2021-12-08 00:37:34
From Johnny Appleseed to Amish apple pies, apples have a PA history with deep roots. Today, Pennsylvania is ranked fourth in apple growing in the country, producing 400 to 500 million pounds of apples per year. Raise a glass (of cider, naturally) to this longstanding heritage at amazing farms and cideries throughout the state. While the makings of hard cider are fairly straightforward—a combination of freshly pressed apple juice, yeast, and sometimes botanicals and other fresh fruit, which is then fermented—modern cider houses have turned to old-school methods using rare varieties of heirloom apples, wild yeasts, and even hand-harvested herbs for unexpected creations. At Ploughman Farm Cider in Aspers, sample the heirloom apple ciders from orchards that have been in the Wenk family for over 200 years. Unique ciders include Kenspeckle, a dry and slightly tannic American cider made with apples and chokeberries. In Sugar Run, make a stop in the mountains at Deep Roots Hard Cider to sample their 15 hard ciders or a honey pommeau made with apples from Miller’s Orchard in Clarks Summit. Good intent Cider in Bellefonte is in the heart of apple country, and the family-owned spot offers experimental ciders such as the Ginger Kid, made with fresh ginger root and Beiler Family Farm’s locally made maple syrup. Threadbare Cider House & Meadery in Pittsburgh keeps things fresh with seasonal releases, from bright Pineapple Cider in the summer to rich Apples & Honey cider in the fall. Or go straight to the source at local farmlands, such as Frecon Farms in Boyertown, where you can sip ciders and pick a bushel of apples. There’s no wrong way to toast to this tradition. For even more amazing ciders and all things apples, check out Picked: An Apple Trail at visitPA.com/trip/picked-apple-trail.
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