There is a lake, a rather large lake, that exists just north of the Finger Lakes region. You may have heard of it before. It’s called Lake Ontario. In the corridor of lake plain that lies between the Finger Lakes and this Great Lake, are some of the oldest and finest apple orchards in America. Making cider is not new to New York State. And now, we get to benefit from these resources and experience, to enjoy great hard cider. Here are the best cideries in the Finger Lakes.
FINGER LAKES CIDER HOUSE – Cayuga Lake
LOCATION: This popular venue is located on the west side of the very long Cayuga Lake, more towards the southern end. It’s 17 miles north of Ithaca, in between the easily traveled routes 89 (best to go here) and 96, on Hickok Road near the community of Interlaken.
HISTORY: The story of the cidery house really begins with the story of Good Life Farm, a working organic farm created a couple decades ago, from which the cidery began in 2015.
WHY YOU WANT TO GO: The cider menu. It’s bountiful. On the day we visited there were over 25 different cider offerings, with a full 13 dedicated dry ciders. There were also 4 sparkling ciders, and 8 semi to sweet varieties, and a select list of dessert ciders as well. You’ll be hard pressed (get it?) to not find more than one for your enjoyment!
WHAT WE RECOMMEND: This might seem a little odd to recommend in a post about cideries (and we highly recommend their ciders), but we absolutely loved a couple of their food offerings. We ordered the Toasted Cornbread and the Garlic-Cumin-Black Beans dishes, and honestly, we each thought they were two of the best tasting food items we have ever had in the Finger Lakes. They were each just so…different…and TASTY! They have several different food options, sourced quite locally. Let this be one of your dining options for the day you visit.
available for your tasting enjoyment.
THE BASICS: Hours vary a little seasonally, but the summer hours are 11am-6pm daily, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. Fridays are popular for a fun music series during the summer, with a more acoustic sound on Sunday afternoons, and plenty of outdoor seating to accommodate. The usual dog-friendly rules apply, they are welcome outside and leashed.
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW: Good Life Farm is a working farm. In addition to making great cider, they also make their own wine, and produce several agricultural products. During appropriate harvest periods, they offer “you pick” opportunities. It was strawberries the day we were there – what will it be when you visit?
You can check out Finger Lakes Cider House for more information.
EVE’S CIDERY – Van Etten
Write up to come, soon.
STAR CIDER – Canandaigua Lake
Write up coming, soon.