Made in Arizona: Marine develops cider business with his brother

MESA, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- What started as a form of therapy for a local veteran turned into a business with his brother.

Josh and Jason Duren started their own cidery in Mesa. The beer is unique, and is made locally from fruit. The experience is an ode to "honor and sacrifice".

"We grew up together, we're brothers, but a lot of the things that he went through there, those are experiences that we didn't have together," said Josh.

Jason is a marine who was deployed to Afghanistan, but returned with Traumatic Brain Injuries from IED explosions. His doctor suggested finding a hobby to help him heal

"Once its done, we'll cold-crash it and then we're going to filter it," said Jason.

Jason and Josh started making their own cider beer, building a business and a close bond.

"We were in his garage, and it really gave me and him a lot of time to talk through a lot of the things he was going through from coming back," said Josh.

Cider Corps opened in Mesa on Veterans Day 2017. All the brews available come from fruit, and go through a unique process so they go down smooth.

"100% of our ciders go through a malolactic fermentation, so we're taking some of the harsh nalic acid and converting it to lactic acid," said Jason.

The hobby that brought the brothers together also brought customers together as well. Inside Cider Corps, people can find communal tables and an atmosphere indicative of their slogan: drink great cider, honor great sacrifice.

"Creating an environment where people feel a part of a family is a really big deal for us," said Josh.

What started as a form of family therapy led them on a journey to brotherly success in the brewing business.

Catch Made In Arizona every Friday, on FOX 10 News at 4. If you have an idea about a product made in Arizona, you can send an e-mail to madeinarizona [at] foxtv [dot] com.