Cider House Jewels

Hard cider is riding a new wave of popularity, but don’t call it a fad. A better term for the tipple might be America’s oldest alcoholic beverage. 

English colonists brought apple seeds to America, along with their skills for making hard cider from the fermented juice of the fruit. A staple in colonial days, hard cider graced many a dinner table as it was deemed safer than water to drink. Thomas Jefferson made cider from some of the 18 varieties of apples he grew at Monticello, his Virginia home, and John Adams drank hard cider every morning to soothe his stomach. 

Cider’s popularity spread as colonists moved into the mountains of North Carolina, where they found the slopes, soil, and climate ideal for growing apples. Hard cider held its own in the years until Prohibition, when the quaff nearly disappeared and many of the apple trees were cut down. 

Today, North Carolina ranks as the leading apple-growing area of the Southeast and claims the seventh-largest apple crop nationwide. More than 75 percent of the commercial apple crop in North Carolina comes from Henderson County, where apples were first planted in the 1700s.

Within the last decade, hard cider production has spiked in the U.S., with cider sales jumping 65 percent in 2012, and then doubling in 2013. These numbers spurred many hobbyists to jump on the hard-cider bandwagon, with new starts reaching an all-time high in 2014. David Bowman, who founded Black Mountain Ciderworks in 2013, reports that his company’s production more than doubles every year.

Why the surge? Hard cider is a naturally gluten-free alternative to craft beer, and its popularity comes at a time when people are becoming more interested in local products. “We grow great apples and produce great craft beer in Western North Carolina,” says Amber Smithson of Three Sisters Cidery. “Cider is just the next step.”

Black Mountain Ciderworks

Home brewers David and Jessica Bowman fell in love with hard cider at a village fair in England. When they got home to North Carolina, they started making cider on their driveway. Now they have their own facility in Black Mountain. A small tasting room keeps six ciders on tap—including their full-bodied, semi-dry flagship, Pomona. They use a blend of apples from Henderson County, including Winesap, Stamen, Arkansas Black, and Baldwin to add tannins and balance. “The hot summers in Henderson County affect the sugar and acids in the apples grown here,” David explains. “The idea of terroir is as important in cider as it is in wine.” 

Tasting room open 3–8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and 2–8 p.m. Saturday. 104 Eastside Dr., #107, 

Black Mountain, N.C. blackmountainciderworks.com.

Bold Rock

Founded in Nellysville, Virginia, by John Washburn and renowned New Zealand cider maker Brian Shanks, Bold Rock recently set up shop in Mills River, North Carolina. The new ciderworks in Henderson County will help Washburn and Shanks meet the exploding demand for their crisp, refreshing Carolina Apple and full, rounded Carolina Draft ciders. The blend of apples (including Granny Smith, Arkansas Black, McIntosh, and Winesap) they use come from nearby Apple Wedge Packers, fifth-generation North Carolina apple growers. 

The new facility has a taproom and a mezzanine where visitors can watch the award-winning cider being made. Check online for taproom hours. 72 Schoolhouse Rd., Mills River, N.C. boldrock.com.

Naked Apple Cider

In spring 2013, Naked Apple joined Western North Carolina’s hard cider movement, establishing an operation in Flat Rock where they source apples from Henderson County as well as their own orchard. Naked Apple’s flagship is Wicked Peel, a crisp libation with an off-dry finish. Quickly gaining in popularity is Blackberry Gold, a tangy and slightly sweeter cider made from a blend of local apples and blackberries. “Ours is truly an artisan cider,” says John Coker, one of the company’s four founding partners. “We fresh-press all our apples.” They are working on a tasting room, but in the meantime, check the website for a list of area retailers that carry the label. nakedapplecider.com. 

Noble Hard Cider

Founded by Trevor and Joanna Baker and Leif Stevens in 2012, Noble was the first commercial hard cidery in the Asheville area. From an initial production of 2,000 gallons, the company’s output skyrocketed to 30,000 gallons last year. To meet the demand for their best sellers—the dry, wine-style Standard Bearer and crisp, cherry Village Tart ciders—the trio recently relocated to a new facility in West Asheville. They obtain the majority of their apples (Gold Rush, Winesap, Stamen, Pink Lady) from Henderson County and purchase heirloom Newtown Pippins from Virginia. Find Noble ciders on tap at 250 restaurants and bars around Asheville, as well as in their new taproom.

Taproom open  4 to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. 356 New Leicester Hwy., Asheville, N.C. noblecider.com.

Three Sisters Cidery

Amber Smithson’s family has apples in their bones. Her grandparents established Freeman Orchards in Hendersonville 80 years ago, and her parents now run the 100-acre farm where Amber and her husband, Kerby, source all the apples for their craft cider. Five years ago, the couple made their first batch of cider for their wedding. Today they have 1,300 gallons of single varietals, such as Arkansas Black, Winesap, Pink Lake, Gold Rush, and heirloom Albemarle Pippin, which ferments at a Henderson County winery. They will release their first batch of commercial hard cider to area bars and restaurants this fall. Plans are also on tap to add a tasting room. 

3016 Chimney Rock Rd., Hendersonville, N.C. threesisterscidery.com.

Urban Orchard Cider Co.

This family-owned West Asheville tasting room pours flights of its house craft cider, from standbys such as the Dry Ridge, Ginger Champagne, and Sweet English to seasonal offerings infused with chili peppers or melded with hops. Owner and head cider maker Josie Mielke and her husband first forayed into cider as hobbyists, then traveled to England to take classes and tour cideries. In 2013, they opened their tasting room, which offers guest bottles of domestic and international ciders, a couple of taps reserved for local beers, and a food menu, in addition to their own taps. The family team sources local apples and has planted 55 trees north of Asheville, in the hopes to one day ferment their own harvest. 

Bar open 2 to 10 p.m. Monday, 2 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. 210 Haywood Rd., Asheville, N.C. urbanorchardcider.com