Page 53 - Valley Table - Fall 2022
P. 53

                                 If you fall in love with their ciders and Pommeau, join Orchard Hill’s cider club. Season’s sip: Say cheers to Bitters and Sharps. “We use a naturally carbonated methodology in champagne bottles to create a very rich, fruity cider with zero grams of residual sugar,” says co-owner Karl duHoffmann.
ROCKLAND CIDER WORKS Orangeburg \ rocklandciderworks.com You’ve been to beer gardens, but what about a cider garden? Head to the county’s very first cidery at Van Houten Farms. Grab a glass of something crisp and refreshing at the Tollhouse Taproom and then take a seat in the garden center that’s awash in seasonal displays. You’ll have your choice of Rockland’s sugar- and gluten-free hard ciders made with 100 percent NYS apples. The flagship Dry Run is impressive on its own, but there’s usually a surprise on tap, too, from Ida Red to Pumpkin to Butterscotch. Live music and food trucks give you more reason to linger as afternoon
turns into evening. They have a second location farther north in Gilboa.
Season’s sip: Try Bounceberries, a dry, tart, but smooth cranberry cider that is full of fall flavor.
SEMINARY HILL
Callicoon \ seminaryhill.co
If you love apples, architecture, and all things eco-friendly, Seminary Hill will delight you. The 12-acre orchard, with 60 varieties of apple and pear trees,
uses holistic, pesticide- and herbicide- free methods. The sustainability ethos continues in the stunning, stone-and- timber production facility and tasting room, which is the first cidery to meet passive-house standards. Overlooking the Delaware River, Seminary Hill is so gorgeous, you may not want to leave (if you really can’t pry yourself away, stay overnight at the Boarding House, an on-premises inn). Of course, the main event is the quintet of ciders produced: Baldwin Pippin, Beechwoods, Delaware Dry, Northern Spy, and Susan’s Semi-Dry, all with little-to-no residual sugar (there
HARDSCRABBLE CIDER
are also nano batches for cider club members). Turn up on Sundays at 1 p.m. for a tour and tasting; you can also dine on chef Jack Tippett’s seasonal menu that pairs well with the cider.
Season’s sip: Susan’s Semi-Dry 2020.
It has the apple flavor and a touch of sweetness that many cider drinkers crave, along with peach and rose notes and a nicely astringent finish.
TREASURY CIDER
Hopewell Junction \ treasurycider.com The venerable Fishkill Farms orchard provides the apples that are the stars
of the show at Treasury Cider, billed
as “tree to bottle Hudson Valley hard cider.” You can have a glass or flight
on the porch, overlooking the orchard, with the Catskills soaring in the distance (reservations recommended). Varieties might include Counterpane, a delightful dry cider co-fermented with sweet
and tart cherries; Colony, a mead-style cider; and Wild at Heart, a semi-dry cider that is steeped with wild foraged sumac. Another good reason to stop by: The calendar of events, including live music, “Sip and Stretch” yoga, and open mic night.
Season’s sip: Pucker up with the Centennial cider—unfiltered, tart, and dry. Want something a little milder? You can’t miss with Homestead, a semi-
dry with McIntosh, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, Jonamac, and more in the mix.
 PHOTO COURTESY OF HARDSCRABBLE CIDER
SEPT – OCT 2022 VALLEYTABLE.COM 51













































































   51   52   53   54   55