Announcement of Nordic International Cider Education: English Language Cider Production Course in Sweden

Kivik, Sweden—The Association of Swedish Must and Cider Producers is pleased to announce the launch of Nordic International Cider Education (NICE). NICE is an educational initiative of the association and will host its first annual cider production ‘Essentials Course’ this summer, following a successful pilot program last year. 

The course goes from August 11th to 15th, 2025 and will take place at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) campus in Alnarp, Sweden. Alnarp is 15 minutes outside of Malmö and 45 minutes away from Copenhagen. It will be taught in English. Registration is open to everyone at svenskmustocider.se/nice. 

”Last year’s trial course was a smashing success, with sixteen current and aspiring cider producers who spent a full week learning the ins and outs of cidermaking in the heart of Sweden’s apple country, Skåne,” says Elisabeth Knöppel, President of the Association of Swedish Must and Cider Producers.

The ‘Essentials Course’ is targeted towards current or aspiring commercial cidermakers. The organizers hope that students will leave the weeklong course with a firm grasp on both theoretical and practical cidermaking fundamentals, confidence in their ability to produce quality cider, and fruitful connections with other cidermakers in the cohort. Course days feature lectures, sensory analysis, group discussions, lab tutorials, and guided excursions to explore orchards and cider companies in Skåne.

“It was a fully packed course with well-balanced sessions of practice and theory,” said Lena Ryberg-Ericsson, owner of Köpings Musteri, about the pilot course, “not only apple cultivation, microbiology, and sensory analysis but also cellar layout and marketing, with incredibly inspiring lecturers.” 

The course is co-taught by three cider professionals who are present the entire week and lend their diverse expertises to the different areas of the course. Kimmo Rumpunen, Associate Professor at the SLU Department of Plant Breeding, covers pomology and lab work. François-Jan Raimbaud, an agronomist and consultant in cider oenology for the Normandy Chamber of Agriculture, teaches technical cidermaking and sensory analysis. Brent Miles-Wagner, a cider consultant for Brown Hat Consulting and former Head Cidermaker of Seattle Cider Company, focuses on practical cidermaking as well as the business and marketing of cider. 

More information can be found at svenskmustocider.se/nice. 

About Nordic International Cider Education

Part of the Association of Swedish Must and Cider Producers, NICE aims to provide high quality, in-person cider education that is relevant for cidermakers, especially for those who come from countries without a deeply rooted cider culture. NICE hopes to equip its students with a robust and comprehensive understanding of cider and cidermaking by drawing on the diverse backgrounds and experiences of its lecturers. Students will feel able and emboldened to make great cider, start successful cider companies, and to build up the cider industries in their home countries.

Photo Credit: Torun Börtz