I am a big fan of apple cider and when I first saw hard cider, it was love at first sight.

My first experience with hard cider was drinking “Angry Orchard” Cider. Unbeknownst to me, this was one example of the delicious Hudson Valley Cider that makes this part of the United States so special. 

I naively thought that “Angry Orchard Cider” was just a name and a company, but when I found out that the Cider House and Orchard are situated in Walden, I became super excited and wanted to try and find out more: 

• Are there more places to learn what Hudson Valley Cider is all about?
• How many cideries are there?
• Why is this such a popular thing in New York State?

While I love and appreciate the process of making Hard Cider, I also REALLY love good ‘ole regular Apple Cider. There’s something about drinking some fresh Hudson Valley Cider that emulates biting into an apple at the peak of the season. 

This article contains an affiliate link or two. I make a small commission for purchases made through links at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure for more info.

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Tips for Experiencing the Best of Hudson Valley Cider:

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• My favorite place to experience Hudson Valley Hard Cider is in a tasting room, where you can experience the different cider before purchasing them.
• Many of these locations require reservations, so plan your visit in advance.
• Some cideries in this area of New York State offer ‘limited time’ small-batch ciders and other specialty items.
• As always, it is best to check each individual website before making plans to visit any location that produces Hudson Valley Cider.
  • Some tasting rooms are only open on the weekend. 
• Although regular Hudson Valley Cider (No Alcohol) is not necessarily seasonal, make sure to confirm that the locations offering it and have it in stock. 

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What Is Hudson Valley Cider?

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Hudson Valley Cider is a drink that’s made locally by crushing fruit, particularly apples. Different varieties of apples are used, as well as, other fruit.

Hudson Valley Cider comes in two forms: 

• Regular Cider with no alcohol
• Hard Cider with alcohol

Although both are made with the unfiltered juice of apples (think cloudy apple juice, not clear), hard cider can have from 3% to 8.5% alcohol content.   

Hudson Valley Cider (No Alcohol) is popular for drinking and also for baking. You can find not only cider for drinking but apple cider donuts at your favorite farm market. 

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Why is Hudson Valley Cider So Special?

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Due to the fact that the apple is the official fruit of New York State, this makes anything apple-related just as important in the state. 

LOOKING FOR PLACES TO PICK HUDSON VALLEY APPLES????
This Ultimate List of Hudson Valley Apple Picking Orchards is perfect for you!

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What are different types of ciders?

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The flavor of hard ciders varies from dry hard cider to sweet hard cider. Any differences in coloring and clarity are often due to the filtering process. These craft beverages re one of the most popular around.

Sour Ciders have also increased in popularity as some people prefer a sugar-free cider experience. Sour cider is a style of fermentation typically at warm temperatures with wild yeast and bacteria that lives on the skin of the apples.  This creates a cider that has a range of complex flavors and a lactic tartness. 

Some cideries and cider makers have preferences of flavor and color and that’s why there are so many varieties on the market. 

Hudson Valley Cider can also come in a variety of flavors:

• Regular Apple Hard Cider
• Pear Hard Cider
• Peach Hard Cider
• Raspberry Hard Cider
• Pumpkin Hard Cider
• Dry Hopped
• Sour Cherry
• Black Currant
• Cranberry Spice

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What pairs well with Hudson Valley Cider?

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Cider pairs great with fatty and salted meats & fish, pizza, creamy pasta, cheeses & charcuterie. 

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Where Can You Find Hudson Valley Hard Cider? 

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In addition to finding many varieties of Hudson Valley Hard Cider in most retailers, many orchards offer the opportunities to taste their cider in house. 

Although many cideries can be found throughout New York State, the Hudson Valley Region is a popular location because of the abundance of apple orchards. 

Many of these great ciders can be found at local restaurants. They can also be found at local bottle shops, including outlets such as Half Time.

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Best Locations for Tasting Hudson Valley Cider

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Angry Orchard, Walden (Orange County)

Located in Walden, this popular cidery produces a variety of ciders that are loved by many. Served in local restaurants, its no wonder they are a favorite in the Hudson Valley.

Offering both indoor and outdoor seating, Angry Orchard also offers orchard tours as follows:

• Orchard Walk Tour & Cider Tasting
• Treehouse Tour
• Community Harvest Fest Apple Picking Tour

For more information, visit their website.

READ MORE:
See what the Angry Orchard Treehouse Tour is like here

Bad Seed Cider Company, Highland (Ulster County)

Bad Seed Cider Company makes their ciders from 100% fresh-pressed apples grown on their very own family farm, Wiklow Orchards. Known for their dry cider, their taproom is a great place to have a tasting or, better yet, visit during one of their many events where you can sip great cider while listening to live music.

Perfect for an afternoon outing, Bad Seed Cider Company has an outdoor farm bar, as well as, picnic tables.

For more information, visit their website.

READ MORE:
Click here to read all about my visit to Bad Seed Cider Company

Brooklyn Cider House, New Paltz (Ulster County)

Located in New Paltz, Brooklyn Cider House at Twin Star Orchard is a great place to sip an alcoholic beverages, eat wood-fired pizza and burgers while also enjoying delicious homemade apple cider doughnuts (on weekends).

For more information, visit their website.

Doc’s Hard Cider, Warwick (Orange County)

With over 65 varieties of apples grown on their farm, Doc’s Hard Cider is a wonderful place to discover the history behind each apple and their Great American Cider.

Their cider making includes their own apples, each selected for maximum flavor and unique taste. This combination of cider apples makes Doc’s Hard Cider very unique. The best time to visit is during apple picking season, where you can pick apples and spend the rest of the afternoon drinking cider.

For more information, visit their website.

Greenhouse Cidery, Chatham (Columbia County)

Located at the Chatham Berry Farm, they specialize in small batch ciders. The tasting room features a wonderful selection of New York State beers, wines and spirits. With live music, a fire pit, free smores and food pop-ups, such as food trucks, this makes this cidery extra special. 

For more information, visit their website.

Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider, Stone Ridge (Ulster County)

They produce a variety of delicious Hudson Valley cider sure to please any palate. Influenced by the European style of producing cider, the orchard grows ‘cider apples’ just for this process. This, in turn, makes their Hudson Valley Cider one of the best around. 

Their tasting room is located at Breezy Hill Orchard in Stone Ridge where you can enjoy their cider, in addition to NY State Beer, Wines, Cocktails while eating wood-fired pizza and paninis.   

For more information, visit their website.

Indian Ladder Farms Cidery, Altamont (Albany County)

From Dry Cider to Lavender and Honey Cider, this cidery is located on the Indian Ladder Farms. Located in the Capital Region, many consider this to be an Upstate New York Cidery and farm.

In addition to having their tasting room open on select days, their bottle shop offers flight tastings that can be enjoyed outside in the Biergarten. 

For more information, visit their website.

Kettleborough Cider House, New Paltz (Ulster County)

The mission of Kettleborough Cider House is to elevate “America’s First and Greatest Beverage”. Their small-batch hard cider made from 100% hand-selected Hudson Valley apples. Due to their very small batches, their ciders are only available in New Paltz. 

Their taproom and outside patio overlook their beautiful orchard. Offering cider and homemade sangria. 

For more information, visit their website.

Left Bank Ciders, Catskill (Greene County)

Making small-batch ciders, Left Bank Ciders prides itself on offering the best locally sourced ingredients for their delicious ciders. All ingredients are found within an hour of the cidery. 

Their tasting room offers beer, wine, spirits and local ciders; perfect for a weekend of relaxation. 

For more information, visit their website.

Little Apple Cidery, Hillsdale (Columbia County)

Near the Massachusetts border in Columbia County, this Hudson Valley Cidery began making cider in 2015 and began producing custom crafted fresh and hard ciders for the local market from cider apples and wild apple varieties. 

Their tasting room is open seasonally and tour are also offered. Information can be found on their website. 

For more information, visit their website.

Naked Flock Hard Cider, Warwick (Orange County)

The secret to this great Hudson Valley Cider is 100% locally sourced New York State fruits and honey. 

According to their website, “Our philosophy is to make hard cider without compromise, stripped bare, Naked and pure.”

Their tasting room offers ciders and meads. They also make craft cider cocktails, offer wine tastings, sangria and more. The Cider Cafe if open Saturdays and Sundays. Make a reservation online. 

For more information, visit their website.

Nine Pin Cider, Albany (Albany County)

Using 100% New York State apples and fruit, their ciders highlight the incredible variety and quality of New York agriculture while also supporting local farms and orchards. Their commitment goes as far as having their selection of specialty ciders changing regularly due to their commitment to using fresh, local ingredients.

They offer ‘Core Ciders’ year round and also have light ciders and seasonal flavors. Their Taproom offers 18 taps, cocktails, as well as, a great food menu. Their online shop offers many favorites that can be shipped. As a side-note: their site design is pretty cool.

For more information, visit their website.

Thompson’s Cider Mill, Croton-on-Hudson (Westchester County)

Open seasonally, their award-winning hard cider can only be found at the cider mill location on the weekends. Their regular apple cider can be found only at Fable Farm in Ossining.

They work with more than 30 varieties in crafting their sparkling dry Heirloom Blend and slightly sweeter semi-dry Antique Apple Blend hard ciders. Although there is no taproom available, there are several locations throughout the Hudson Valley that serve their hard cider both in draft and in bottles.

For more information, visit their website.

Treasury Cider, Hopewell Junction (Dutchess County)

Using apples from their orchard, Fishkill Farms, created cider that is the epitome of “tree-to-glass”. The orchard is home to more than 100 varieties of apples and the cidery presses the apples in small batches for their cider. 

The Cider Bar offers delicious tasting flights and spectacular views of the surrounding area and mountains. 

For more information, visit their website.

Westwind Orchard, Accord (Ulster County)

These ciders are unfiltered and contain no added sugar or other ingredients. This makes for a wonderful cider experience. Their taproom serves pizza and Italian dishes. This is another great location to pick your own apples and eat and drink and make wonderful memories.

“Borrowing from European cider traditions, Westwind Orchard is fully immersed in making some of the most distinctive ciders in the United States”. This also adds to the uniqueness of this cidery.

For more information, visit their website.

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Other Locations that Produce Hudson Valley Cider:

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Graft Cider, Newburgh (Orange County)

Located in Newburgh, Graft Cider is a small company with a big dream of bringing sour cider to the masses. They get their apples pressed at Minard Farms and also use apples from their apple orchard, as well as, several other orchards throughout New York State.

Although they are not open for tours of their facility, they hope to open a micro-cidery in the future so people can appreciate how their ‘sour cider’ is made. They ship their different ciders to many places outside of the Hudson Valley.

For more information, visit their website.

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Celebrate Cider Week Hudson Valley

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The month of May brings a unique event happening throughout New York State. 

Cider Week New York is actually more like Cider ‘Two Weeks’ and takes place in: 

• May
• October

Cider Week New York often features 30+ of NY’s finest cider producers throughout New York State. 

Cider Week New York includes a hybrid mix of both virtual and in-person events including special flights, virtual tastings, local events, panels, and dinners.

Some Cider Week Hudson Valley Events are as Follows:

• Live Music
• Free Cider Samplings
• Cider Release Parties
• Orchard Tours and Tastings
• Pop Up Cider Bars
• Paint and Sip Events
• Special Dinners
• and so much more…

More Places to have Hudson Valley Specialty Drinks:

The Ultimate list of Hudson Valley Wineries to visit this Weekend!

Hudson Valley Breweries: More than just Beer

Cheers to the Weekend at any of these Hudson valley Distilleries

Until the Next Adventure…

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