Jeff Stoner founded Greenbank Cidery in May 2020, then formed a partnership with Kim Taylor to make local cider. They opened the Greenbank Cidery store at 12 Front Street in Coupeville on October 26, 2022.
Jeff moved to Whidbey in 2017. He went to Washington State University and earned a B.A. in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He has always had a passion for cooking and wanted to be a chef and own his own restaurant.
Kim has a long family history on Whidbey Island. Her aunt and uncle built a cabin on Bells beach many years ago, and her father was a pastor in Langley for several years.
On Whidbey, Jeff had a neighbor who had an apple orchard and invited him to use the apples to make cider. Jeff loved making cider and would give it away to friends and family who commented on how good it was. He learned his craft through observation, experimentation, and with his experience from the Wicked Teuton Brewery Supply and Taproom in Oak Harbor, where he met Terry Bose and learned how to brew Terry’s award winning IPA.
Jeff partnered with Kim, whom he met on-line, and they created a cider recipe that was inspired by Kim’s grandmother’s cherry pie (“Cherry Pick”).
Jeff has worked remotely from Whidbey for many years, but he wanted to create a business working from the island. He bought a 5-acre apple orchard in Coupeville, formed a company, and made major improvements to the land. He bought all the equipment necessary to convert the apples to cider, and partnered with local farmers to grow more apples that are used for the cider products. Jeff notes: “Ultimately, we plan to source all of our apples from Whidbey Island.”
After Jeff purchased the apple orchard, he continued to build his skills making apple cider. He partnered with Kim in 2021, and the two of them kept expanding their cider-making and the market for their cider products.
The head cider maker is Kyle Magnuson, who was a brewer at Penn Cove Brewery. Kyle has been at Greenbank Cidery for two years, and was instrumental in ramping up cider production to meet customer demand. There are now eight employees at the cidery including Jeff, Kim, and Kyle.
Greenbank Cidery is open Wednesday and Thursday, from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon – 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, noon – 6:00 p.m. To complement the cider, the store also offers cheese and crackers, charcouterie, cookies, and chips.
They are also planning to partner with Front Street Grill on December 21 for a special five-course dinner paired with five of the Greenbank ciders.
There is also a cider club, which currently has 50 members, that is free to join and offers a 10% discount on any cider purchases in the tasting room or on-line.
Greenbank Cidery also offers a VIP membership for $1,000 that provides a lifetime discount on the products, a free tour for four once a year, and access to special events throughout the year.
For more information about Greenbank Cidery, give them a call at: (206) 627-0382 or email them at info@greenbankcidery.com.
