Oakland Garage to Dodger Stadium
Sincere Cider has had a bumpy, but successful, ride.
In 2020, Almanor resident Bex Pezzullo launched Sincere Cider, her line of naturally gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, crisp hard ciders. With 23 years of experience working in the restaurant, beverage, and event industries, the sommelier and former wine buyer had her friends on board to help the product take off.
But within two weeks of bringing her dream to the aluminum can, the world shut down due to Covid, and most of those friends’ businesses closed, too.
Mobile Sales
Pezzullo needed to pivot, but she wasn’t ready to give up on Sincere Cider, the business she’d originally started in her Oakland garage. She left the East Bay, moved back home to Almanor, and, with a load of products in different flavors on her hands, she hustled to get them onto retailers’ shelves instead. She decided to embrace van life and cart her ciders up and down the coast of California, selling them to anyone who was even remotely interested. Among the interested parties were representatives from Dodger Stadium and for the Oakland Roots soccer team.
“Perseverance and operational nimbleness” are what Pezzullo credits for the success of Sincere Cider.
While Pezzullo has since been able to give up the nomad life, the van still is a vital part of her business model, acting as the vessel for transporting Sincere Cider to campgrounds, tastings, and festivals throughout California and Northern Nevada.
Most of her distribution, however, happens through Breakthru Beverage Group, one of our region’s largest alcohol distributors — and one that doesn’t always work with micro brands like hers.
“I made sure I had a connection early on and kept that connection going through updates,” Pezzullo explains of the partnership. “I was the first brand they added after Covid.”
Socio-Environmental Drinking
Sincere Cider is different from other brands due to the way it is made and due to Pezzullo’s related tree-planting program. In the preparation, apples are specifically chosen to produce acid and tannins in balance with sugar and alcohol, and French white wine yeast is used to enhance the green apple flavors. Single-strength juices and botanicals are used to flavor the ciders — no extracts, essences, or so-called “natural” flavors are added.
To serve her environmental mission, the entrepreneur has arranged it so that one tree is planted for every case of Sincere Cider sold. If you tag Sincerecider on social, Pezzullo and her team will plant an additional tree, too.
Year-round, Dry Apple, Ginger Agave, and Granada flavors are available. Seasonally, Blood Orange (fall/winter), Pine-Apple (summer), and Hibiscus Passionfruit (spring) also are produced. Each 16-ounce can boasts just five to nine grams of sugar, and a 5.9 percent alcohol by volume.
Today, Pezzullo’s products can be purchased at Whole Foods Markets, Nugget Markets, and Ben’s Fine Wine & Spirits. In addition to large markets, Lighthouse Coffee in Sparks, Piñon Bottle in Reno, Final Draught in Sparks, and other small, local shops and taprooms in the Reno-Sparks area sell Sincere Cider, as well as a handful of locations in Carson City, Truckee, Incline Village, neighborhoods throughout Tahoe, Gardnerville, Susanville, Grass Valley, and more. It’s also available in 40 states through online orders.
For details, visit Sincerecider.com.
