Cider-Sipping - The Newest Michigan Beverage Scene

From the first apple trees brought to the northern Great Lakes by European settlers and spread around the wooded lands by the Ottawa people, to the orchards that now make Michigan an apple state (third in production behind California and New York), to the growth of its rapidly expanding cider industry, Michigan has surely now also become a cider state.

In Northern Michigan most wineries now include ciders in their repertoire, but dedicated cideries abound along with ones that include mead, wine and spirits in their mix. We looked for some of the cider news from the past couple seasons and here’s what we found bubbling away in the tanks! Whether you are a cider newbie or a veteran, there will be something here to enhance your own cider explorations this fall. Cheers to the season! —eGT

TANDEM

It might be hard to imagine now that there was ever a time in Northwest Michigan without a cider scene. But Tandem Ciders was one of the pioneer cideries hereabouts and just last year celebrated the tenth anniversary of launching their taproom just northwest of Suttons Bay.

Nestled near the curve of a Leelanau County road, the taproom has expanded over the years from its original cozy barroom of a dozen or so seats to include a larger back game room, outdoor seating area amidst dwarf and trellised apples, a horseshoe pit and small heritage orchard out back. Plus the most recent addition: a cozy firepit area tucked among the aspens for year-round enjoyment.

As always, Tandem’s focus remains on clean, apple-y ciders pressed from the fruits of orchards in Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties. New this season will be a dry cider called Informed, made with true cider apple varieties from growers Kevin VerSnyder of Lake Leelanau, Bill Watkoski of Elmwood Township and Christmas Cove Farm in Northport. “It really highlights the color, flavor and tannic qualities that get expressed with true cider fruit,” says Dan Young, cider-maker and co-owner.

Also new this year is the fruit-forward Coloma Blue, with sweeter blueberry appeal from west Michigan. A Pumpkin Spice cider, a first for Tandem, is in the works, and the Crabster tradition continues with a new harvest of fruits from wild trees throughout the county blended with crabapples for this tart and dry flagship cider.

On the near horizon is a new production facility plus land dedicated to a new orchard of old cider varieties. Tandem ciders are now widely available in Michigan, with over 70 tap and store locations in northwestern Michigan alone.

IF YOU GO: 2055 N. Setterbo Rd., Suttons Bay • 231-271-0050

NORTHERN NATURAL CIDERS

Another of Michigan’s cider pioneers, Northern Natural Cider House’s taproom and production facility can be found solidly planted in the heart of Manistee’s fruit country, midway between Kaleva and Onekama. Owner and farmer Dennis Mackey is also an organic farming pioneer, having managed organic apple orchards in the upper Midwest since the 1980s. He, too, can be found solidly planted in the organic fruit business, and produces all of Northern Natural’s ciders with certified organic apples grown in Manistee and Leelanau counties. Dennis’s sweet spot includes Northern Spy, Rome Beauty, Ida Red and Jonathan—a classic Northern Michigan blend.

Certification of the finished ciders is part of what’s new in recent years, and to date, bottles of the Elderberry, Blueberry, Traditional, Northern Star (made with ale yeast) and Lavender carry the certified organic seal. And new this fall, Dennis says, distribution will expand into Meier stores statewide.

But back at their own cider house, other changes have been afoot. Along with tastings, cider by the full glass and growlers to go, summer evenings have perked up with the addition of live music and Northern Natural’s own pizza truck—giving great reasons to extend your visit and make a night of it (taking the winter off but coming again next spring).

In addition to a long list of ciders available in house, there are organic wines from Rieslings, Chardonnay and Red Blend to cherry, peach and dessert wines. And a surprising favorite cider, says Dennis, is the Chocolate Cherry—in the tap rotation only at the tasting room.

IF YOU GO: 7220 Chief Rd., Kaleva • 231-889-0064

BEE WELL MEAD & CIDER

The big news at Bee Well Mead & Cider, which first opened in 2014, is their big new tasting room in the heart of downtown Bellaire. The other news is the 20-tap lineup the new spot affords them, filled with locally based drafts including flagship ciders and meads along with a creative blend of seasonal and small-batch specialties.

The bright new barn-style building—conveniently located on Main, across the street from the Short’s Brewing empire—opened in May 2018 when the tasting room moved out of the production facility, which remains a few blocks away on the edge of downtown. Tasting room manager Liz Kantzer says other growth is in the works, with a new canning line due any day, followed by a new belt press and filtration system, all of which will help them boost production and expand distribution.

But there is lots of news from the creative side of production as well. The trees on Beaver Island have borne heavily this year and the Bee Well crew is excited to work on their second big batch of cider picked from wild trees and transported by ferry back to the mainland. Also on the wild side will be a Dolgo crabapple cider, naturally rosé, from a couple dozen trees found on Beaver Island, and a cider from Keweenaw Peninsula apples and thimbleberries acquired with a bit of help from the monks at the Jampot.

In all, the 20 taps usually pull three or four meads and the rest belong to ciders, both staples and limited editions. Bee Well looks forward to their second fall season in the new honeybee- and fruit-centric spot that offers the flavors of their home in Antrim County, and beyond.

IF YOU GO: 116 N. Bridge St., Bellaire • 231-350-7174

TWO K FARMS

One of the newest cideries in the area, Two K Farms is proof of the adage “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago,” or, in the case of apple trees, at least six years. That’s how the two brothers and owners George and Max Koskela approached building their cider business—from the trees forward. The tasting room opened in the fall of 2018 but the trees started going in the ground shortly after they purchased the rolling farm property on M-22, just south of Leelanau Cheese, in 2010.

With over 30 varieties of heritage cider apples in high-density plantings, Two K Farms makes estate-grown ciders from start to finish. Their focus is on traditional British, French and American dry cider styles, with a popular Sangria style, a hopped cider and a barrel-aged thrown into the mix. The high-ceilinged tasting room fronts windows with a bold view of West Bay and a broad patio from which to enjoy both drinks and vista when the weather cooperates. Seven ciders are on tap, and estate-grown wines are also part of mix, with everything available by the glass, can, bottle or growler.

IF YOU GO: 3872 S. West Bay Shore Dr., Suttons Bay • 231-866-4265

SOUL SQUEEZE CELLARS

Not yet open a year, the tasting room for Soul Squeeze Cellars is a newbie on the cider scene and features a listing of wines alongside its ciders. Owners Faye and Luke Pickelman started with a farm on Old Mission for vineyards and apple trees and found their tasting room site in Lake Leelanau, located on the main drag in town, across from the established Northern Latitudes Distillery. Faye says they prefer dry cider styles, and the flavors include Michigan-sourced ingredients like cherries, hops and juniper.

IF YOU GO: 105 E. Phillip St., Lake Leelanau • 231-994-2156