Angry Orchard Cider House – Integrated Audio & AV Platform

Walden, New York | Boston Beer Company

Overview

The Angry Orchard AV system at the Cider House in Walden, New York was designed to support a dynamic, multi-space guest experience built around movement, atmosphere, and sound.  Guests flow between two interior levels, outdoor gathering spaces, and seasonal event areas, shifting naturally from relaxed tastings to high-volume events throughout the year.

Boston Beer Company partnered with Delaware Audio Visual to design and deliver a venue-wide AV platform that would support daily service, announcements, tastings, and live events while maintaining a consistent, immersive “house sound” across the entire property.

The Challenge

This wasn’t a typical distributed audio project. The building’s open architecture, wood finishes, and varied acoustics created an environment where simply adding coverage wouldn’t solve the problem.

The real challenge was consistency, creating an experience that felt intentional everywhere guests moved, while remaining easy for staff to operate and dependable for remote IT support.

From the beginning, the system needed to:

• Deliver smooth, musical ambience during daily operations

• Provide clear intelligibility for tastings and announcements

• Support live events and seasonal crowd surges

• Adapt naturally throughout the day without constant staff intervention

Designing the Experience First

Rather than starting with equipment specifications, the project began by defining what the space should sound like. A listening evaluation aligned stakeholders around tonal balance, clarity, and overall feel before final system direction was established.

“This wasn’t a project where we wanted to choose speakers in a vacuum.”
— Bill Sahm, Managing Director of Sales & Engineering, Delaware Audio Visual

That shared reference point shaped every design decision that followed.

The Solution: A Fully Integrated Zoned Platform

Consistent Sound Across Every Space

The core indoor system is built around Community Desono architectural loudspeakers from Biamp, selected to maintain consistent voicing while tailoring coverage and output to each zone.

Installed loudspeaker system:

Community Desono loudspeakers
Full-range surface-mount
• (11) EX-S10-CM-B
• (15) EX-S6-CM-B
• (6) EX-S8-CM-B

Subwoofers
• (2) EX-S10SUB-CM-B

Targeted coverage
• (4) KUBO5T-BL

Outdoor gathering areas are supported with nine One Systems 106.HTH loudspeakers, strategically distributed across the property to maintain consistent coverage in key exterior guest areas. Their deployment includes:

(6) at the rear of the building near the private gathering space
(2) at the front fireplace patio
(1) at the main entrance under the overhang

Their weather-resistant design made them ideal for exposed conditions while helping extend the same intentional guest experience beyond the building itself.

Zoning Designed Around Real Use

In a venue like Angry Orchard, turning the system up is rarely the answer; control is.

Fully zoned architecture allows staff to tailor sound levels and sources by area while maintaining a cohesive experience as guests move throughout the property.

The result is a system that adapts naturally to the day’s flow rather than requiring constant adjustment.

DSP, Control & Infrastructure

A networked architecture built around Q-SYS DSP provides centralized routing, tuning, and control across all zones. Staff-facing interfaces allow quick adjustments while preserving system safeguards for consistency and reliability.

A fully hardwired design eliminated reliance on Wi-Fi behavior and prevented music dropouts that disrupt the guest experience.

“A fully hardwired system eliminated music dropouts. Nobody wants an unexpected beat drop.”
— Julian Wiryo, Sr. Digital Workplace Engineer, Boston Beer Company

The system also supports:

• Wireless microphones for tastings and events

• Integrated digital signage at the welcome counter

• Expanded coverage in previously underserved areas

Designed to Disappear

In an architectural environment like the Cider House, technology should support the space without drawing attention to itself.

Wood-grain surface raceways, concealed cabling, and coordinated mounting preserved the building’s character while delivering professional-grade infrastructure.

“I’m most proud of the fit and finish. The technology enhances the environment without distracting from it.”
— Caleb Eller, Project Manager, Delaware Audio Visual

The Outcome

The finished system delivers a unified, immersive experience across the entire property while remaining simple for staff and dependable for IT support.

The result is a flexible platform that supports daily operations, seasonal peaks, and brand-defining events — ensuring guests enjoy the same warm, engaging sound wherever they gather.

Project Credits

Integrator: Delaware Audio Visual
System Design & Engineering: Bill Sahm
Installation Project Manager: Caleb Eller
Client Stakeholder: Julian Wiryo, Boston Beer Company

For additional technical details, read the featured manufacturer case study from Biamp.

Learn more about our AV system design services at https://delawareav.com

Read more about Angry Orchard at https://www.angryorchard.com