Apple cider (or just cider) is a drink, typically unsweetened and unfiltered, made from fresh apples. Basically, it’s like old-time apple juice before drinks were processed and bottled in factories. Hard cider is an alcoholic drink made from fermented apples that is typically sweeter than the alcohol-free variety. (In the U.K., however, hard cider is simply called cider, which makes it confusing in a “Which type of football are you talking about?” kind of way.)
Some Cidery Background
Cider, hard and soft, has been around for at least a few thousand years. According to manuscripts dating back to 55 B.C.E., Roman invaders in the British Isles discovered that the Celts made a drink from crabapples. In Colonial America, apples were one of the first and most important crops. The colonists enjoyed cider as early as the 1600s and ever since then, it’s been a drink that brings people together to harvest the fruit, prepare the beverage and enjoy it together. Since water was often unsafe to drink back then, even kids were served a diluted version of hard cider.
Today, of course, hard cider is only for adults, and its popularity is booming. Craft, local and regional ciders are especially on-trend. According to Michelle McGrath, CEO of the American Cider Association, Americans now drink 10 times as much cider as they did 10 years ago. Of course, the fact that cider has its own national organization with an accompanying publication speaks to its newfound stature. I’ve been drinking orange juice for decades and so far, I haven’t even seen a pamphlet!
Where to Get Your Cider Fix
The good news is that the D.C. area has a wide variety of apple orchards, and each type of apple produces a unique cider. The best tend to be grown at elevations of 800 feet or higher above sea level, which is why the Shenandoah Mountains are a great place to go apple-picking.
If you want to buy a jug of cider, hard or soft, you can go down to your local market and find a range of options. Sweet, gluten-free, dry, small-batch, organic, whatever you want. But for more of an adventure, plan a trip to a local cidery where they make their own cider from scratch. There are a lot more of them around than you might realize, and most of them have tasting rooms: Willow Oaks Craft Cider in Middletown, Maryland; Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery in Middleburg, Virginia; Lost Boy Cider in Alexandria; Old Town Cidery in Winchester, Virginia; and Albemarle CiderWorks in Charlottesville. Loudoun Cider House in Leesburg was founded three years ago and just opened their tasting room in July 2024. Doc Waters Cidery in Germantown, the first cidery in Montgomery County, is an expansion of family-favorite pick-your-own apples destination Butler’s Orchard. (They also have fire pits, Friday trivia, food trucks, music and more!)
Making a Day of It: Events and Festivals
Nothing’s better than a glass of apple cider in the fall, unless it’s drinking one at an event like the Maryland Cider Festival. Scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Gaithersburg, this will feature hard cider makers from all over the state. There will also be food vendors, craft sales and live music. Great Country Farm in Bluemont, Virginia is hosting a Corn Maze & Apple Harvest from August 31 to September 30. They’ll have freshly pressed cider, apple picking, a corn maze, apple cider doughnuts and a 12-acre play area for kids (or adults who aren’t especially self-conscious). On weekends, they also have live music, marshmallow roasting, pig races and cider-making exhibitions.
Henway Hard Cider Company is a good example of a family-friendly cidery that also specializes in adult drinks. In Bluemont, Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, they have an orchard, cidery, tasting room and plenty of events for everyone including fishing, crafts, dog-friendly activities, candle-making and cookie-decorating. Weber’s Cider Mill Farm is another great destination for the family. They’ve been making fresh apple cider for more than 60 years in Parkville, Maryland. You can get a glass to drink or a jug to go each day from September through December. Their fresh-picked apples are pressed in the farm’s original cider mill, which is the state’s oldest in continuous use. They also have train rides, play areas, slides, apple picking, a farm market, straw maze, barnyard animals and hayrides, as well as freshly made pies, fudge and ice cream.
When the leaves start dropping off the trees this fall and the kids are going back to school, take a few hours or a day out of your weekend to bring the family to a local cidery, apple orchard or harvest festival. You’ll enjoy the fresh air, delicious treats and spending time together.
Andrew Madigan grew up in the D.C. area but has lived in Dubai, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Okinawa, South Korea and the U.K. He’s worked as a professor, magazine editor, university administrator, fraud investigator and Bill Murray’s stand-in. He’s a father of two. His most recent novel is the thriller A Nice, Safe Place.
