Work is underway on opening a cidery in downtown Decorah

Convergence CiderWorks will be opening soon at 302 Washington Street in Decorah Located in the former Decorah Building Supply building, Convergence CiderWorks will be Decorah's first cider house when it opens later this summer. Convergence CiderWorks will be a craft, regional, hard apple cider manufacturer, focused on relationships with growers and producers in Iowa and the greater Driftless Region. The company's vision is to create modern hard cider while being an active part of the community and doing as much good as possible. Natalie and Chris Naber were living in Sonoma County, California, and working with both kombucha and hard cider companies when the COVID epidemic hit. They decided to make a big transition to Decorah. "With Main Streets closing over the Midwest, our goal is to be part of the solution toward purposeful revitalization by contributing to the local, thriving, beverage community while also creating lasting partnerships for preservation," says Natalie. Convergence will include house ciders on draft and available to-go, as well as local on-draft visitor ciders and beers. The company also plans to offer sweet apple cider and a menu of paired foods through local partnerships. Over the last few years, the building Convergence CiderWorks will occupy has undergone a complete transformation, including repurposed open wood beam ceilings as well as the preservation of the historical mural from the Thomas Cusack Company of Chicago. The renovation also created a brand new 2-bedroom apartment space which occupies the entire second floor of the original building, which will be available as a vacation rental through AirBnB. No opening date has been officially announced yet, although a summer opening is the goal.