An interview with Michelle Foik of ERIS Brewery and Cider House
To celebrate Women's History Month in March and highlight members of the group who work within the cider industry, we interviewed leading women making waves as makers in the cider industry. We hope you enjoy our feature and get to know more about the Women in Cider who are being highlighted.
This year, Matt had the chance to do all of our interviews for Women in Cider, with some great cidermakers and industry members. For the third interview, Matt stuck to his local stopping grounds and interviewed Michelle Foik of ERIS Brewery and Cider House! If you’re headed to CiderCon 2023 in Chicago next February, ERIS will be one of the great cideries hosting events. Otherwise, if you’re ever in Chicago, reach out to @SouthCiders and pay ERIS a visit!
-Ryan
Matt: Today's interview is with Michelle Foik, who is the Co-Owner and Operator at Eris Brewery & Cider House in Chicago, IL. Before we get into the present, tell us a bit about you!
Michelle Foik: I was born on the Southside of Chicago into a Polish family that came to the United States in the 60's. For some reason my mom and uncle decided to move to Wisconsin Dells when I was 8 to start working in our own business that was a hotel and restaurant. I started dishwashing and SA at 13, 14 serving, 16 bartending. Needless to say, out of the 3 daughters my mother had, I was the only one that decided to stay in the industry.
Matt: You have a bit of a history in the hospitality and craft industries. Prior to opening Eris, where did you gain industry experience? What is it you like about the brewing and cider communities?
Michelle: I come from the hospitality industry and being from WI, I started my journey at TGIFridays but my love for craft beer brought me to Goose Island Beer Co and I stayed working my way up the ladder for 10 years. I got the itch to work in a pub again and got the opportunity to assist opening Revolution Brewing pub and later Tap Room and production company. But I found myself back with the Goose Island gang with the opening of Virtue Cider and submerging myself with the Cider Industry, Cider Summit and CiderCon. I really enjoy this industry and now have 10 years under my belt with cider in general. I love the community of cider and beer, they are always so much to learn and people are extremely helpful to each other. I enjoy the seminars, the conferences and educating other people about cider.
Matt: What drew you to cider? Do you have an early memorable cider experience?
Michelle: I actually starting drinking cider when I was 19 and living in Scotland. I was such a beer geek, but in Scotland I felt that all the beers were so much heavier and then I discovered Strongbow cider and for the rest of the time there I spent drinking cider, black velvets and snake bites.
Matt: What prompted you to open your own brewery & cider house?
Michelle: My business partner Katy Pizza and her husband Nunzino. When I left Revolution Brewing, he was a big supporter of mine, so he kept saying I should own my own brewery but I was already involved with cider and wanted to start a cidery. At the time everyone only really understood beer so we had to start a beer and cider place. It was a crazy idea that worked out.
Matt: What's the significance of the name Eris?
Michelle: Eris is known as the goddess of Chaos in mythology and it worked extremely well with our marketing. She threw a golden apple into a wedding at which she wasn't invited to just to see the other goddesses (Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite) fight for the apple that stated "for the fairest." Zeus appointed Paris, a Trojan mortal, to pick which goddess was the fairest and he chose Aphrodite, who in turn gave him Helena, as his true love, in actual history that started the Trojan War. So you can say that ERIS started the war. We felt like ERIS hop apple reflected our cider presents in the beer community as we started the first women owned brewery and ciderhouse in the state.
Matt: You're not the only woman in a leadership role at Eris. Who else is on your team?
Michelle: My business partner Katy Pizza! We were brought together by her husband when all of the planning of ERIS happened. We worked on the business plan, budgets and planning for construction so by the time we were going to get our company legal we decided that we would like to be managing partners of ERIS together. That is how our partnership happened!
Matt: Eris recently turned 4!! Congratulations! How does that feel? Looking back, does it feel like it took forever to get to this point or did it happen in the blink of an eye?
Michelle: Looking back at everything it's been a whirlwind. When working on ERIS, time was slow, but I was also doing other things to supplement work so that time seemed long. But, once construction started, there were things that happened every day. I think it was "blink of an eye" was when we opened the doors. Everything was moving so fast and then another road block - COVID... So basically, it feels like a ROLLERCOASTER, with some nasty turns and happy belly flops. But we are still here, we are relevant and we will suceed. I feel very optimistic for the future.
Matt: We can't talk about Eris without mentioning the building the brewery & cider house sits in. Can you give us a brief history, what you've done with the place, and what you have plans for going forward?
Michelle: The building we purchased is an Old Masonic Temple from 1910 til 1960's the Korean Church purchased it sometime in the 1980's and we bought it in 2015. We did a lot of repurposing of the different structures in the building. We took old radiator fins from the building and created our railings, we saved wood beams to create some of our tables, opened the windows to original size too. The building is quite beautiful.
Matt: Do you take on other roles or responsibilities within the cider industry? If someone were to see you at GLINTCAP, per se, what would we find you doing and why would you be yelling at me?
Michelle: HA, I do take on other roles in the cider and beer industry. I am a board member of MBAA and just assisted with our first ICBG/MBAA Brewery Industry Conference. I am also the Head of Stewards at GLINTCAP and usually I am yelling at you for popping bottles at the table, or for tasting all the product before the judges. But in all seriousness, I love being able to help with logistics of events like this, I even got a chance to help assist at Cider Summit and CiderCon before opening ERIS.
Matt: I know choosing your favorite Eris beverage offering is like choosing between your kids but do you have a personal favorite? When not drinking something from Eris, what's in your glass?
Michelle: My favorites change all the time, right now I am in love with our PUNX cider, pineapple upside down cake with cherries and vanilla. But if I want to have a more traditional cider - Pedestrian is my jam, that is the easy part knowing and drinking ERIS cider, but if you ask me to choose another beverage I still go with cider, but there are so many that I love. Smackintosh, Cider Rose, Mitten.. but I suppose if I go to another category I go to a nice big Cabernet from Paso Robles CA.
Matt: CiderCon will be returning to Chicago for 2023. Got anything in the works for folks who'll be coming to town?
Michelle: So many fun things we hope to plan, looking at doing some seminars, hosting a cider event, but really just being able to connect with cidermakers and owners in our space.
Matt: Anything else you'd like to add?
Michelle: I am super excited to work with Ambrosia on cider week this year. We will be doing some fun collabs with the CiderSoms and other people who are part of our local cider industry. Maybe you can be part of something at ERIS during that time? June 6th til the 12th. More info coming soon.
ERIS Brewery and Cider House
4240 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60641