A refreshing glass of cider is the best way to tantalize your taste buds and ignite your senses this fall. Cider tastings are plenty during autumn because that’s when apples are harvested. If you love cider, take advantage of this season and visit scenic places where you can sip your favorite drink and cider-infused craft cocktails. Whether you love hard or non-alcoholic ciders, you can find them across the US, including cities, towns, and rural areas. As the popularity of cider keeps growing, so are the tasting places. But finding the best cider-tasting sites can be a challenge to many. So, the initial step is to arm yourself with the necessary background information.

1. Angry Orchard Hard Cider – Walden, NY

This cidery is one of the leading places to sample cider in the US. Angry Orchard Hard Cider specializes in producing alcoholic apple drinks. The cidery is situated in Hudson Valley and sits on a 60-acre orchard. A visit to the orchard provides a unique opportunity to sample various ciders the company offers, including Crisp Apple, Fireside Mix Pack, and Tropical. Crisp Apple is prepared from standard cider apples for a combination of sugary and bright sour flavors.

Fireside Mix Pack features Baked Apple Pie and Cinnful alongside Crisp Apple. This combination uniquely celebrates apples as the season’s best fruit. Cinnful Apple has a sweet and mild heat flavor. 

The cidery’s Tropical combines juicy pineapple with Crisp Apple flavors, making it an ideal drink for a vacation.

2. Seattle Cider Company – Seattle, Washington 

Seattle Cider Company opened its doors in 2013, intending to introduce a unique and authentic cider drink. The company provides award-winning ciders that visitors can taste daily. It has various options, like low-calorie, low-carb, and high-ABV ciders. The company’s famous ciders include Basil Mint, City Fruit, Dry, and Honeycrisp. 

Basil Mint is brewed with fresh basil, mint leaves, and other signature combinations of Washington apples. It is a bold and elegant cider that emerges with basil aromas and nuanced notes of basil and mint flavors.

3. Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Co – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Brew Lab 101 is a trendy spot for cider lovers in New Mexico. Through in-depth research, the company produces ciders and beers that meet the needs of its local market. When you visit their cidery, you’ll always find some small batches of cider to taste. Besides their handcrafted ciders, you’ll sample a ton of their unique cocktails. Some famous names to test when you’re in their cidery include Peachy Keen Cider, Cherry Bomb Cider, Newton’s Apple Cider, and Lady Guava.

4. Urban Orchard Cider Company – Asheville, NC

As a leading cidery company in Asheville, Urban Orchard Cider crafts unique beverages that limit the addition of sweeteners and artificial flavors. Whether you want to use their South Slope or West Tasting Room, you’ll find a variety of cider to sample. The maturation period for their ciders is over eight months. While in their tasting rooms, you’ll experience multiple flavors, including bone-dry and semi-sweet ones. 

Some of their famous cider brands include Dry Ridge, Ginger Campaign, and Sweet English. While Dry-Ridge is semi-dry, featuring green apple and tropical fruit notes, Ginger Campaign has sparkling flavors infused with ginger.

5. Downeast Cider – Boston, Massachusetts 

Downeast Cider belongs to two brothers: Ross and Matt Brockman. In 1991, the two brothers had a vision of developing unfiltered Craft Cider. During that time, they were aged 4 and 7 respectively. Their dream underwent multiple ups and downs before becoming a reality 20 years later. After many years of recipe modifications, the Unfiltered Original Blend was born in 2011. 

Some famous names from Downeast Cider include Strawberry, Original Blend, Double Blend, and Extra Hard Lemonade. Strawberry delivers a fresh, sweet strawberry taste to your palates. You can visit their East Boston Room from Thursday to Sunday for sampling.

6. Wildcraft CiderWorks – Eugene, Oregon

Situated in Eugene, Wildcraft CiderWorks provides a unique fermented cider using natural methods. To sample their products, you can visit their tasting room from Wednesdays to Sundays. While in their tasting room, you can sample ciders manufactured from locally sourced fruits and botanicals. Some ciders to test in their taste room include Aroma Berry, Botanical Blackberry, and Empire. Aroma Berry is a vibrant cider made from apples from feral apple trees. It’s naturally brewed and matured for 12 months. The clear cider is combined with Aronia berry wine, resulting in a partly misty cider with acidity tannins.

7. Uncle John’s Cider Mill – Saint Johns, Michigan

Visitors at Uncle John’s Cider Mill can savor three kinds of ciders: hard, non-alcoholic, and fresh donuts. The family farm has a rich history and produces high-quality ciders, wines, and spirits. Some great ciders to sample at Uncle John’s Mill include Empire, Northern Spy, Fuji, and Ginger Gold. Empire is a mixture of sweet and acidic flavors, which is excellent for eating and baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What properties of cider do you taste?

There are various properties that you should evaluate when you taste cider. The key ones include aroma, sparkling, sweetness, and fruit taste. The scent of the drink can vary depending on various factors. For example, the smell of the fruit can be fruity, floral, or spicy. Cider tastes also differ from product to product. Some flavors to anticipate include turbidity, bitterness, and acidity.

Where can you taste cider in the US?

Multiple companies that produce cider provide an opportunity to taste their products. If you’re a fan of cider, always research the Cider tasting places near you. Some popular companies offering cider-tasting services include Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Seattle Cider Company, Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Co, Atlanta Hard Cider & Distillery, and Urban Orchard Cider Company.

Discover More Cider Tasting & Cocktail Fall Vibes

Now you know where to taste orchard-fresh cider. If you have an adventurous palate, you will be delighted by these scenic destinations and cider tasting experiences. There are multiple cider-tasting places across the US – we can’t cover them all here. However, the locations explored above lead offer the best cider-tasting experience and an opportunity to create indelible memories.

Nonetheless, the excitement doesn’t stop at the ciders. As autumn embraces us, there are plenty of distillery tours to sample a delectable array of liquors and cocktails. Visit DistilleryNearby for more information.