Rebranded Astoria cider company opens at new, bigger location – Here is Oregon

Fortune and Glory Cider Co. opened a new taproom in November in an annex of the Fort George Brewery on Exchange Street in Astoria. (Courtesy of Fortune and Glory Cider Co./Fortune and Glory Cider Co.)

Astorias Reveille Ciderworks, like many businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, had to close its doors.

Transitioning the taproom on Duane Street into a production space, Jeremy Towsey-French, the owner, said the cidery turned into a family operation. His wife, Keri Towsey-French, and daughters bottled the cider and he would deliver it to customers up and down the coast.

It was phenomenal. I guess I didnt anticipate how supportive people would be. All of our customers came out and kept us going, Towsey-French said, adding that government funding, loans and Clatsop Economic Development Resources helped the business survive.

After briefly reopening the patio in the summer of 2021, Towsey-French, who launched Reveille in 2017, said they were faced with a decision of what to do next. Do we call it a good run? Or rethink what our options are? he recalled.

Not long after, the couple secured a nearby space at an annex of the Fort George Brewery on Exchange Street. Last month, the cidery rebranded as Fortune and Glory Cider Co. opened to customers.

The new space is much larger than the old one, giving the cidery more room for customers, as well as four times the production capacity. Towsey-French has brought on a production manager to fill the 14 taps with a variety of ciders and other beverages.

Fortune and Glory has also transitioned to cans, which will be sold exclusively in the taproom until they are able to expand their distribution. Fort George Brewery, which owns the space, also manages the ciderys wholesale operation. Towsey-French credited the breweries in the area, particularly Reach Break Brewery, for continuous support.

Fortune and Glory Cider Co. opened a new taproom in November in an annex of the Fort George Brewery on Exchange Street in Astoria. (Courtesy of Fortune and Glory Cider Co./Fortune and Glory Cider Co.)

The new cidery also offers a snack menu, featuring several housemade items to complement their ciders, most notably a Lige street-style waffle.

The location, most recently housing Fernhill Glass Studio, is also a former alignment shop, with several garage doors. Since taking over the space, Towsey-French has spent significant time making renovations to the inside. The experience for customers, he said, was an important element of the design.

What we wanted to do is really celebrate this space, because its this alignment garage ... We didnt want to take away from it, we just wanted to accentuate it, he said. Its meant to have this industrial garage feel.

When outlining his vision for the new location, Towsey-French also sought to rebrand the cidery.

I wanted to abandon the name, not just because (Reveille) was hard for people to pronounce, he said.

While Reveille had a personal significance for Towsey-French, he wanted the new name to celebrate the community and Astorias history.

As the years went on, the community embraced us and I am just so fortunate, he said. " ... It really became about Astoria.

Towsey-French plans to introduce a twice-a-month visual film trivia night come January, and have the cidery participate in Fort Georges returning Festival of Dark Arts in February. In the summertime, he hopes to open a patio.

Over a month in as Fortune and Glory, Towsey-French said the flow of customers has far exceeded expectations.

Were still one of the smaller cideries in the state, but were still here, and thats what makes me most happy, he said.

The Daily Astorian

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Rebranded Astoria cider company opens at new, bigger location - Here is Oregon