Meet our lineup.
Our 2024 collection of ciders showcases the variety of apples that we forage and source locally from the forests of Vermont, our neighbors’ properties, and our own orchards which were planted generations ago by our ancestors. Because almost all of these apples are unknown varieties, we take a different approach to cider making as our ciders focus more on sharing the story of their unique terroirs. We have added nothing to these bottles except the spontaneously fermented juice that we press from 100% natural and unsprayed apples. In order to achieve effervescence, all of our ciders go through a 6 month bottle conditioning process.
Harvest 2023 Released Spring 2024. The trees at Glasten Orchard are unique unto themselves. The homestead began in 1779 and the first apple trees were planted shortly thereafter. Each generation of farmer tended to the orchard for their own cider consumption, but the handsome Martin Elwell lacked any talent for farming. Instead he became the beloved Town Fiddler. While his music was known for provoking rowdy nights at the old Matteson Tavern, he had the good sense to marry well. Sarah Elwell was a fine pianist and a reliable designated coach driver. Original art by Cein Watson
Harvest 2023, Released Late Summer 2024 Idunn’s Gift is what we refer to as our mixtape. This cider, unlike many of our other ciders which are location-specific, was created by mixing and matching many of our micro-batch blends until we were satisfied. Well over a hundred different varieties were used and the result is a cider that isn’t too tart, isn’t too dry, isn’t too bitter, and definitely isn’t too sweet. In fact, it’s a pretty perfect balance of all of those things, and we hope you’ll agree. In Norse mythology Idunn is the goddess associated with spring, youth and apples. She is the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry. She carries with her a box made of ash wood inside which are her golden apples. The Norse gods covet these apples because they are the key to preserving their eternal youth. Anyone who eats Idunn's golden apples is gifted with youth and rejuvenation. Our cider blend "Idunn's Gift" is a homage to our orchards, apples, and the rejuvenation they bring. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Harvest 2023 Released Summer 2024. Wildman is a foraged blend from the mysterious and forgotten areas in and around the foothills of Glastenbury, Vermont. Less tart that it has typically been in the previous years, our 2024 Wildman is surprisingly balanced and fruity while maintaining its full dryness (meaning zero residual sugars). Original art by Cein Watson
Harvest 2023, Released Late Summer 2024. Apples sourced exclusively from the Aloha Foundation properties on Lake Morey and Lake Fairlee in Fairlee, Vermont. “By the blazing fire’s light, Gather and rejoice tonight. Now beneath the whispering trees, Laugh and share our memories. The flames die down, the shadows creep, But before we’re off to sleep, One and all, we pledge to keep, Our lasting friendships, strong and deep. Original art by Bleecker Wheeler
Harvest 2023 Release 2024 Apples of unknown origin sourced exclusively from Potter Montgomery Farm in Shaftsbury. Hidden away in the Shires of Vermont is a funky little road where we foraged the apples that were used to make this funky little blend. Like many of the roads around here, it presumably got its name from its original resident, so naturally, we named the cider that too. Introducing Potter Montgomery. Person, Place …or Thing? Original art by Cein Watson
Harvest 2023 Release 2024. A 100% natural dry cider, crafted exclusively from foraged apples found in Sandgate, Vermont. We are lucky to have incredible local guides in this mysterious and isolated region. Does harder to reach fruit make a better cider? We are inclined to say yes...
SOLD OUT Harvest 2023 Release 2024 What lies beneath the layers of our Earth? About four hundred million years ago, when Vermont had beachfront property, we sat at the edge of a supercontinent called Rodina. Islands and micro continents drifted ever so slowly towards our shores, eventually slamming into us. But because our bedrock sat higher on the earth’s crust, the metamorphic rock collided and folded under itself, piling up into the Green Mountains. Now, imagine glaciers, crushing back and forth over our land until finally retreating about thirteen thousand years ago. So what do we have to show for pinning New Hampshire and outlasting those glaciers? Vermont’s carbonate rich bedrock and well-draining soil creates the ideal geological factors for our apple trees. Underlying everything is a resilience that has lasted a millennium. Consisting of apples collected from roadside pippins along more than 75 miles of Vermont’s Scenic Route 100 Byway, Under the Mountain is an approachable and fruity semi-dry small batch blend. Cheers to everything that is Under the Mountain. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Harvest 2023 Released Summer 2024. A 100% natural rosé cider, crafted from a pair of Landgrove, VT trees- one with red-fleshed heirloom apples and the other a pippin. Our friend who resides at this gorgeous Landgrove property was thrilled that we would be picking up these juicy, red-staining, lacrosse ball sized apples that were dangerously dotting her path. We were thrilled to not only help a friend but to make lemonade out of lemons so to speak. Exceptionally dry with nicely concentrated and crisp bubbles. These trees won't produce fruit in 2024, so we'll have to wait until 2026 to enjoy this blend again. Original art by Bleecker Wheeler.
SOLD OUT (Will return late summer 2024). Our foraging efforts in 2022 eventually led us to Sandgate, an area with no shortage of local folklore. This small town is tucked away in the mountains and unfamiliar to pretty much anyone except its few residents. With few roads, and zero phone or GPS services you lose your sense of direction as you find yourself unable to resist the temptation to explore deeper into these woods. Good thing our friend Jim was eager to guide us. We didn’t find Bear Town or the fountain of youth (yet), but what we did discover was an area that is full of wild apple trees and long-lost orchards. The uniqueness and diversity of this fruit, and the small batch cider it created (one of our favorites from 2022), reflect the enchanting peculiarities of this terroir. Enter the Sandgate and you are truly off to Never Never Land. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT (will return late Summer 2024) Where would we be if we hadn’t met May and discovered her gorgeous property with its unparalleled view of southern Vermont. Well the easiest answer is we would be without one of the best ciders we have ever made. Baldwin Bigelow is a small batch homestead cider created exclusively from the incredibly old heirloom apple trees on May’s property. Not all, but the majority of these apples came from a single tree that May identified for us as a Baldwin. Yes, you read that right. A BALDWIN. Luck was clearly on our side that day, and even more fortunate was how well her other unknown varieties complimented those Baldwins. I’m not sure if we have ever been so excited to get back to the press, and true to form, the moment we tasted that fresh juice, we knew we had a winner. Fast forward a few months and you can probably guess the first place we went at the start of scion season. Baldwin Bigelow is a full mouth experience that hits on every level with its sweet, tart, dry, tangy, and above all APPLEY flavors. An extremely well balanced small batch homestead cider blend of no less than 60% Baldwin and no more than 40% other unknown pippin and heirloom varieties. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Harvest 2023, Release 2024 The Pét Nat version of Kelley Stand. A blend of apples foraged exclusively from the GMNF. The Green Man is an abiding symbol of ancient European folklore. It is typically represented as a man or face consumed by fauna. The Green man is said to represent the cycles of life, death and rebirth within the natural world. It supposably plays an important role in a successful harvest as well as acting as a bridge between the known and unknown worlds. To this day The Green Man can be seen across Europe in churches, local celebrations, and ancient rites. This seemed a fitting title for one of our foraged blends from the Green Mountain National Forest here in Vermont. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT (Will return winter 2024/25) Kelley Stand is the road we use to access the Green Mountain National Forest for this 100% foraged and barrel-aged blend. It’s called Kelley Stand because of John William Kelley’s 19th century stagecoach inn that sheltered the loggers, back when that was the thriving industry of the area. The apples used in this cider come from the apple trees that can still be found in places where the old logging camps and homesteads once stood. If it weren’t for the conservation efforts of the GMNF to release these trees, they almost certainly wouldn’t provide enough fruit to feed the local wildlife, let alone wet your whistle. In exchange for access to these apples, we also lend a hand by returning to the trees at the end of the winter to collect the scion wood for grafting so that we can help prolong these unique species. And then when we get home and open one of these bottles, it’s hard not to imagine our ancestors enjoying something that would’ve been quite similar- 100% natural, 100% locally sourced, and perhaps most importantly- 100% well earned. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT (Will return winter 24/25) Not far from us is the Robert Frost Stone House, where the poet spent much of his time writing about the beauty of Vermont. We won’t pretend to know much more than that about him, but we will take a little poetic license and say that in the small town of Shaftsbury, chances are he was familiar with some of our ancestors. And if he knew the Ellwells or the Watsons, then there’s also a good chance they shared some of their cider with him, especially by a fire during the colder months of the year. This cider is made from a blend of apples from all over our area. Rather than bottling it as a pét nat, as we often do, we barrel aged it to help soften its bright and tart flavors. Before bottling, we primed it with our own apple cider syrup which brought back the sparkle and also increased the ABV from about 6.5% to 7.2%. The result is a darker, slightly more robust cider with flavor notes such as butterscotch, fig, gingerbread and white chocolate. Pretty well matched for reminiscing or even reading next to the fire. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT The driest from our line of dry ciders. A 100% natural, New England style cider that was made using heirloom apples from our heritage orchards as well as foraged apples from around our region. Featuring the funk of wild fermentation and the sparkle of bottle conditioning, this careful combination of micro batches produces a cider that is as dry as they get and a beautiful complement to local vermont cheeses or whatever has fallen from your farm onto your table. The original meaning of the family name “Elwell" translates to “Spring Omen.” A fitting title for lifelong farmers. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Pét-Nat style Sparkling Cider. The Bennington Triangle is named for the strange patch of Vermont where people disappear without a trace. There are tales of man-eating rocks, fairy portals, abandoned towns and wildmen who lurk in the mountains. Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Lang’s Ugly is a homestead cider made exclusively from the small orchard on the property where our cider house is. It is the exact same cider that the father of one of our cider makers has been pressing since 1980, only fermented, and it’s name comes from the wonderfully and naturally unsprayed, lumpy, pocked and sometimes even holed, less-than-attractive apples that are perfect for squishing. It consists almost entirely (+90%) of 3 heirloom varieties- Northern Spy, McIntosh and Rhode Island Greening, with the rest filled in by some more typical varieties that aren’t worth mentioning (or maybe we just don’t care to find out ;) It is the first cider we ever fermented almost 20 years ago in a hot basement at a summer camp, and even though the results left an enormous amount of room for improvement (which we think we’ve achieved!), it still holds a special place in our hearts like the itch from your first mosquito bite of the summer holds a special place on your ankle that you just can’t stop scratching. Yum! Original art by Cein Watson
SOLD OUT Horse Thief is a blend of early season apples that we collect from our own orchards around Bennington County, Vermont as well as those we borrow from friends and family in nearby Rensselaer and Washington counties in New York. This cider pays homage to the resourceful spirit of our ancestors who found ways to get where they needed to go, even if it meant borrowing from kind neighbors. Because sometimes you don’t have enough horsepower but you need to get to town licketysplit. Original art by Cein Watson