Hudson Valley Cider Guide

Tag: Tasting Room

SEMINARY HILL ORCHARD + CIDERY
PROUDLY LOCAL and intently sustainable, Seminary Hill Orchard & Cidery in Callicoon, NY, is all about Catskills heritage. Founded by Chicagoans Doug Doetsch (descended from a Callicoon family) and Susan Manning, Seminary Hill features the world’s first Passive House-certified cidery: an expansive 4,000-square-foot space clad with larch wood reclaimed from the underwater pilings of the original Tappan Zee Bridge. A cathedral-style ceiling frames floor-to-ceiling windows, and a wrap-around patio and balcony offer a perfect vantage point for the spectacular views of the orchard below and Delaware River Valley in the distance.

Designed by James Hartford of River Architects, the cidery is a modern take on a classic bank barn built into the side of a hill. Certified by the Passive House Institute U.S., the building’s insulated thermal envelope prevents heat loss or gain, while its triple pane windows help warm the room during winter while also providing peaceful orchard views. The eco-consciousness doesn’t stop at the cidery’s design but continues throughout stages of cider production.

Seminary Hill grows more than 60 American heirloom, English, and French varieties of cider apples and perry pears in rocky clay on a south-facing slope overlooking the Delaware River. They holistically manage their orchards in cooperation with nature. The fruit they grow (and the fruit they buy from area grower partners) has the complex aromatics, sharp acids, and tactile tannins needed to ferment and blend ciders with depth and nuance.

Seminary Hill’s orchard-driven cider reveals the distinct qualities of each year’s fruit. They never add other flavors or colors, and the ciders tend toward the dry end of the spectrum. Hence, all the flavors and textures shine through without the obscuring veil of excess sugar.

“For our grandparents and great-grandparents, making cider was simply part of living off the land. They took in summer boarders to make ends meet, and some became lifelong friends,” says owner Doug Doetsch. “Their example inspires us as we craft distinctive ciders, welcome guests to our tasting room and boarding house, and share our appreciation for the bounty and beauty of the land.”

Photo: Daniel Schwartz

The Essentials

Address

43 Wagner La
Callicoon, NY 12723

Website

seminaryhill.co

Open

Thurs: 4–9pm
Fri: 12–9pm
Sat: 12–9pm
Sun: 12–7pm

Closed

Check the website for closures due to special events.

Owners

Doug Doetsch, Susan Manning

Cider Maker

Stuart Madany
May 25, 2023
AWESTRUCK
AT AWESTRUCK, THEIR NAME is their mission – they craft hard ciders that will leave you, well…awestruck! They have an insatiable thirst for tweaking, testing, and experimenting with apple varietals, yeast species, and botanical ingredients to push the boundaries of what hard cider can be. Their favorite comment from new taste testers? “Wow! This is hard cider?!” (Their second favorite comment is, “Where can I get more!”)

Awestruck’s four flagships are each unique, yet approachable. Hibiscus Ginger is rose-colored, fizzy, and subtly spicy, like a tropical ginger ale; Apples & Pears is an easy-drinking fusion of fresh apple and juicy, succulent pear; Lavender Hops is crafted by steeping cider with pounds of culinary dried lavender and citrusy hop varietals, at once deeply aromatic and juicy; and Dry Apple + Oak captures the essence of artisanal fermentation – clean, faintly woody, subtly fruity, and deeply evocative of early autumn in Upstate New York.

After years spent working as contractors to fund their voracious appetite for travel and new taste discovery, Casey Vitti and Patti Wilcox returned to their hometown of Walton, NY, to found Awestruck in 2013. Inspired by the abundance of fresh, delicious apples throughout the Hudson Valley, they created Awestruck Ciders to blend their home region’s apple growing heritage with their favorite flavors from around the world.

From their humble roots in a 2,000 square foot, renovated section of a local lumberyard, Awestruck has grown into an industrious team of twenty-three employees, collaboratively working on everything from building the bar in the taproom, to composing social media posts, to hand labeling each of their 750ml bottles.

Creating new limited and seasonal offerings, and satisfying their thirst to experiment and produce new tastes and experiences is Awestruck’s true passion. They work with local orchardists and farmers and make all of their ciders from pure, fresh-pressed New York state apples—never from concentrate, and never watered down.

As part of a recent expansion, Awestruck opened a second taproom in Walton, NY – Awestruck Mill. You can also visit the 8,000 square-foot production facility and taproom in Sidney, NY, which has evolved into a cozy bar-restaurant with seventeen rotating taps of unique and limited offerings along with a variety of local craft beers. At the taprooms you can taste one-off ciders made one keg at a time, or enjoy a tasty cider cocktail. You can sit aboard the 1970s school bus situated adjacent to the bar and compose magnetic poetry on the walls and ceiling! Awestruck partners with rotating local restaurants and food trucks to satisfy hungry customers. Visit Thursday through Sunday, with tours and tastings available by appointment. Stay in the loop with everything Awestruck by following them on Facebook and Instagram, and check the website for information on where to find Awestruck in stores and at farmers markets and festivals throughout the year.

The Essentials

Name

AWESTRUCK

Address

8 Winkler Road
Sidney, NY 13838

Awestruck Mill:
34 Howell St.
Walton, NY 13856

Website

awestruckciders.com

Open

Sidney:
Thurs–Sat: 3–10pm
Sun: 11am–5pm

Awestruck Mill:
Fri–Sat: 3–10pm

Closed

New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Tours

$10.00 tour and guided tasting

Owners

Patricia Willcox and Casey Vitti

Manager

Bryan Birdsall

Cider Maker

Derek Tallman
June 3, 2019
HELDERBERG MEADWORKS
HELDERBERG MEADWORKS began in 2012 producing a single mead with a mission: to bring truly handcrafted mead to the people. That mead was called Heritage and the people welcomed it with open arms. It quickly became clear that Helderberg could spread their creative wings and introduce more varieties to the market. Apple Mead was born!

While creating the local sourced cyser, Helderberg was creating an amazing hard cider as part of the process. So with the same passion and vigor, meadmaker Peter Voelker set forth perfecting his hard cider craft by applying the knowledge and experience he gained while developing Helderberg Meadworks’ many varieties of mead.

Over the past couple of years, Helderberg’s hard cider was introduced on a limited basis while Peter was building the new tasting room where his ciders are now exclusively available. Helderberg’s philosophy of using all-natural ingredients as much as possible extends to their ciders which are handcrafted to suit the makers’ personal tastes. This natural approach brings out the best fresh-apple flavors possible, resulting in ciders that stand out remarkably well in the crowded marketplace.

Helderberg’s Classic Semi-Dry hard cider is distinct. It is aged for a minimum of six months using an aging process that provides micro-oxidation similar to that of a neutral cask. This allows the cider to develop its natural profile slowly. Each harvest is unique, therefore the cider is not blended from year to year. Much like the view from the tasting room, there are slight variations that are embraced each year to create a hard cider that is a truly a celebration of the apples!

The Essentials

Name

HELDERBERG MEADWORKS

Address

6144 State Route 30
Esperance, NY 12066

Troy Tasting Room:
45 3rd Street
Troy, NY 12180

Phone

518-795-8964

Website

helderbergmeadworks.com

Open

Thurs–Fri: 5–9pm
Sat: 12–9pm
Sun: 12–5pm

Closed

New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Tasting Fee

$5.00 for 7; $20.00 for all with glass

Tours

No

Farm Acreage

8.4 acres

Production

800–1,000 cases

Owners

Peter and Kirsten Voelker

Managers

Peter and Kirsten Voelker

Cider/Mead Maker

Peter Voelker
May 6, 2018
HUDSON VALLEY FARMHOUSE CIDER
HUDSON VALLEY FARMHOUSE CIDER was founded in 1996 by award-winning cider farmer, master, and “Grand Dame of Hudson Valley Cider” Elizabeth Ryan at her original orchard, Breezy Hill, near Rhinebeck, NY.

In 2014, Ryan saved the beloved, 200-year-old Stone Ridge Orchard in Ulster County from the threat of development by purchasing it and adding it to the Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider family. All together, she now has over 145 acres of fruit-bearing trees with more than 100 varieties of apples including a dedicated hard cider orchard housing many traditional and heirloom cider apples such as Dabinett, Binet Rouge, and Kingston Black. On the culinary side, her apples turn up everywhere from the Gramercy Tavern and the Studio Cafe at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan to public school cafeterias in New York City and farmer’s markets throughout the state. Many of the varieties she grows are almost impossible to find anywhere else in the country.

With a degree in pomology from Cornell University and intensive study of cider making in Somerset and Hereford, England, Ryan has been making and perfecting her cider techniques since the early 1980s. The result is an impressive collection of highly drinkable ciders in the traditional style featuring a robust New World flavor profile.

Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider produces a line of exceptional farm-based ciders with style and character. The cidery is based at two beloved Hudson Valley farms, Breezy Hill Orchard near Rhinebeck and Stone Ridge Orchard near New Paltz, both known for their commitment to ecological growing and the production of highly flavored fruit.

The Essentials

Name

HUDSON VALLEY FARMHOUSE CIDER

Address

3012 Route 213
Stone Ridge, NY 12484

Phone

845-687-2587

Website

hudsonvalleyfarmhousecider.com
stoneridgeorchard.com

Open

Farm Stand:

Apr 15–Nov 30
Daily: 10am–6pm

Dec 1–Dec 31
Limited hours, check website

Closed

Thanksgiving, January 1–April 15

Farm Acreage

200 acres

Owner

Elizabeth Ryan

Cider Maker

Elizabeth Ryan
May 6, 2018
TREASURY CIDER
TREASURY CIDER IS A TREE-TO-BOTTLE hard cider produced by Fishkill Farms at their century-old family orchard. They use a mix of heirloom, bittersweet, and dessert apples that are cultivated, pressed, and wild-fermented with care to produce each batch of hard cider. Every ingredient is grown or wild-foraged on the farm, and fermented traditionally to produce delicate ciders akin to dry and sparkling white wines.

In 2015, after over 100 years of growing apples, family-owned Fishkill Farms began producing hard cider called Treasury to invoke the spirit of the farm’s founder, Henry Morgenthau Jr., who served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Roosevelt. It is also a nod to the historic American cider cellars which, like treasuries, served as year-round sources of comfort and vitality for the families and communities in their area.

Today, Henry’s grandson Josh Morgenthau carries on this tradition as a third-generation orchardist, and the cider maker behind Treasury Cider. Starting with the belief that outstanding cider is made in the orchard, the apples used in Treasury Cider are chosen for the character they add to cider, grown with minimal intervention, eco-certified, and harvested at peak ripeness. TThe Hudson Valley climate and rich glacial soils yield unique, site-specific flavors to their cider. After pressing through a rack-and-cloth press, the apples are fermented slowly at cool temperatures and aged for 6-10 months before bottling, yielding a dryer and less carbonated cider that pairs wonderfully with a variety of foods.

Treasury’s newest releases were made with the 2020 crops. They are a mix of apples like Jonamac and Golden Delicious which grow on 60-year old trees, and newer organic plantings of heirloom and cider varieties, including Roxbury Russet, Esopus Spitzenberg, Ashmead’s Kernel, Northern Spy and Goldrush. Each variety showcases a unique blend of fruit and a particular cider-making process.

Treasury’s ciders can be enjoyed on their cider bar porch in the late spring, summer, and fall months, and in the indoor tasting room in the winter and early spring months, both offering scenic views of the farm, orchards and Catskill mountains beyond. Cider is available in tasting flights and by the glass, as well as in specially crafted cider cocktails! Check the website for current hours, live music, workshops, and food offerings.

The Essentials

Name

TREASURY CIDER
FISHKILL FARMS

Address

9 Fishkill Farm Rd.
Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Phone

845-897-4377

Website

treasurycider.com
fishkillfarms.com

Open

Year round
Please check the google business page
for updated hours as they change seasonally

Closed

New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Tasting Fees

Visit the website for details

Tours

No

Farm Acreage

270 acres

Owner

Josh Morgenthau

Manager

Mark Doyle

Cider Makers

Josh Morgenthau, Chris Jackson,
Matia Hayden, Rohan Chamberlain
May 16, 2017
DOC’S DRAFT HARD CIDER
AS THE FIRST CIDERY IN NEW YORK STATE since prohibition, Doc’s has had over 20 years’ experience in fine tuning and perfecting the craft. The staff at Doc’s is proud to use only 100% New York fruit, and the success of Doc’s Cider is due to this insistence on using the finest fruit available. When it’s not sourced from the on-site orchard, Doc’s purchases fresh market fruit from local growers that the staff knows personally.

The Doc’s Draft Hard Cider story began in 1989, when two doctors purchased an orchard in Warwick, NY and began to learn how to cultivate fruit. Local apple growers and extension agents taught them the basics and contributed to the early success. As a result of an abundant apple crop they began to experiment with hard cider. Soon they were hooked. They applied for and received a farm winery license and cider producer license in 1993 – and Doc’s was born. Doors opened to the public in the fall of 1994.

In the early days, they had three wines and one cider, all of which were, frankly, a bit unrefined. Their inexperience was as evident as their enthusiasm, but they persevered to create higher quality wines and cider. Every vintage improved as they honed their skills and continued to learn the art and science of wine and cider making. Eventually, hard work paid off, leading to the development of the critically-acclaimed Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider.

In 2002, current owners Jeremy Kidde and Jason Grizzanti set out to build the Doc’s Cider brand. After purchasing a used bottling line and three head keg filler, they increased production enough to expand beyond the farm winery tasting room and local farm markets. Every week, they would load up the truck and sell the cider door to door in New York City. Soon, Doc’s Draft started to be known for its fresh, natural taste, and they quickly added distribution to nearby states. Today, Doc’s Hard Cider is available in 25 states and three countries, with more growth on the horizon. Proclaims owner Jeremy Kidde, “We did it first and we do it best.”

Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider is now available in four year-round varieties (Original Apple, Pear, Raspberry, and Hopped) as well as six seasonal offerings (Cassis, Sour Cherry, Peach, Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Gold Rush).

The Essentials

Name

DOC’S DRAFT HARD CIDER

Address

114 Little York Rd.
Warwick, NY 10990

Phone

845-258-6020

Website

docscider.com

Open

Year round:
Mon–Fri: 11am–6pm
Sat–Sun: 11am–6pm

Closed

New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Tasting Fee

$5.00

Tours

$15.00 (Distillery Tour)

Farm Acreage

100 acres

Production

75,000 cases

Manager

Jeremy Kidde, Jason Grizzanti, Joseph Grizzanti

Cider Maker

Cooper Graney
May 16, 2017