Searching for Bulk Juice on East Coast

Chelsea Luper · Jan 17, 2018

I'm looking for bulk apple juice concentrate in 55 gallon barrels on the East coast, preferably as close to Florida as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions??

paneubert · Jan 17, 2018

Concentrate, or just juice?

These folks might have it, but more likely it is just going to be a barrel of juice.
http://www.knousefoodservice.com/products/bulk_ingredients/

Chelsea Luper · Jan 17, 2018

Thanks for the info! I'm primarily looking for concentrate as it keeps better.

SanPancho · Jan 17, 2018

Ask a local brewery to order you some. You can get tree top concentrate in bulk sizes from country malt group. Not cheap. Thats alot of apples. If i recall there are two main varieties for brewing. There may be others if your goal is not beer.

Chelsea Luper · Jan 17, 2018

We're a cidery only and I just moved down here from Seattle so having a much harder time finding apples in the south. I really appreciate all the info!

madscientist451 · Jan 18, 2018

Here's a supplier in Michigan:
https://www.glccflavors.com/fruit-wine-bases

And another in Connecticut:

http://www.juicegrape.com/Fresh-Apple-Cider-for-Hard-Cidermaking-55-Gallon/

I know there is a cider company in South Carolina, they grown their own fruit.
If you want a supplier that's in the southeast, you're best move would be to seek out growers in North and South Carolina and develop business relationships with them.
You may be better off bringing in truckloads of juice from places like Michigan and Pennsylvania. Freight might not be as much as you think, truckloads of fresh orange juice head north every day and they are always looking for loads to back haul to Florida.
Just guessing, but you could probably get a 9,000 gallon load delivered for less than $2,000 (not counting the cost of the juice, just the trucking).
That's less than three cents a pint, so the economics will work if you can handle that much volume.