Dirk & Ingrid
Dirk and Ingrid.
A long story, briefly.
A cidery near Antwerp, run by two people who’ve spent half their lives chasing markets, neighbourhoods and good drinks across the world — and the other half figuring out how to make their own.
Since 1997
Met in Antwerp.
Lived a bit further.
Ingrid and Dirk met in 1997 — just before Dirk left for Melbourne. The years that followed took them to Taipei, Bangkok, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.
Wine, food, markets, the kind of neighbourhoods where you find out how a city actually drinks. Adventure and discovery as a way of life.
Inspired by local ideas from the far East to South America — and ready to bring it all home in a natural project of their own.
Why cider
A Belgian tradition
we almost lost.
Belgium grows apples and pears in abundance, and there was once a real cider tradition here — but somewhere along the way it almost disappeared, drowned out by our beers and our love of fine wines from elsewhere. Belgium isn’t a cider country.
When we started, we didn’t know much about cider either — and most Belgians don’t. Often all that’s left is the memory of a cider they didn’t like, or the commercial ones that aren’t even made from 100% apple juice. Over the five years since we began, we’ve come to know and love the cider landscape in the countries around us. The market here is still small — but it’s booming.
Cidernations is, in a small and stubborn way, picking that thread back up.
How we work
By bike, by hand,
by patience.
Dirk on the cargo bike.
Riding from café to café, chef to chef, building the market the only honest way — one conversation at a time. Antwerp by bicycle, one bar at a time.
Ingrid in the orchards.
The monumental heirloom apple trees of Haspengouw are part of Belgium’s heritage landscape — but most of their fruit goes unused. Ingrid’s work: finding the right growers, the right apples, the right press.
Time in the cellar.
It started with a plastic bucket on the kitchen counter. Then 150 litres in a small cellar. Then 600. Then a thousand. Fermentation is slow, and so is building something worth pouring.
Social. Inclusive.
Respect for what nature already gave us.
That’s the whole idea.
Find us
Come and drink with us.
Three small-batch ciders, pouring in bars across Antwerp and beyond. Or shipped straight to your door across Belgium.
Dirk & Ingrid
Dirk and Ingrid.
A long story, briefly.
A cidery near Antwerp, run by two people who’ve spent half their lives chasing markets, neighbourhoods and good drinks across the world — and the other half figuring out how to make their own.
Since 1997
Met in Antwerp.
Lived a bit further.
Ingrid and Dirk met in 1997 — just before Dirk left for Melbourne. The years that followed took them to Taipei, Bangkok, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.
Wine, food, markets, the kind of neighbourhoods where you find out how a city actually drinks. Adventure and discovery as a way of life.
Inspired by local ideas from the far East to South America — and ready to bring it all home in a natural project of their own.
Why cider
A Belgian tradition
we almost lost.
Belgium grows apples and pears in abundance, and there was once a real cider tradition here — but somewhere along the way it almost disappeared, drowned out by our beers and our love of fine wines from elsewhere. Belgium isn’t a cider country.
When we started, we didn’t know much about cider either — and most Belgians don’t. Often all that’s left is the memory of a cider they didn’t like, or the commercial ones that aren’t even made from 100% apple juice. Over the five years since we began, we’ve come to know and love the cider landscape in the countries around us. The market here is still small — but it’s booming.
Cidernations is, in a small and stubborn way, picking that thread back up.
How we work
By bike, by hand,
by patience.
Dirk on the cargo bike.
Riding from café to café, chef to chef, building the market the only honest way — one conversation at a time. Antwerp by bicycle, one bar at a time.
Ingrid in the orchards.
The monumental heirloom apple trees of Haspengouw are part of Belgium’s heritage landscape — but most of their fruit goes unused. Ingrid’s work: finding the right growers, the right apples, the right press.
Time in the cellar.
It started with a plastic bucket on the kitchen counter. Then 150 litres in a small cellar. Then 600. Then a thousand. Fermentation is slow, and so is building something worth pouring.
Social. Inclusive.
Respect for what nature already gave us.
That’s the whole idea.
Find us
Come and drink with us.
Three small-batch ciders, pouring in bars across Antwerp and beyond. Or shipped straight to your door across Belgium.