ADK, Nine Pin Cider Continue 26er Challenge Partnership

The Nine Pin Cider 26er Challenge has returned for 2024! For the fourth time, a portion of the proceeds from each 26er cider will be donated to the Summit Stewardship Program, a partnership between Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Summit Stewardship Program

Founded in 1989, the program was developed in response to the alarming decline of alpine habitat in the Adirondack High Peaks. Summit stewards educate the public about alpine ecosystems, maintain trails above treeline, and conduct scientific research.

Education

Summit stewards work from Memorial Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, educating the public by engaging them through casual interpretation. One of the primary goals of these conversations is to inspire visitors to become stewards by staying off fragile and vulnerable alpine vegetation.

You can help by doing the “rock walk”—hiking on bare stone surfaces once you’ve made it above treeline.

Trail Maintenance

Clear and well-marked trails above treeline are an essential part of keeping hikers on bare rock surfaces and protecting alpine vegetation. Summit stewards help maintain trails above treeline on days where usage is lower. This includes painting trail markers, building cairns and scree walls, repairing eroded areas of the trail, and more.

Scientific Research

Summit stewards conduct important research to help determine the health of alpine ecosystems in New York. Every three to five years, stewards perform photopoint monitoring to determine recovery rates of alpine vegetation. They also survey for alpine pollinator species, such as bumblebees, moths, and flies.

The 26er Challenge

Starting on April 1, Nine Pin will release a new, limited draft cider every two weeks. These ciders are only available at the tasting room located at 929 Broadway in Albany, New York.

New participants who try them all twenty-six ciders earn Bronze status. Those who have already completed the 26er Challenge at least once can move up a level: Silver, Gold, and the highly coveted Platinum status.

26er Challenge Rules

Those taking the 26er Challenge must present their punch card at the time on purchase. Ciders cannot be purchased on behalf of someone else.

While the first 26er cider must be purchased between April 1–14, the other twenty-five are available until they run out. You’re guaranteed to receive a participation punch if you come to the tasting room within two weeks of each cider’s release.

If a cider runs out during the first two weeks after its release, you can purchase another cider in its place, so long as you do so within the first two weeks of its release. Nine Pin Cider reserves the right to make exceptions during the initial two-week period for extenuating circumstances, but those exceptions must be communicated within the initial two-week window.

Please notify your bartender about any allergies! If your allergen is present in a cider, a substitution will be made available for you.

26er Benefits

In addition to supporting the Summit Stewardship Program and helping protect New York’s rarest ecosystem, becoming a Nine Pin 26er has several other benefits.

26ers receive a personalized ID badge, happy hour pricing for life in the Nine Pin tasting room, early access to new can and bottle releases, exclusive taste testing of new ciders, and an invitation an exclusive, end-of-year open bar party.

Ready to become a 26er? Register on Eventbrite to get started! A limited number of tasting journals are available for those who register.