Greetings, Great Beer Now fans! I recently embarked on a sports- centric brewery tour to the village of Cooperstown, New York, home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Great Beer Now Base Hits and Brews Beer Tour 2018 is all about the beer and the sports that have made this part of the country so popular. Pop open a cold one as I explore Central New York and take in the sights and sounds of the area. Cheers!
When you travel the country in search of great beer like I do, you are often forced to choose among different breweries, many of which sound promising. At last check, there were more than 6,000 breweries in the United States and while it’s great to have choices, it also makes it difficult to narrow down to a few breweries for visitation. One type of establishment that isn’t as popular but always on my radar is cideries and since the number of operational cideries is still well behind that of breweries, it is much easier to narrow down the options. Central New York is home to only a handful and one of them happened to make its way onto my travel list when I toured the area. The establishment is Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, located at 288 Goose St., Fly Creek, New York, just outside of Cooperstown.
Grow Your Own
Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard is a water powered cider mill with its own apple press, restaurant, country store, and more. The large facility is open year- round and is popular with customers not just for its cider, but for its baked goods, gifts, restaurant, etc.
The water power at Fly Creek Cider Mill is generated from the pond above and behind the mill. The pond is a place worth seeing, as it is situated out back and is often covered with ducks and geese when the weather is right. Outdoor seating is available right on the water’s edge, perfect for a fresh air meal. The restaurant serves soup, sandwiches, baked goods, and ice cream treats, perfect with a glass of hard cider, coffee, or other beverage.
Get Your Samples here
Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard serves small samples of any one of its house ciders and wines. The ciders and wines are generally of the sweet variety and most every one of them is fruit- enhanced. With the ciders, they serve such options as Apple Raspberry, Original Apple, and Juicy Apple. With the wines, the choices are Apple Wine, Apple Cherry Wine, Strawberry Kiss, Apple Frost, and others. The samples are small, but you can try as many as you like.
Cider, Store, and So Much More
Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard is a large, complete, full- service cidery located just west of Cooperstown, New York. Opened in 1999, the facility is one of the few I have visited that combines cider making with a large store loaded with merchandise and an on- site restaurant.
I visited Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard on a cool afternoon, ready to tour the facility and sample the cider. Great Beer Now is based in Houston, Texas and as anyone who lives here knows, when you get acclimated to warmer climates, it becomes more difficult to deal with lower mercury readings. The temperature was in the low 30’s when I was here during the end of April and as soon as I stepped out of my car, it started to snow! It made for an excellent Instagram moment, but I was more than anxious to make my way inside, ditch the cold, and start sampling the adult beverages.
Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard is a large operation and you get the sense that this is going to be something out of the ordinary the moment you pull into the parking lot and lay eyes on the buildings. With the different sections, wood structure, and outdoor pond, it has a charming, country look and feel that puts you in the mood for a relaxed, down home experience.
Inside Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, visitors will first notice the large country store, containing souvenirs and food items bearing the Fly Creek label. The cider and wine is available for immediate sampling and, of course, if you find a flavor or two that suit your fancy, they have large bottles available for purchase to go. As I said before, the wines and ciders are sweeter than average so if your palate is already geared in that direction, you will love what they make at Fly Creek.
With the cider press, Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard does, indeed, produce its own cider and the press is operational during the harvest season, which is in the fall. This is definitely the best time to visit Fly Creek because you can witness the entire operation live, in action, and sample freshly made cider. If you visit any other time of the year, you can still watch a video and see how the press operates during a tour. The live action in the fall is most certainly the most fun, but don’t let the time of year discourage you from paying a visit. The cider and wine are still available for sampling and you don’t want to miss out on the charming country store and delicious sandwiches and baked goods sold in the adjacent restaurant.
When you visit as many breweries as I do, you need to plan carefully. Time is limited, and there aren’t enough hours in a day to visit every one of the breweries in a specific area. But cideries, while definitely on the rise, are far less commonplace and therefore it is easier to schedule a visit to one when you travel. Vacationers to the village of Cooperstown have one nearby choice for cider, and that place is Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard, easily one of the best cideries in New York or elsewhere. So be sure to pay a visit to this friendly cider maker, restaurant, and country store the next time you’re in Central New York. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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