Cider Made: Montana CiderWorks

by | Feb 26, 2016

When I spoke with Montana CiderWorks’ Lee McAlpine, she was just preparing to make a batch of the cidery’s semi-dry English-style cider, North Fork. Her specialty is English-style cider, but that’s just part of her multifaceted cider making persona.

As owner and cidermaster of the nano cidery, McAlpine has been busy crafting everything from traditional to sessionable to cherry-infused, and even the occasional ice cider since 2000, by way of genuine dedication to apples and their vast potential. “The valley was once home to the nation’s largest apple crop during the apple boom. I’m excited about bringing back the apple culture.”

The valley McAlpine refers to and inhabits would be Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, located in the southwestern part of the state – a solid two-hour drive from Missoula, the nearest big city. “We’re in the middle of nowhere,” says McAlpine of her Darby, Montana locale.

Nature lover though she is, such isolation is admittedly a challenge for McAlpine, who currently only schedules tastings by appointment, provided visitors can make their way into and out of the property. “The orchard and cidery are on a dirt road, sometimes you need four-wheel drive to get out of here.”

Fortunately, McAlpine’s perseverance has triumphed over, and even embraced, the valley’s remote aspect. Aside from distributing her cider to stores throughout Montana, Washington and Colorado like the resourceful business owner she is, she is also a leader in her community as founder of the local nonprofit co-op Budwood, which aims to bring the apple industry to western Montana.

Befitting this positive attitude, the cider maker values her relationships with fellow growers and cider makers. “The cider industry is still pretty small so we tend to talk amongst each other quite a bit; it’s not like everyone’s worried about proprietary information,” says McAlpine, suggesting that the cideries are team players at the end of the day.

“Occasionally, we’ll have early frost and lose most of the fruit,” she explains of the state’s extreme conditions. “You have to be realistic and know you’ll have to source your fruit at some point.” During times such as these, relationships with fellow growers and cider makers are of the utmost importance.

Of course, regardless of the weather forecast, McAlpine maintains a rather quid pro quo relationship with growers in her area year round. “They grow what I don’t grow, and I grow what they don’t grow,” says McAlpine. The dynamic is a success for the cidery, which makes use of even the not-so-pretty apples to craft award-winning sippers.

“I’ve learned to respect the apple, even the ugly one,” says McAlpine, who points out that the so-called “ugly” apples are regrettably dubbed unfit for markets. “We need to be able to use more of those orchards instead of cutting them down and putting up houses,” says McAlpine.

So long as McAlpine’s patrons continue to imbibe batch after batch, those orchards may just stay put, and Montana CiderWorks may become the next best thing in western Montana next to apple country itself.

what’s new

All Day

Week of Events

Featured

2025 NW Cider Symposium

Follow US

get the latest

SIGN UP FOR THE CIDERCRAFT NEWSLETTER.

By subscribing online, you are opting in to receive our CIDERCRAFT Insider e-newsletter— with the latest coverage in the cider beverage scene, product reviews, libation destinations, events + more.

Pin It on Pinterest

CIDERCRAFT
Hard cider made some waves this past winter! 🍎✨

From the success of @ciderconference in Chicago to exciting market growth, regional cider heritage, and even smoked cider innovations, the craft cider scene is buzzing. 

Want to know more about these juicy headlines? Check out Cidercraft’s top picks for cider stories this season, now live on our site. Don’t miss this roundup of trends, industry highlights, and new milestones! 

📖 Read the full article at cidercraftmag.com

#CraftCider #CiderCon #HardCider #CiderLovers #DrinkCider
@carlsonshardcider just unveiled a stunning new look for 2025, and we’re here for it. 🙌

Not only is their design getting a glow-up, but they’re also launching exciting new flavors like Cherry, Oak Barrel Blend, Bare Hill Blush, and Peach Cobbler. 🍒🍑

Get the full scoop on their rebranding and taste innovation over on Cidercraft Magazine.

🍏 Read the full article now by heading to the link in our bio.

#CarlsonOrchards #HardCider #Cider
Now Accepting Entries for the 8th Annual Cidercraft Awards!

The Cidercraft Awards return for their eighth year, celebrating the best in cider! The top four winning ciders from each category will receive Platinum, Double Gold, Gold, and Silver medals, creating the ultimate resource for cider lovers and industry professionals.

Tag a cider producer who shouldn't miss this opportunity!

Deadline to submit and receive product is Friday, April 25
Competition will be held on May 13 – 14, 2025
Results will be released on June 12, 2025

Submit Your Cider Now at Cidercraftmag.com
@schillingcider isn’t just changing the way we drink cider—they’re changing the game for sustainability, too.

From fun, flavor-packed ciders like Apple Pie and Mixed Berry to their bold leap in creating climate-neutral 6-packs, Schilling is proving that great taste and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

With a fleet of electric vehicles, recyclable cans, and partnerships to neutralize their impact, this Auburn-based cidery is setting a standard the entire industry should aspire to.

Want the full story behind how Schilling is raising the bar for cider and the planet? Head to Cidercraftmag.com now.

#SchillingCider #ClimateNeutral #CraftCider

Story by Neil Ferguson
Images courtesy @schillingcider
New Release from @starcutciders Toucana is here—crafted with real guava juice for a kick of Caribbean flavor, balanced with crisp apple and a semi-dry finish. Naturally gluten-free, with no added sugar—just real fruit and real flavor. 🍏✨

Now pouring at the Pub and Pull Barn—and hitting shelves soon in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan!
undefined
Hard cider made some waves this past winter! 🍎✨

From the success of @ciderconference in Chicago to exciting market growth, regional cider heritage, and even smoked cider innovations, the craft cider scene is buzzing. 

Want to know more about these juicy headlines? Check out Cidercraft’s top picks for cider stories this season, now live on our site. Don’t miss this roundup of trends, industry highlights, and new milestones! 

📖 Read the full article at cidercraftmag.com

#CraftCider #CiderCon #HardCider #CiderLovers #DrinkCider
undefined
Share This
Complete your gift to make an impact
Donate