Hard-pressed to pick, but we are overjoyed to present our 31 Northern Michigan ciders to try now…
1 Queen Ann // Townline Ciderworks, Williamsburg // Holy moly blissful berries—an apple blend with fresh strawberries, blueberries, sweet and tart cherries.
2 Pineapple Habanero Hard Cider // Resort Pike Cidery & Winery, Petoskey // Luscious, spicy-sweet heat. Tastes like a sunny vacation.
3 Testamint // Suttons Bay Ciders, Suttons Bay // A blend of MacIntosh, Fuji, Mutsu apples infused with locally harvested mint for a bright and herbal thirst-quencher. A summer seasonal to try before it runs out!
4 The Ghost // Bee Well, Bellaire // An exquisite semi-sweet heat crafted with ghost pepper, habanero, Carolina reaper, smoked cayenne and Scotch bonnet peppers makes you crave another sip … and another glass.
5 Hand Picked // Royal Farms, Ellsworth // Made with antique and uncommon cider apple varieties. Not too sweet, not too dry. Crisp.
6 King’s Cherry // Bee Well, Bellaire // Bee Well’s first Balaton and Montmorency cherry blend with King Orchards cherries and apples. Sweet, tart and refreshing—drink well-chilled!
7 Sandra Dee // Townline Ciderworks, Williamsburg // A medium-sweet apple blend infused with cherry juice and vanilla—also available in cans. Must love vanilla, it lingers in the best possible way.
8 Pulsar // Starcut Ciders, Bellaire // Dry cider made with Michigan apples and pinot noir yeast. A little tart.
9 Lemongrass Lime // Taproot Cider House, Traverse City // Semi dry, bright and refreshing.
10 Madagascar Vanilla Bean Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider // Taproot Cider House, Traverse City // Behold this semi-dry delight, aged in Grand Traverse Distillery barrels. Note: 12% abv.
11 MK’s Ultra // Resort Pike Cidery, Petoskey // Sweetened with brown sugar and caramel. Yeah, it’s sweet. Yeah, it’s good.
12 Lavender Apple Hard Cider // Northern Natural Cider House, Kaleva // Organic heirloom apples + a lavender bouquet = bliss.
13 Passion of Sice // Bee Well, Bellaire // 100% golden delicious apples, aged in tequila staves yields a sweet, tart, passionfruit-y sipper with a deep yellow hue.
14 Raspberry Rush // Chaos Ciders (Verterra), Leland // Medium dry with a little spritz.
15 Single Track // 45 North Vineyard & Winery, Lake Leelanau // Bright, crisp, slightly tart. Aromas similar to an IPA without any bitterness on the palate. Definitely dry and herbal.
16 Cinnamon Cider // Rove Estate, Traverse City // Dry take on a fall cider classic. Cinnamon forward, finishes with apple. Tastes like baked apples.
17 Sidra-LaPeño // Suttons Bay Ciders, Suttons Bay // Barrel-aged infused with jalapeños and habaneros. Just enough kick. Refreshing and tart with heat on the finish.
18 Antrim // Left Foot Charley, Traverse City // Snappy and bright, heirloom apple notes through and through.
19 Peach Cider // Glen Arbor Wines, Glen Arbor // Refreshing but not too sweet and clingy—just like biting into the perfect peach on a late summer day.
20 X.R. Cyser // St. Ambrose Cellars, Beulah // A blend of honey and apple juice fermented together; affectionately deemed “Apple Pie in a Glass.” A perfect sippin’ cider for those with a sweet tooth.
21 Octorock // Starcut Ciders, Bellaire // Just sweet enough. Bright, crisp and the closest cider comes to biting into a fresh apple.
22 Arthur // Two K Farms, Suttons Bay // Traditional British pub-style cider…dry and refreshing.
23 Hard “Just Apple” Cider // Chaos Ciders (Verterra), Leland // Exactly what you’re thinking of when you’re thinking of hard apple cider. Slightly off-dry. Cool, crisp, carbonated and delicious.
24 Empire // Green Bird Cellars, Northport // Created from Empire and Willamette apples, this French-style cider tastes like you’re biting into a freshly picked Empire apple. Refreshing.
25 Smackintosh // Tandem Ciders, Suttons Bay // There’s a reason this is a perennial favorite. A combination of McIntosh, Northern Spy and Greening apples, this cider is not overly sweet despite the amount of residual sugar. Nice apple flavor.
26 Cinnamon Girl // Left Foot Charley, Traverse City // A blend of apples grown on Old Mission Peninsula, with just the right amount of cinnamon. This cider tastes like a slice of homemade apple pie in the fall.
27 Alma Mater // Townline Ciderworks, Williamsburg // Greening, Spartan and Mac apples are blended to create this dry cider, one of several winners on Townline’s menu. Tastes like you’re biting into a fresh apple. You’ll enjoy, even if your alma mater is maize and blue.
28 Cooper // Two K Farms Cidery & Winery, Suttons Bay // This is a dry, well-balanced cider with some nice nuances, thanks to some time spent in American and French oak barrels. Not overly oaked, with light tannins.
29 I Spy Ginger // Suttons Bay Ciders, Suttons Bay // Northern Spy and Ida Red apples are blended and infused with ginger root in this off-dry cider. There’s a tingliness, for sure, but the ginger balances the apple sweetness.
30 Fresh Strawberry // Townline Ciderworks, Williamsburg // Summer beverages don’t get much better than this. An apple blend infused with strawberries grown on the grounds at Townline, this cider is not too sweet, not too dry. The finish lingers, reminiscent of biting into a fresh strawberry.
31 Semi-Dry Hard Cider // Nomad Cidery, Williamsburg // Like a happy, flannel-shirted embrace and brimming with fresh-pressed apple goodness.