Deron & Hannah Davenport: Oral History Interview

This interview is with Deron & Hannah Davenport of Stray Cider. In this interview, the newlyweds explain how they found their way to cider and each other.Deron talks about starting out as a baker. He loved the idea of creating art through science and found that fermentation fascinated him. From there, he started brewing beer and fermenting cider at home. As Portland Cider Co. was starting to gain some traction, Deron talked his way into a job and eventually made his way up to head cider maker. After pitching unconventional ideas for Portland Cider Co., he was encouraged to start his own brand where he could experiment as much as he wanted.Hannah discusses how her relationship with cider started with her mom. Hannah grew up on a farm that grew apples. As she was starting college, her mom started experimenting with apple fermentation and eventually started Bauman’s Cider Company. After trying different careers in design, Hannah came back to help her mom with the company and never left. Hannah took her background in design to help Deron in branding Stray and joined his venture after connecting to the cider itself.Later in the interview, the couple talks about how their friendship evolved into a work relationship which evolved to a romantic relationship. After spending so much time together to build the brand, they fell in love. Deron explains how their relationship grew along with stray. They finally tied the knot in June of 2026 and plan to continue to nurture their love for each other and Stray Cider even further.This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Linfield University in McMinnville on July 17, 2026.