Westchester’s own Thompson’s Cider Mill formally launched its  Hard Ciders  at a special kick-off tasting at RiverMarket Bar and Kitchen in Tarrytown, the first restaurant to offer the hard ciders on tap and in bottles. The launch, which took place on June 13, coincides with Hudson Valley Cider Week.

At the gathering, Thompson’s Hard Ciders were paired with farm-to-table fare prepared by RiverMarket. The dry and semi-dry ciders are crafted in Westchester from heirloom and specialty apples from the Cider Mill’s own orchard as well as other Hudson Valley orchards with whom Thompson has long-time relationships.  The fresh juice is pressed and fermented in small batches at the Cider Mill founded 42 years ago in southwest Yorktown near Croton-on-Hudson.

Fifteen years ago, Thompson began experimenting with making apple wine which he still produces in limited quantities.  “I developed knowledge and skill, but not enough to be able to attain a consistent, high-quality finished product,” he says.   “When I started, virtually no one knew what I was talking about. But over the last five or six years, as craft brewing grew in popularity, hard cider caught on. When my long-time fresh cider customers began asking me why I didn’t offer hard cider, I realized that the time had come to get serious about what I had started all those years before.”   The key to moving forward came when he aligned with Dan O’Brien, a trained cider maker.

The cider will be available at RiverMarket Bar and Kitchen, and other restaurants in the near future as they ramp up production.

About Thompson’s Cider Mill

Thompson’s Cider Mill is situated on land that has been an apple orchard since the 1870s.  Geoff Thompson founded his cider mill in 1976 with the goal of restoring a 100-year-old orchard and preserving a piece of Westchester’s rich agricultural past.

for more information:

visit: thompsonscidermill.com

Thompson’s Cider Mill

335 Blinn Road Croton on Hudson NY

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