Main Street News

The story of Little Apple Cidery in Hillsdale, NY, begins more than 40 years ago in an old orchard overgrown with little apples off of Route 22. Founders Ron Bixby and Alanne Baerson purchased the farm in 1980 and started the long process of restoring the abandoned orchard. Early on, Ron and Alanne made the decision to become organic, and following years of clearing, pruning, and replanting, the fruit grew back bigger and more bountiful. 

Throughout the years of restoring the orchard, Ron and Alanne discovered that the Northern Spy, Golden Russet, and Baldwin apples created a delicious cider. The vision to build a cidery was realized in 2015, and the rest is history! 

About the apples & cider-making

The cider-making process is seasonal. Little Apple Cidery presses all of the apples during the harvest season, which runs roughly from September to November. Some of the pressed apples become part of Little Apple’s 100% organic fresh cider to drink right away, but the majority of the juice is fermented to become cider. 

Little Apple stores their fermented dry cider in bulk and packages small batch blends throughout the year as needed. While Little Apple does occasionally experiment with wild ferments (when naturally occurring yeasts do the job of fermentation rather than controlling the process), their ciders are typically fermented with intentional cultures. Little Apple’s go-to yeasts are neutral strains that allow for maximum fruit expression and consistent flavor profiles. 

“We ferment low and slow, at the bottom of a yeast’s given temperature range, to retain desirable aromatics and allow for complex flavors to develop,” explained Hayley Shine, who is an experienced brewer and cider maker from Chicago who joined the Little Apple team in 2019. 

Primary fermentation typically occurs within a matter of weeks, and maturation takes place over months and sometimes years, depending on the cider. Hayley and her team conduct regular evaluation of the base ciders, blending them to achieve the target flavor profiles. “Our ‘little batch’ series is where we try out single varietal ciders or special blends, experimenting with product and process.” 

Last fall, Little Apple had such an abundant crop that they decided to try their hand at creating a few new products including sparkling non-alcoholic cider cans and apple cider syrup. “Being an orchard-based cidery, our production follows the rhythms of the seasons and the trees,” Hayley said. 

Currently, Little Apple grows more than 30 varieties of apples, including the classic heirloom varieties Northern spy, Jonagold, Baldwin, and Golden Russet, as well as other cider-specific English and French varieties. In addition to the orchard in Hillsdale, Little Apple Cidery also planted a second orchard of cider apple varieties at Thompson Finch Farm in Ancram, NY, in 2017. In addition to the apples, Little Apple also grows quince, a golden-yellow, pear-shaped fruit that is related to apples and pears, Chinese chestnuts, pears, and cornus mas, a shrub or small tree in the dogwood family known for its early spring blossoms and edible, sour fruits. 

“We can’t think of a more enjoyable and rewarding occupation than to plant and grow apple trees, unless it’s making cider from the fruit of those trees,” Hayley jokes. “We do both here at Little Apple Farm and Cidery because it’s all about the apples. Our ciders are dry or semi-dry and made to celebrate the apple – so more like an apple wine, not sweet or blended with lots of other flavors.” 

Hayley notes that Hillsdale is in the heart of “one of the world’s premier apple growing regions.” One of Little Apple’s favorite parts of their work is being able to share their ciders with the community. These days, they are proud to be part of their close-knit community by participating in the Copake-Hillsdale Farmers Market, events at local libraries, Roe Jan Summerfest, and serving their cider on tap at the Roe Jan Brewery, also located in Hillsdale, NY. 

“The most rewarding part of my work is the connection I feel with the land, the apples, and the people,” Hayley said. “The opportunity to craft a delicious cider and enjoy it in the orchard is a gift. Sharing that experience with others is the spirit of the orchard bar.” 

Growing & changing with the seasons

Since opening in 2015, Little Apple Cidery has grown significantly. Hayley joined Little Apple in 2019 while the cidery was in the process of scaling up, acquiring a larger mill and press, resulting in more fermentation capacity. “I came aboard as we were commissioning the new equipment, bringing lots of fermentation experience (mostly in beer) and a developing interest in apples,” she said. 

Little Apple opened the seasonal orchard bar in 2020, which was a huge step for the cidery. Lisa Graedon joined the team in 2020 and took on responsibility for the orchard bar. Both Hayley and Lisa currently share management, production, and marketing roles for Little Apple Cidery. 

“Lisa is involved in every part of the operation from farm to glass, working closely with Ron in the orchard and with me in the cidery,” Hayley shared. “Lisa is the artist behind our beautiful new label designs, and she also manages our social media, events calendar, and the tasting room. Lisa’s style, hard work, and attention to detail has helped us become who we are today.” 

Up next, Little Apple is planning on expanding its wholesale efforts, developing its food program, and collaborating with their friends and neighbors. “We have been quietly building the foundations of Little Apple Farm and Cidery for a decade. Now we are ready to shine!” •

Little Apple Farm and Cidery is located at 178 Orchard Lane, Hillsdale, NY, is open on Saturdays & Sundays from 1-6pm, and can be reached by phone at (518) 610-1345 or online littleapplecidery.com.