The first post-Prohibition farm cidery in New York’s Rochester region, Rootstock Ciderworks produces its fermented apple products (including spirits) from a fifth-generation family farm. DeFisher Fruit Farms hosts more than 500 acres of orchards in Wayne County, which holds the title as the largest apple-producing county in the country. The farm has a devout commitment to sustainability, using a solar energy system and putting the organic byproducts from cidermaking to good use on the farm, eliminating waste in the meantime.
David DeFisher launched Rootstock in 2012 in Williamson, a town rich with cider history and a little bit of legend. Cidermaker Alex Robb channels that spirit in the production of his Premium Cider line, focused on heirloom apples and barrel aging in the Legend cider. Bone dry from initial sniff to final sip, Legend booms with golden apple and heavy vanilla as soon as it hits the glass. The cider is aged for over a year in both French and American oak barrels, so the oak, leather and vanilla is omnipresent while apple pops with flavor and moderate acidity.
