Michigan Apples Highlighted in Hard Cider Throughout the State
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Michigan is known for high-quality, tasty apples, thanks to the state’s climate, soil and geography. In fact, Michigan ranks No. 3 in the U.S. for apple production, with more than 14.9 million apple trees in the state. So, it’s no surprise that Michigan has several hard cideries using the fruit to create a delicious, farm-to-pint experience.
From Tree to Glass
Run by fifth-generation farmer Mike Beck, his wife and his brother-in-law, Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St. Johns has been making hard cider since the early 2000s.
“Initially, I was visiting Michigan wineries and realized that we already had a lot of the equipment they did, which could be used to make cider,” Beck says. “In 2000, we received a grant and immediately started making hard cider.”
Beck runs an 80-acre apple orchard to produce the cider and also offers fresh apple doughnuts, pies, breads and more at the mill. He says they source locally for cider varieties that use other fresh ingredients, such as Apple Blueberry, Apple Cherry and Apple Pear – but the apples are always the star.
“Our climate in Michigan is awesome for apples, and they’re consistently denser with a more acidic profile here,” Beck says. “They’re more flavorful than other regions, making them perfect for cider.”
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Apple Experimentation
Paul Vander Heide of Vander Mill in Grand Rapids agrees with Beck about Michigan apples and adds that similar to wine, apples have a certain terroir, or natural environment, in Michigan because of the rich soil.
Additionally, cideries in the region have led the way in terms of creativity, thanks to the quality products available.
“Our most popular cider is called Totally Roasted,” Vander Heide says. “It’s a really unique cider where we candy our own pecans and soak them in the cider. We enjoy being experimental. Michigan has really led the way in innovation.”
Vander Heide and his wife opened Vander Mill in 2006. They don’t have a farm on-site but source apples from a local grower at Fruit Ridge Apple Company in Sparta to produce a variety of ciders, including Hard Apple, Apple Raspberry and Cherry Chuckle (an apple-cherry blend).
Vander Heide is also a founding member of the Michigan Cider Association, which supports education, research and promotion of Michigan cider.
“I think education is important,” he says. “When people come to our taproom, we do our best to educate them about our industry. It’s the most direct way to do it and get our message across. We also use our distributor networks and salespeople to help push the level of education for cider.”
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Apples and Agritourism
Another way Michigan cideries educate consumers is through agritourism events on the farm and in the taproom. For example, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill in Armada operates an 800-acre farm where they grow their own apples, press them and serve cider on-site. Chelsea Cox, director of marketing for Blake’s, says that agritourism events are vital to their business.
“Agritourism is absolutely the most important part of our farm business,” she says. “Our cider and doughnuts keep the lights on, but the events we put on at the farm allow us to employ our staff 12 months out of the year.”
The cidery holds a Lavender Festival in July attracting more than 20,000 people, a Sunflower Festival over Labor Day weekend, and a Cider Dayze beer, cider and wine festival in August.
In addition to the events, Blake’s processes its cider on-site, so consumers have a chance to see and learn about the entire cider-making process.
“We currently offer 18 unique ciders, and 100% of the cidermaking process takes place on the farm, about 100 yards from our tasting room,” Cox says.
Discover more about the Michigan cideries mentioned and others across the state at michiganciders.com.
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