Loon Juice adds 3 flavors, cider facility
Published 10:00 am Monday, May 30, 2016
![Mower County-made Loon Juice is growing with three new flavors, a variety pack and the largest cider-making facility in the state. Photo provided](https://www.austindailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/05/Loon-Juice-2WEB.jpg)
Mower County-made Loon Juice is growing with three new flavors, a variety pack and the largest cider-making facility in the state. Photo provided
With three new flavors and a new production facility, a Mower County business is looking to take the Midwest — and possibly the nation — by storm with its fast-growing hard cider line.
Loon Juice announced last week that it completed construction on a 14,000-square-foot facility dedicated solely to hard cider production.
“It’s the largest of its kind in the Midwest,” said Kristin Osborne, Loon Juice’s marketing director.
![Loon Juice cans have proved to be a popular way for shoppers to pick up the Mower County-made cider.](https://www.austindailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/05/Loon-Juice-1WEB-330x449.jpg)
Loon Juice cans have proved to be a popular way for shoppers to pick up the Mower County-made cider.
Loon Juice started distribution in 2014. It’s owned by the family behind Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, but it’s run as a separate business at 78757 Highway 16 in Spring Valley Township just east of Grand Meadow.
“We’ve been extremely well received by the entire Midwest and we’re excited to be expanding our product line,” cider maker Justin Osborne said in a press release. “Our new cidery allows us to contend with the top brands in the country.”
Loon Juice also announced the release of three new flavors, Strawberry Shandy, Ginger Mojito and Tea Time, which should hit store shelves in a few weeks.
These new varieties will be combined with the popular HoneyCrisp cider to create the new Loon Juice 12- and 24-can variety packs. Six packs of each flavor will be available, as well.
The new flavors come on the heels of the expansion for Loon Juice as it increases distribution and cider production at its site, located at Four Daughters Winery.
Like its debut HoneyCrisp flavor, the new hard ciders will be made from Minnesota HoneyCrisp apples. The cider has been served at the winery for several years but it was first distributed in miniature kegs in September 2014 before expanding to bottles and later cans.
“They’ve just been really popular,” Kristin said of the cans, which are easy to transport and don’t need to be refrigerated when sold.
Since releasing its original cider, which has no added sugar and is never from concentrate, Kristin said Loon Juice has gained popularity for its fresh HoneyCrisp taste.
The expansion added custom tanks to make the cider, which Justin helped design and were made in Wisconsin.
It also added plenty of room for growth. Loon Juice now distributes throughout Minnesota and in Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. More Midwest states will follow this summer, and Osborne said national distribution could be on the horizon after he attended the National Restaurant Association Conference.
Loon Juice also launched an interactive digital game last week on its brand new website, www.loonjuice.com. Minneapolis ad agency Preston Kelly developed two variations of Duck-Duck-Loon, a game based on the childhood favorite: Duck-Duck-Gray Duck.
Gary and Vicky Vogt opened Four Daughters in 2011 with their family and have expended the business since by adding the wholesale Sunflake Wine line, Loon Juice and a 9,000-square-foot event center.