The Hudson Valley is home to some of the most flavorful and refreshing hard ciders made from locally grown heirloom apple varieties. From small-batch ciders to widely distributed flavors, there are hundreds to choose from!
Visit a farm cidery or local orchard to get a taste of the Hudson Valley.
Day 1 – Upper Hudson Valley
Left Bank Ciders in Catskill—Greene County’s first cidery—features hard cider made with ingredients that are locally sourced from within an hour of their cellar. Using apples found on wild trees and collaborating with nearby orchards, Left Bank Ciders produces small-batch ciders, such as Old Gold, Kabbin, and Tina. Stop by their taproom to try a glass or flight of their ciders!
Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery in Altamont offers “farm-to-glass” hard cider and beer in their Biergarten. From Dry Hard Cider to Lavender and Honey Cider, there is something for all cider drinkers. Their beer and cider are also available for purchase in cans so you can enjoy it at home! While you’re at Indian Ladder Farms, go apple picking and be sure to try their cider doughnuts.
The Greenhouse Cidery in Chatham, located at Chatham Berry Farm, produces small-batch hard ciders. With various types of cider, including bourbon barrel aged rosé and barrel aged red blend, the Greenhouse Cidery offers unique flavors.
Little Apple Cidery in Hillsdale is a certified organic orchard that uses heirloom and traditional apple varieties. The cidery produces fresh cider, and different types of hard cider. Orchard tours are available by reservation.
Day 2 – Mid-Hudson Valley
Kettleborough Cider House in New Paltz offers small-batch cider made using apples from the region. Kettleborough features award-winning ciders, such as Dry Cider made with Northern Spy and Granny Smith apples, and Honey Honey, made with a blend of apples and honeycrisp juice with honey. Visit their tasting room to try their ciders!
Treasury Cider in Hopewell Junction uses apples from their orchard at Fishkill Farms to create their hard cider, offering a “tree-to-glass” experience. The farm, which is home to more than 100 varieties of apples, presses the apples in small batches before fermenting and aging the cider. Owned and operated by the same family for over 100 years, Fishkill Farms’ founder—Henry Morgenthau Jr.—served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after a career in farming and conservation. Visit the Treasury Cider Bar for a flight tasting while taking in views of the surrounding orchards and mountains—reservations are required.
Westwind Orchard in Accord produces unfiltered hard ciders using apples from their orchard in the Hudson River Valley. Some of their ciders include 2019 Classic, which they consider their “champagne of ciders,” 2018 Raspberry, a fruity cider also featuring tannins, and 2019 MAXX, made mostly with McIntosh apples.
Day 3 – Lower Hudson Valley
Pennings Farm Cidery in Warwick features a variety of ciders, including semi-sweet, dry, hopped, and more. With rotating ciders on tap, you can try several different kinds from Baldwin, a tart cider, to Peach Fuzz, made with the farm’s own peaches—depending on when you visit. For an in-depth look at their ciders, book a private cider tasting tour.
Rockland Cider Works located at Van Houten Farms in Orangeburg is Rockland County’s first and only cidery! Stop by their bier garden to enjoy a pint of their Dry Run cider or a flavor from their rotating taps. Looking for to-go cider? Purchase a growler to try at home.
Thompson’s Cider Mill in Croton-on-Hudson has award-winning hard ciders available at the Mill on Saturdays and Sundays. The ciders, which are made in small batches, feature multiple varieties of apples. Thompson’s Cider Mill features a sparkling dry Heirloom Blend and a semi-dry Antique Apple Blend.
Additional Cideries in the Hudson Valley
Angry Orchard Hard Cider in Walden is home to a wide variety of hard ciders, including Crisp Apple, Crisp Unfiltered, Rosé, Green Apple, Pear Cider, and Stone Dry. Visit their Cider Garden to find your favorite flavor! Angry Orchard also features small-batch artisanal hard ciders, such as The Muse, Iceman, and Strawman.
Brooklyn Cider House at Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz has award-winning craft ciders featuring apples from the on-site orchard. In supporting their belief, “ugly apples taste better,” Brooklyn Cider House uses apples based on flavor, not appearance. Sip cider at the orchard while enjoying their wood-fired pizza.
Doc’s Draft Hard Cider at Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick features several different flavors of hard cider, including apple, pear, raspberry, dry hopped, cranberry spice, and more. Growing more than 65 types of apple trees, Doc’s utilizes the unique flavors to produce their farm-to-glass ciders.
Bad Seed Cider Company in Highland uses Hudson Valley apples to produce their hard ciders. Each can of their Flagship Dry Hard Cider features a pound of pressed apples, which are fermented with sauvignon blanc yeast. Try a flight of their ciders at their Cidery and Taproom on Baileys Gap Road, or visit their Farm Bar located on Wilklow Orchards.
Experience the flavors of the region with a trip to a Hudson Valley cidery during any season. Discover more at travelhudsonvalley.com.
Header photo: courtesy Treasury Cider, Fishkill.
