The two entrepreneurs who launched Silicon Valley’s first restaurant devoted to hard cider have announced that they are closing their Cider Junction.
The taproom, located in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, will shutter at the end of service Saturday, Dec. 14 — or earlier, if the taps run dry, owners Claudia Derp and Tracy Smith said.
“We hope the craft ciders we served brought as much joy to your lives as you’ve brought to ours,” they wrote on Cider Junction’s social media. “We think we have turned at least a few ‘never cider’ folks into cider fans!”
Both Certified Cider Professionals, Smith and Derp had tasted ciders around the world but decided to showcase the efforts of others instead of making their own. Derp, a native of Germany, explained when they launched the enterprise in 2017: “We want to help expand the craft cider category so that it truly becomes its own category, and is no longer listed under beers.”
Fermented apple juice was a fast-growing segment in the libations field when they opened. Their selection has run the gamut — “from craft ciders made in the traditional style (dry, aged, sometimes still, sometimes sparkling) to experimental ciders fermented or infused with other fruits, herbs and hops,” they said on their website. They complemented the sips with a menu of small bites and often live music.
Hours for the final days are as follows: 6-9 p.m. today/Wednesday, Dec. 11, and Thursday, Dec. 12; and an hour earlier, 5-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. On the final day, the hours will be 1 to 8 p.m. Last call is 30 minutes before closing time.
Details: 820 Willow St., San Jose; www.theciderjunction.com