We all love cider but sometimes that just isn’t quite enough. No, sometimes you want to go enjoy cider at a tasting room, taproom or cidery that, for one reason or another, makes you stop and stare at its splendor, from the historic and modern to the wonderful and scenic. Whether it’s a gorgeous interior, an amazing location or even a rock wall, these cideries all have breathtaking tasting rooms that will give you food for thought as well as cider for your stomach.
Sea Cider || Saanichton, BC
Sitting right on the coast of British Columbia’s Haro Strait is Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a nine-year-old award-winning cidery and orchard on the bucolically sprawling Vancouver Island. The interior of the tasting room, which is visible in its entirety on Google Maps, has tall ceilings and a wide door exiting to the orchard-view deck, creating an open and airy space to enjoy the ciders and food. From the stretching veranda, guests can view the coastline just past the estate site.
Citizen Cider || Burlington, Vermont
In Burlington, Vermont, Citizen Cider is a cidery with a bar that many drink producers only dream of: complete with cider cocktails, draft and bottle options, daily specials (like half-priced pints on Mondays and a hot-dog-canned-cider combo for $5 on Thursdays) and a dedicated urban following. Large, spacious and with an industrial-inspired atmosphere, Citizen Cider offers a great place for patrons to enjoy the long list of ciders and cocktails, including cellar tastings, live music and a seasonally rotating food menu.
The Methow Valley Ciderhouse || Winthrop, WA
The Methow Valley Ciderhouse recently opened its new tasting room overlooks its beautiful garden, outdoor game section and the edge of the charming Western-themed town of Winthrop. But the views don’t stop there as the palatial deck also offers a view of Mt. Rainier and the greater Cascade Mountain range, topped off with nearly a dozen ciders on tap, including house and guest handles, along with wine and beer. Rumor has it the family behind the cidery plans to open another tasting room on the orchard, just a few miles up the highway.
Uncle John’s Hard Cider || St. John’s, MI
Operating as both a cider mill and donut bakery since the late 1970s, Uncle John’s is based in a tenured barn that has been on the family farm for over 100 years. The multigenerational family-owned farmstead — originally operating as a wholesale fruit and vegetable farm — has since been repurposed as an orchard, cider mill and cidery as Uncle John’s Hard Cider, utilizing a similarly family-oriented approach toward all that enter. The cider tasting room splashes the wide variety of Uncle John’s ciders, by the can, bottle or new five-liter mini kegs, while the historic cider mill hosts a diverse range of events from 5k runs and live music to regular shopping for retail and farm produce.
Finnriver Farm & Cidery || Chimacum, WA
Arguably one of the most influential cideries in the Pacific Northwest, Finnriver Farm & Cidery has recently moved its tasting room to the Finnriver Orchard & Cider Garden in Chimacum, two miles up the road from the production facility and original orchard. The new tasting locale is located right on the cidery’s new orchard site and offers an appropriately gorgeous view of the mountains and beyond from the newly constructed patio, garden, game field (with bocce, cornhole and more) and tasting barns. A mix of table and communal bench seating, a tasting bar and two full-pour bars, plus an oyster-shucking station and a stand for a food cart, the new spot was worth the move.
Angry Orchard || Walden, NY
A vast, newly constructed barn now serves as the tasting room for Angry Orchard, one of the world’s largest producers of hard cider. The Innvoation Cider House, an enormous yet cozy indoor space, offers plenty of room for guests of all ages to witness the cidery’s experimental production, plus tours of its Treehouse, built by the folks of Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters.” The Treehouse is exclusive to those 21 and older, overlooking the orchard and the scenic Hudson Valley. The cidery also provides a historic self-guided tour of the area, 60-acre orchard and its Boston roots.
Wyndridge Farm || Dallastown, PA
Located just outside of York, Wyndridge Farm’s tasting room and farm-to-table restaurant provides guests with an expansive and beautiful space to enjoy cider, beer and a range of delicious bites. Located directly on the titular farm, the tasting room also features a gargantuan deck from which patrons can enjoy the views of Pennsylvania’s rolling hills while sipping on ciders and beers crafted in-house.
