A Special Collaboration 5,000 Miles in the Making

Corvallis, Ore. – July 18, 2024 – 2 Towns Ciderhouse is thrilled to unveil Twin Peaks, an exciting new collaboration with Japan’s esteemed Son of the Smith cidery. This project represents the culmination of a 10-year friendship and partnership, blending ingredients from Japan and the Pacific Northwest to deliver a cross-cultural cider.

The partnership began years ago when Dave Takush, co-owner and head cidermaker at 2 Towns Ciderhouse, traveled to the Nagano region of Japan. There, he met with Kota Ozawa, Takuro Ikeuchi, and Nobumitsu Miyajima, the visionary founders of Son of the Smith, known for their dedication to revolutionizing the Japanese cider industry. Through a shared passion for innovation and quality, a strong bond was formed.

Following that visit, Ikeuchi attended a cider course at Oregon State University, staying with Takush, in his home. This visit laid the groundwork for the Twin Peaks collaboration to be presented at the Fuji to Hood festival, aimed at connecting the cider cultures of Japan and Oregon.
For this special project, Son of the Smith provided a unique yeast strain cultivated from raw Japanese maple sap and honey. This yeast was propagated in 2 Towns’ lab and used to ferment fresh-pressed Pacific Northwest apple juice in mead barrels selected by Ikeuchi. One barrel utilized the Japanese wild yeast, while the other employed a distinctive Brett strain from Takush’s favorite home brew originating in Alaska. The result is a blend of these two fermentations, creating a cider with complex, layered flavors.

Introducing Twin Peaks: A Collaborative Masterpiece

Twin Peaks is a bone-dry, unfiltered farmhouse-style cider with an ABV of 7.3%. Crafted from a blend of Pacific Northwest apples, this cider features an expressive apple-forward profile with delicate notes of stone fruit and floral character from the Japanese yeast. The Brett strain adds a mild Brett finish, enhancing the cider’s overall complexity.

“Collaborating with Son of the Smith has been a blast!,” said Dave Takush, co-founder and head cidermaker at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “This cider represents the best of both worlds, with carefully selected yeast from Japan and the Pacific Northwest. It’s a testament to the strong bond and shared passion for cider that we have developed over the years. The name Twin Peaks is multi-layered, representing the famous mountains of Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Hood in Oregon as well as our local hometown peaks, Mt. Togakushi in Nagano and Mary’s Peak in Corvallis. Blending two ciders from two barrels made Twin Peaks the right name on many levels.”

A Festival of Flavors and Friendship: Fuji to Hood

Fuji to Hood is not just an event; it’s a celebration of international camaraderie and the shared passion for fermentation. The festival alternates yearly between Portland and Tokyo, with brewers traveling between the two countries to share their craft and culture.

This year’s festival will be held at The Redd on Salmon in Portland, Oregon, on July 20th, 2024. The event kicks off with a VIP session at 11 am, followed by general admission from 12 pm to 8 pm.

About 2 Towns Ciderhouse

2 Towns Ciderhouse was founded on the belief that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality, whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. Over the years our company has retained these core values to branch out into different segments within the alcohol beverage space to become a premium total beverage company. Our goal is to create the best craft beverages on the market and continue to develop and evolve the beverage space in innovative new ways.

From humble beginnings in 2010 in an old 900 sq. ft. 2 car garage we have grown into one of the largest craft beverage companies in the northwest now employing over 100 individuals, distributing to 15+ states and running 3 different production facilities totaling almost 100,000 sq. feet. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and the enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft beverages. Visit www.2townsciderhouse.com.

Son of the Smith Director/Cidermaker Takuro Ikeuchi (left) CEO/4th Generation Apple Farmer, Nobumitsu Miyajima (right) visit Dave Takush, Head Cidermaker and Co-owner of 2 Towns Ciderhouse (Center) in January 2024 to collaborate and begin work on the Twin Peaks Cider for the Fuji to Hood Event this Saturday.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Marketing Manager – Jessica Wisor
[email protected]