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Leaf peeping is one of autumn’s greatest delights, nowhere more so than in the Northeast of the United States. Fiery crimsons, buttery yellows, and outrageous oranges streak across the landscape. They transform forests into brilliant scenes that intensify as the air turns colder.
Another great autumnal staple can be just as delightful — drinking cider. Hard cider, one of the United States’ most beloved beverage traditions, dates to the colonial era and is produced in all 50 states. The New England region made up of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island boasts some of the most epic fall foliage routes in the world. Similar vibrance often extends into New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The area also happens to offer several cideries worthy of a detour.
“Leaf peepers come every fall,” says Stephen Wood, who co-owns Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Ciders with his wife, Louisa Spencer, in Lebanon, New Hampshire. “The reason they come is that it is stunningly beautiful in the fall here.”
Wood has grown apples since the 1960s, and he’s made cider since the 1990s. He says the Northeast offers a unique opportunity to marvel in nature’s wonders. “It’s lovely here in the fall, and lovely in ways that other places aren’t,” he says. Crisp evenings and sun-filled autumn days make for perfect apple growing conditions.
“The Northeast is a classic, temperate climate — hot, bright summers; cool, crisp autumns; plenty of water; and cold winters,” says Autumn Stoscheck, owner and cider maker at Eve’s Cidery in Van Etten, New York. “Apples love it here,” she says, as evidenced by the millions of apple trees growing in the wild.
Whether you’re road-tripping through the Northeast this autumn for the views or brews, here are a few cideries to visit between vistas.
Courtesy of Ben Macri
For the earliest start to the season, head north. “Apples are available starting in mid-August running all the way [until] the end of October,” says Zachary Kaiser, co-founder and cider maker at Absolem. However, wait too long and many farms run out of apples. “Oftentimes in New England, PYO [pick-your-own] can be finished by early November.”
Maine’s high latitude and rugged coast means leaf-peeping season can sometimes run for two months, often a full month longer than other lauded leaf locations. It also gives Maine-grown cider apples a nice acidic bite reminiscent of Western European white wines and Eastern European orange wines, says Kaiser. He suggests a high-acid or high- tannin cider, such as Absolem’s foraged apple-based Wendel, paired with Maine’s most famous culinary tradition: lobster rolls.
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If you’re driving east on Route 2 from Lancaster, Massachusetts, along the popular fall foliage road toward Turner’s Falls, continue 10 miles or so until you reach Shelburne Falls, home of West County Cider. The tiny farmhouse offers wine-inspired ciders grown and pressed locally. As delicious as they are, the surroundings are even more breathtaking. A panoramic view from the tasting room overlooks three states, and there are plenty of picnic tables and hiking trails to experience the full range of autumn color.
Courtesy of Ellen Mary Cronin
The trek up Vermont’s Route 100 is world-famous for a reason. The 216-mile road winds through the heart of Vermont and boasts some of the most breathtaking foliage, complete with classic scenes of covered bridges, barns, and rolling hills at every turn. Don’t rush the trip, but make an appointment for a guided tasting and tour at Eden Specialty Ciders’ Newport location. Its ice ciders are some of the best in the world, and they can help to take some of the crisp fall chill out of the air. If the trek to Newport, near the Canadian border, is a bit much, stop instead at Eden’s tasting room in Shelburne, shared with Iapetus Wines and Shelburne Vineyard.
Courtesy of Farnum Hill Ciders
Some ciders go big on agri-tainment during the fall, complete with tractor rides, apple cider donuts, and corn mazes. But Wood says at Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Ciders, they’re apple growers first. Still, “people have a blast here,” he says. “We let [kids] run out into the woods, fall down, scrape their knees … we have a lot of people who love that.” The pet- and kid-friendly farm stand opened on September 7, so bring a picnic.
Courtesy of Autumn Stoscheck
Of the 11 Finger Lakes in New York, Cayuga Lake is both the biggest and serves as centerpiece of the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, an 87-mile loop dotted with wineries and cideries. The western side features the Finger Lakes Cider Trail, a collection of farms, orchards, and cideries in the heart of apple country. Just south of the lake’s tip is Van Etten, home to Eve’s Cidery. Owner Autumn Stoscheck says apples in the Northeast “tend to have higher acids, softer tannins and a bit lower sugar levels than apples growing in warmer climates.” This allows makers like herself to create bright and acidic ciders with varieties like Golden Russet, Northern Spy, and Esopus Spitzenburg. “If you haven’t discovered Northeast cider, you’re in for a real treat,” she says.