Woodinville’s Locust Cider Buzzes Over to Ballard Next Month

Locust Cider, which opened its tasting room and production facility in Woodinville in 2015, is expanding its operations to Ballard this December. The company’s second location will house a taproom only at 5309 22nd Ave. NW, pouring flights and pints of the company’s award-winning ciders.

The cidery is owned and run by Jason Spears, for years an avid cider homebrewer after discovering a gluten sensitivity, and his brother Patrick. The brothers and their team sell their ciders, with flavors like vanilla bean and Thai ginger, on tap and in cans and bottles. Locust’s honey pear cider won a silver medal in the pear cider category from Sip Northwest’s 2017 Best of the Northwest awards.

In addition to crafting sought-after cider, Locust has become a platform bringing awareness to the medical condition hydrocephalus, which involves the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Jason’s daughter, Lucy, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, and he’s championed the little-researched condition through numerous fundraisers. Currently, a portion of all sales of Locust’s chili pineapple and Thai ginger ciders go to the Hydrocephalus Association. For every new member that joins the company’s cider club, a $25 donation is made to the Hydrocephalus Association.