Rooted In the Northwest: Sam Rico
The “Cider Samurai” title on Sam’s business card is deceptively simple. Since he joined the Portland Cider team as our second-ever cidermaker five years ago, Sam has become the glue that allows us to continue pumping out our cider creations. He thrives on taking care of the things that help the rest of the team do their jobs well, anticipating issues before they occur and preventing them so that the cider keeps flowing uninterrupted.
Crucially, Sam maintains our canning line, which he helped to install at our Clackamas production facility just last summer. There are still parts of it that he’s discovering, and he’s a whiz at figuring out the problems and keeping it flowing smoothly.
Sam is one of the quieter people at Portland Cider. Being the youngest of five siblings may come with a knack for flying under the radar, but he fits in well with our boisterous crew. He loves to read, especially tragic Russian novels and 1930s American writers. He also has a pretty great singing voice, and can do a gnarly trick with his eye, if you catch him in the right mood...
Though Sam was a Portland Cider customer before he started working here, he has even deeper roots with the company. “When my dad was a teenager in Central Washington, he used to pick apples in the same orchards where Portland Cider gets its fruit today,” he said. While we can’t know for certain, it’s possible that we’re using apples from some of the very same trees Sam’s dad harvested!
Sam is a born-and-raised Oregon guy, firmly rooted in this corner of the state and happier because of it. His travels have taken him all over, and he found Ireland particularly appealing because of its resemblance to Oregon. “It’s slower-paced, green, and felt the most like home,” he said. But it wasn’t enough to keep him from returning to his roots.
Lucky for us, because we couldn’t do what we do without Sam!
If you see him enjoying a pint of his favorite taproom exclusive cider, English Pub, at our Clackamas Pub don’t be shy. Say hello!
Portland Cider Company is committed to making the best cider in the Pacific Northwest - it’s in our roots! Portland Cider Co. was established in 2013 with the mission of bringing together cider rooted in English tradition with a little Portland personality and culture. Combine those things and you’ve got the Portland Cider Company.