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Brother s Brew Up a Successful Brand B Y R E N E E B R I N C K S T he 14 varietals of red-fleshed fruit in Mission Trail Cider Company's Plum Jerkum combine for a tart, slightly sweet hard cider that's full of fresh, well-balanced flavor. It's become the signature release from two broth- ers quietly establishing a respected southern Monterey County brand. When Monte and Victor Jones purchased their proper ty near Bradley, they planned to follow in their winemaker father's footsteps. But the Santa Lucia foothills presented wider oppor tunities. "I think we've surprised people, based on our background," says Monte, who served in the US Army before earning his master of business administration. Victor was a Texas restaurateur before relocating to the ranch. Three years later, the Jones brothers create heirloom and sparkling blends from 100 per- cent apples, peaches, plums, pears and other local elements. Their kegs and bottles are dis- tributed between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and they're opening a San Miguel tast- ing room this spring. As they expand their menu, the brothers remain focused on creativity and quality. "Every piece of fruit is hand-washed and hand-sorted. We never use a concentrate or ar tificial sweeteners or anything like that," Monte says. "You wouldn't make fine wine that way, and it's important to us to maintain that high level of quality." To learn more about Mission Trail Cider Com- pany, please visit www.missiontrailcider.com. SHORTCUTS BUSINESS The hard cider (high alcohol content) produced by Mission Trail Cider Company is created with premium fruit varietals of apples, plums, pears and wine grapes. 74 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7