Darlene is a champion for elevating the cider industry around the world. She is fiercely dedicated to seeking the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable–such as her research to understand that it was likely Ursula Granger, and not Jupiter Evans ,who was producing cider at Monticello as an enslaved person on the plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States. She has been a tremendous asset to the American Cider Association by lending strategic vision and by bringing together the brightest minds in the global cider industry to help develop historical consensus on groundbreaking cider knowledge and standards. Her combined expertise in rigorous science and the law, plus her exceptional palate, make her uniquely suited to helping grow and develop the cider industry.
She has served as a critical advisor in the development of the now international Certified Cider Professional program, and is respected around the world for her quest for information and ensuing opinions.
The American Cider Association recognized Darlene with their annual Significant Impact Award in 2020. She is a Certified Pommelier and a DipWSET. In 2024, she was awarded the ‘Cider Star of the Year’ in Frankfurt am Main.
Cider Star of the Year 2024 – Cider World Award
Photo © Darlene Hayes
