Ceiba to Host Its First "Ciderbration" Festival

Ceiba, one of Miami's first dedicated cider works and meadery, will celebrate summer with a "Ciderbration" — a new festival aimed at highlighting its specialty offerings.

On Saturday, July 2, Ceiba — named for the tree native to many Latin American countries — will host its first-annual Ciderbration at its taproom location in the Bird Road Art District. The inaugural festival invites patrons 21 and older to sample Ceiba's cider offerings via a free-entry, open-format event.

In 2020, Ceiba cofounders Eric Seidmon and head brewer Sean McClain began producing and selling Florida-inspired meads, ciders, and fruit wines via online releases from their Miami-based production facility. In December 2021, the duo — alongside the business' five co-owners — opened Ceiba to the public, offering guests a chance to sample their goods via an in-house taproom.

Now, the founders are hoping to offer fans and newcomers a chance to sample one of their specialties — hard cider — with a new festival they say is unique to the area.

"We wanted to do something fun and different," McClain tells New Times. "So we decided to build an entire festival dedicated to ciders."

Using local tropical fruits and Florida honey, McClain and Seidmon create beverages matched to the Florida lifestyle.

Although many of McClain's recipes present as traditional, he loves to experiment with different bases as well as honey, utilizing the fruits he grew up with as a child in Puerto Rico. As a result, Ceiba's products are often tropical-themed, from fruit-flavored meads and ciders to a "Summer Juice" series of lower-alcohol, easy-drinking sparkling fruit wines in varying flavor combinations.

On July 2, McClain's small-batch specialty ciders will be the focus. Each cider is made using fresh-pressed juices the brewer blends with fresh apple cider, which he ferments anywhere from two to four weeks before it's served as hard cider that ranges from 4 to 10 percent ABV.

While patrons can find several ciders on tap at Ceiba at all times — including the brewery's flagship Miami Cidre Sidra dry cider — Ciderbration will offer a plethora of Ceiba ciders, as well as several collaborations with South Florida breweries, all available for purchase. Featured tropical fruits will include guanabana, passionfruit, mango, and coconut.

McClain says to keep an eye out for an Unseen Creatures collaboration made with vanilla, hibiscus, and guava and a Spanish Marie collab made with fresh-pressed green apples and cranberries aged on whiskey staves.

Vendors will be on hand, as will live music by DJ GuacDNB and food by @JennyWithThePot and @LuchaDough.

"Ciders are easy to drink and refreshing," Seidmon says. "We think they're perfect in this hot weather and wanted an exciting and somewhat unique platform to share them. We're eager to celebrate with everyone who can make it out."

Ciderbration. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 2 at Ceiba, 4233 SW 75th Ave., Miami; 305-982-7672; ceibasfl.com. Admission is free.