Cider Season

As the leaves begin to take on their autumn hue here in northern Michigan, our minds begin to shift from warm summer nights and long, carefree afternoons at the beach to cozy flannels, pumpkin spice lattes, and football. We are also nearing peak apple season, and thus it is time to enjoy all things apple including apple juice, apple pie, apple cider, and hard apple cider. Petoskey, and the surrounding area is home to some of the best apple orchards and cideries in Michigan and arguably in the United States, and while nonalcoholic cider is delicious, both cold and hot, for the purposes of this blog, I will be talking about hard cider.

I remember the first time I tasted hard cider. It was the summer of 2001, and I was having dinner at One Trick Pony in Grand Rapids prior to attending a Tom Petty concert at Van Andel Arena. My friends were all ordering beer with dinner, but I was not yet a fan of beer. The waitress said that they had something new on draft. She described it as an “apple beer” and asked me if I wanted to try it. I believe my first taste of cider was Woodchuck, and after the initial sample, I was hooked. Now that I have a more sophisticated palate most ciders tend to be too sweet for my liking, but I do enjoy a cider that is not too sugary, and one that does not have an overwhelming vinegar flavor. And, though I find most ciders available in stores to be much too sweet, there are some ciders and cideries in northern Michigan that I love. 

The following are my four go-to ciders in northern Michigan in no particular order:

Elder Piper’s Cold Snap Barrel-Aged. If I want a delicious local cider that is practically in my neighborhood, I go to Elder Piper Beer & Cider. Elder Piper first opened in June of 2024, and it quickly became a popular hangout for locals and visitors alike. The owners brew and ferment all of their own beverages there, and they are all amazing. My favorite cider of theirs is the Cold Snap Barrel-Aged cider. It has been aged in Grand Traverse Distillery rye whiskey barrels, and this process has caused the cider to take on an oaky flavor with a slight sweetness to it. With an ABV of 10.3%, it is a great sipping cider.

Elder Piper’s Chickadee Session Cider. While their Cold Snap Barrel-Aged cider is delicious, it also has a higher alcohol content than most ciders. When I am in the mood for something with a lower ABV, I will reach for Chickadee Session. It has an ABV of 4.7% and has 0 grams of sugar. This cider is light and crisp and smooth, and it does not overpower with sweetness.  

Starcut Cider’s Pulsar. Starcut Ciders, which is a part of the Short’s Brewing family, makes several delicious ciders as well. I try to make it to Bellaire a couple of times a year to enjoy the food at Short’s as well as their beer and cider. My favorite Starcut cider is Pulsar which has an ABV of 6.9 and is quite dry and very refreshing. It is made with Michigan apples of course, but they also use pinot noir yeast in the fermentation process which leads to very crisp taste, and an incredibly dry finish.

 Left Foot Charley’s Cinnamon Girl. Ok, I know I said that I did not like a cider that is too sweet. And although I would not consider Cinnamon Girl to be too sweet, there is definitely a sweetness to the flavor.  The thing about this cider is although it is sweet, it is so smooth, and so natural tasting- both the apple and the cinnamon- that it can get away with being a tad bit sweet. Left Foot Charley is an urban winery and cidery located in Traverse City, but you don’t have to drive to Traverse City to enjoy this cider. It is available at most grocery stores in the area and is even on tap at some restaurants. Cinnamon Girl has an ABV of 5%. 

I will leave you with a few interesting facts about cider:

1. Hard cider is naturally gluten-free. 
2. There are nearly 4,000 cideries in the United States and approximately 200 in the state of Michigan alone. 
3. Some of the most popular apples for making hard cider in Michigan are Northern Spy, McIntosh, and Jonathan.  
4. There are some health benefits to consuming hard cider. Cider contains pectin, B vitamins, biotin, folic acid, and vitamin C as well as probiotics and antioxidants. 
5. John Adams, the second president of the United States, had a tankard of hard cider every morning with breakfast, and he claimed that it helped him stay healthy.