CHAA Meetings
The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor generally meet on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. Eastern, September through May. Meeting invitations are sent to members and other interested individuals, but all are welcome to attend. Our monthly talks are hybrid: an in-person audience gathers at the Ann Arbor District Library, and a virtual audience gathers online via the library’s YouTube channel. Please check this website for the date and location and format of each meeting, as these will vary.
Members receive emailed information regarding meetings in advance and a reminder on the day of each meeting.
See upcoming programs and links to past programs.
Next program
Sunday, November 16 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library – Downtown Branch
343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Program can also be viewed online here.
Register to receive a reminder of the event!
A History of Cider
For the past 2000 years, cider has been an essential part of life in the apple and pear growing regions of the western world. Whether used as sweet cider, hard cider, vinegar, brandy, applejack, or syrup, turning apples and pears into cider has been a useful method in the preservation of these important fruits. After cider production peaked in the 19th Century, it rapidly declined all over the world in the first half of the 20th Century. Cider was primarily a product of rural areas, and historical factors such as urbanization, the temperance movement, industrial beer production, intensive orchard spraying, and changing food preservation techniques led to the near-extinction of cidermaking in most regions. But the 21st Century is seeing a revival of this ancient beverage, with new cider orchards being planted, new businesses and home producers making cider every Fall, and a new appreciation for cider in all its forms.
About the speaker:
Patrick M. McCauley is a real estate agent, historian, historic home restorer, and serious non-commercial cider maker in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He grew up down the street from a cider mill in the historic cidermaking region of Washtenaw County, Michigan. For the past 11 years, he has been making cider, as well as researching the rich history of the beverage. He has been replicating many of the cidermaking techniques used in the past, and discovering techniques that have been mostly lost to time. For the past two years he has been awarded Non-Commercial Cider Maker of the Year at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. He maintains an orchard of over 200 rare, heirloom, and wild apple and pear varieties in his Ann Arbor Twp. orchard.
Join Us!
Our membership year runs from September to September. The annual membership is $25. You can print out the membership form here. We also accept membership dues via credit card (with or without PayPal). Click on the membership link at the top of this page for more information.
The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor (CHAA), founded in 1983 by Jan Longone and friends, is an organization of scholars, cooks, food writers, nutritionists, collectors, students, and others interested in the study of culinary history and gastronomy.
The mission of the group is to promote the study of culinary history through regular programs open to members and guests, through the quarterly publication Repast, and through exchanges of information with other such organizations.
Monthly meetings of the CHAA are normally held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from September through May on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. (unless otherwise announced).
Membership in CHAA is open to anyone interested in culinary history. Dues are $25.00 for an individual or couple and include a subscription to Repast. The membership year is from September to September. For those who cannot attend meetings, a yearly subscription to Repast is $20.00.
Repast is the official quarterly publication of CHAA. Besides announcements of future meetings and reports of past meetings, it also contains feature articles, book reviews, a calendar of upcoming events of culinary interest, and special events. For information about contributing articles, placing information, announcements, or other regular features, contact the Editor.
