Cider Chat

How Canton Apples and Frosty Twig Fused Two Brands into One

In New York's "North of Upstate" region, in the town of Canton is the Canton Apples production building. It is now also home of a partnership shaping the local cider scene. Owner Joel Howie and cider maker Dan Gallagher live just a mile apart, and their skills mesh perfectly. Joel brings over a decade of experience growing apples, pressing sweet cider, and creating value-added products. Dan, a passionate fermenter, was ready to move beyond hobby scale when the two connected.

Two Brands, One Vision

Under Canton Apples & Cider, LLC, two product lines take shape:

• Canton Apples – approachable, consistent ciders for everyday enjoyment.

Joel Howie

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• Frosty Twig – small-batch, specialty ciders showcasing unique apples, fruits, and wild fermentation.

Dan Gallagher

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Production takes place in a purpose-built facility designed for growth, with future plans for a taproom overlooking the orchard.

Orchard Practices & Apple Diversity

Between their combined orchards, Joel and Dan care for over 250 apple varieties — many planted by Bill McKentley of St. Lawrence Nurseries. These heritage and cold-hardy apples thrive in Zone 4, and every apple grown is put to use. When supplies run short, apples are sourced from other New York regions.

Cider Making Approach

Ciders range from wild-fermented pet-nats to cultured yeast ferments for consistency. Specialty ciders include

• Turkey Tree
• Wild Berry
• Pear cider

Most ciders age 9–10 months before release, allowing flavors to develop naturally.

Canton Apples cider and Frosty Twig Cider series

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• Website: https://cantonapples.com

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition 2025
  • Sign up for the "early-to-know" wait list for upcoming 2026 Totally Cider Tours
    • Let us know how many in your party
• Vermont and New York Cider Road Trip series
  • Part 1- 464: Czech Cider: From Roadside Apples to Cellar Ferments
  • Part 2 –465: The Integrated Table: Cider, Food, and Farming at 1000 Stone Farm
  • Part 3 – 466: Growing Cold-Hardy Trees at Saint Lawrence Nursery | NY

A Century of Cold-Hardy Trees

Saint Lawrence Nursery in Potsdam, NY, has been helping cold-climate growers find success since the 1920s. Originally founded by Fred Ashworth and later expanded by Bill MacKentley, the nursery is now stewarded by Connor and Allyssa Hardiman, the third generation in a nonfamilial succession.

What Sets Saint Lawrence Nursery Apart

Cold-Hardy Genetics

• Over 250 apple varieties
• Trialed at temperatures as low as -34°F
• Trees that thrive from Alaska to Michigan

Only Standard Rootstock

• Seedling Antonovka (apples) and Baccata (crabs) for resilience and longevity
• Trees that can live 100+ years

More Than Apples

• Black walnuts, butternuts, hazelnuts, and berry bushes
• Custom grafting for heirloom preservation
• Regionally adapted selections from partnerships and testing plots

Passing the Torch of Generational Wisdom and Branding

The nursery was handed down without a sale. It was gifted by Bill to Connor in a rare act of agricultural generosity. The plan is to do the same one day. "Love is what makes the world go 'round," Bill often says, and it's embedded in every tree tag and planting guide.

Cold Hardy Trees For Orchardists and Backyard Growers

Most customers are small-scale planters or long-time loyalists. Whether you want just one tree to honor a grandparent or 100 cider apples for a startup orchard, Connor and Allyssa are here to help—with personal attention, a rich planting guide, and an option to let them choose the right tree for you.

Contact Info for Saint Lawrence Nursery

• Website: https://www.slngrow.com/

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Listen to Bill MacKentley's speach at New York Apple Camp 2023 391: Test Winters & Climate w/Saint Lawrence Nurseries (NY) Founder
• Totally Cider Tours
• Patrick McCauley Episode Feature – 302 Washtenaw County Cider Mille 1841- Today
• Topsoil Magazine

From Farm to Glass: Cider at 1000 Stone Farm

At 1000 Stone Farm in Brookfield, Vermont, Kyle Doda and Betsy Simpson have built a dynamic model that unites organic farming, community-supported agriculture, small-batch cider. First came the farm and then over ten years, the couple expanded their offerings to include fruit trees, livestock, mushrooms, and now a seasonal restaurant and tasting room: The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen. Besty is the Chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institue of Arts in New York.

Besty Simpson and Kyle Doda

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Situated between 1,400–1,700 feet in elevation, the farm grows:

• Over 60 varieties of apples
• Plums, peaches, cherries, and Perry Pears
• Herbs interplanted with vegetables and orchard rows
• Livestock including lamb, pork, beef, and poultry
• And there is a dedicate grow space for a mushroom buisness

Fruit is fermented on-site with minimal sulfites, both neutral and spirit oak barrels, and some filtered fresh juice for back-sweetening. The cidery prioritizes clean expressions of fruit and soil.

Ciders Tasted During this Recording

• Volume One – Off-dry, barrel-aged, lightly back-sweetened
• Volume Two – Dry blend with Winesap, Kingston Black, Northern Spy
• Volume Three – Porter's Perfection and Ashmead's Kernel
• Tomcat – Gin barrel-aged cider, 10% ABV
• Graf – A farmhouse cider-beer hybrid aged in oak

Gathering at The Farmers Hand

Open seasonally, The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen features hyperlocal meals built around the farm's own produce and meats. The space invites locals and visitors to connect over cider, community, and shared tables.

There is seating at the bar and also outside on a brand new patio for the 2025 season.

Contact Info for 1000 Stone Farm and The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen

• Website: https://www.1000stonefarm.com
• Farm Store: Open daily, 8am–8pm (self-serve)
• The Farmers Hand: Seasonal hours; check website or Instagram for updates
  • June through December Fridays 1-8pm & Saturdays 1-8pm
• Location: Brookfield, Vermont

What is 1000 Stone Farm? What is The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen? Can I visit the farm or tasting room? What kinds of cider are made at the farm? Who makes the food and cider? Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tours UK_Edition 2025
• Wolfkin Cider, Seattle Cider
• 375: Cider's Low Carbon Footprint | Wildbranch Cider, Vermont – Cedar Hannan

A conversation with Czech Cider Fan Dan Samek

This episode brings us to the heart of Europe by way of Vermont. Ria sat down with Dan Samek, a cider enthusiast and home distiller from Prague, to talk about the evolving cider scene in the Czech Republic. They met at Kilowatt Park which is on the west side of the Connecticut River in White River Junction, Vermont.

Dan Smaek

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This was the first stop on the Cider Tour to Vermont and New York in May 2025.

In this Cider Chat featuring Czech Cider

1. A Fruitful History

• The Czech Republic is rich with apples, pears, plums, and cherries and exports a lot of fruit.
• For centuries, fruit trees lined roads to feed traveling soldiers. This is a legacy left from the Barak times, in the 18th century

2. Cider by Way of Calvados

• Dan journey to cider started while he was working at a French winery
• He has an affection for Calvados and thus made cider to distill.
• His process blends natural fermentation and dry yeast (He favors the yeast known as 72B).
• The apples come from old trees in his one-acre garden-orchard near Prague.

3. Small Scene, Big Potential

• Early cider makers in the Cech Republic began around 2007.
• Prague had a cider shop (InCider) and a cider bar, but today you can find cider at most bars.
• Cidrerie Kliment and Utopia are two standout producers—Utopia leans all natural.

4. Enthusiasts Leading the Way

• Many Czech homes still have fruit trees.
• Backyard fermenters use presses ranging from barrel-style to hydraulic.
• Gardening clubs and university programs help spread knowledge.

5. Beyond Apples

• Dan grows quince and medlars and has a Sorbus domestica tree in his orchard.
• Morovia which is to the north of Prague has a Sorubus Domestic museum.
• There's a growing appreciation for traditional and lesser-known fruits in fermentation.

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Czech Cider Data Base https://databazecideru.online/dejv/
• Natalia who write the Cider Explorers blog post on Czech Cider and Prague Cider Fest https://ciderexplorer.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/where-to-drinkbuy-cider-in-prague/
• Prague Cider Festival – Slavnost Cideru to be held June 12–14, 2026
• Art + Science Concerts and Campouts start July 5th | Oregon
• De Groote Wei Cider Fest – August 16, 2025 | Netherlands
• The Flower Expo
• Paper Crane Cannabis – Boey Bertold organic and regenerative family-owned farm
• Totally Cider Tour UK_Edition 20225

Related

Eric Depradine of Zydeco Meadery crafts mead with Heart, Honey, and Heritage

As securing permission, Eric was able to start his fermentation journey in high school with a science project using cane juice. That spark stayed with him through his time in Louisiana and Kansas, eventually shaping what is now Zydeco Meadery in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.

Eric Depradine

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Zydeco Meadery weaves Eric's Caribbean heritage into every bottle. Drawing from Trinidadian traditions like "Sorrel", a spiced hibiscus drink served during holidays, Eric reimagines this ancestral recipes by using honey instead of cane sugar. Each mead showcases distinctive honey varietals, from Louisiana wildflower to Massachusetts knotweed, adding layers of terroir that reflect the regions that shaped him. The result is a line of meads that are bold, balanced, and culturally rich—fermented expressions of family, migration, and memory.

Meads and Cysers Featured in this Chat

• Carnival Rose
  • Carbonated hibiscus mead rooted in Caribbean sorrel tradition
  • 12% ABV, spiced, bold, festive
  • Named in honor of Calypso Rose, the first female calypsonian
• Yankee Heritage Cyser
  • Apple, raisin, and knotweed honey
  • Inspired by colonial cider traditions and Bear Swamp Orchard & Cidery which is in Ashfield, Massachusetts but is no longer open.
• Bayou Soleil
  • Traminette grape and citrus blend
  • A nod to Louisiana groves and Eric's wife's love of German varietals
• Atlantic Creole
  • 100% Massachusetts knotweed honey
  • Molasses-like, earthy, and distinct

Contact Info for Zydeco Meadery

• Website: https://zydecomeadery.com

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tour Uk_Edition 2025
• Flower Expo
• Apple Guy Flowers

Lucas of Apple Guy Flowers

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A Digital Media Empire Embraces Cider at The Newt

The Newt in Somerset is a world-class estate blending cider-making, luxury hospitality, and horticultural excellence. The estate is owned by South African owners Karen Roos and her husband Koos Bekker, who is a South African tech entrepreneur known for his innovative ventures, including transforming media group Naspers. Bekker's vision extends beyond digital media into luxury hospitality and agriculture, mirroring his approach at Babylonstoren in South Africa, The Newt's sister property.

Ciders tasted at The Newt in Somerset

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The Newt's cider operation began in 2018, a year before the estate's gardens and hotel opened. Designed with a focus on creativity and the visitor experience, the cidery features state-of-the-art equipment, including Voran presses, hypoxic apple storage, and multiple fermentation tanks. The cider is predominantly crafted for guests visiting the estate, which receives up to 200,000 visitors a year.

Charlie Inns: The Cider Maker's Story

Charlie Inns, the cider maker, brings a deep passion for microbiology and biochemistry to the operation. His journey began with home brewing in his youth, later gaining professional experience at Lilly's Cider. At The Newt, Charlie focuses on crafting ciders using estate-grown apples from 65 varieties, many of them heirloom. The orchards, covering approximately 70 acres, are planted with traditional, full-size trees spaced widely to minimize disease spread and reduce the need for chemical treatments.

Charlie Inns Cider maker at The Newt in Somerset

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The cider-making process includes a variety of yeasts, including wine strains, and a mix of stainless steel and oak barrel fermentations. Techniques such as gravity-fed racking, malolactic fermentation, and freeze concentration for ice cider production are part of the cellar's repertoire. Some ciders are back-sweetened with apple juice or ice cider concentrate, and a cider club offers members access to exclusive batches and virtual tastings.

Watch a behind the scenes from The Newt

Operations and Sales Support

Luke Benson, who joined The Newt more recently, supports Charlie with operations and sales, ensuring the cidery runs efficiently and allows the cider maker to focus on quality and creativity. Luke's background includes home cider-making and beer brewing.

Ria, Luke Benson, Arthur Cole touring The Newt

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• Fine Cider: A Braeburn single varietal fermented with Pinot Grigio yeast, crafted to appeal to wine enthusiasts.
• Kingston Black: A single-varietal expression using this traditional bittersweet apple, known for its crisp acidity. The cider featured champagne yeast and was back-sweetened with ice cider and fresh juice for a balanced finish.
• Red Love and Vilberie Blend: A complex cider combining the tart Red Love apple from Kent with the tannic Vilberie, resulting in a deeply colored, aromatic cider.
• The Winston: A méthode champenoise-style cider made from Katy apples, aged for several years, named after Winston Churchill and bottled in pint-sized bottles.

The Winston

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• Hopped Braeburn: A single-varietal Braeburn cider infused with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, offering a delicate, aromatic profile with a hint of residual sweetness from the apple.
• Signature Blend: A flagship cider blending over 30 apple varieties from the estate, fermented in both stainless steel and oak, with a focus on capturing the essence of The Newt's orchard.

Contact Info for The Newt

• Website: www.thenewtinsomerset.com

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tours_UK Edition 2025
• Ethic Ciders | California Summer Solstice BBQ Saturday, June 21 · 12 – 5pm PDT. tickets
• @nordappelcider is sending an open letter to the German EU delegates, advocating for transparent labelling. This new comes in via 1785 Cider who was featured on
• Moscow's Rebel Apple wins International Cider Maker of the Year at GLINTCAP Listen to Episode 216: Alex Ionov | Rebel Apple, Moscow
  • Watch this video sung by Alexander Ionov. In this song the young man is addressing a girl with St Valentines letter explaining how much he dreams about her
    • The main phrase of the song is «I need you more than a ton of cider» (or to be precise in translation «You are more important for me than a ton of cider»).

Levi Danielson is the founder and cider maker at RAW Cider, based in Dayton, Oregon. With roots in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and a cidery nestled among cider apples and pears in the Willamette Valley, Levi's story is one of wild ferments, place-based cider, and planting for the future – both in Oregon and back home.

Levi Danielson

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Levi's path began in microbiology and health policy before a leap to France introduced him to wild fermentation and orchard life. After interning and later leading production at Dragon's Head Cider in Washington, Levi launched RAW Cider in 2020 with méthode champenoise ciders that quietly matured during the pandemic.

Since then, RAW Cider has:

• Opened a year-round tasting room on an orchard in Dayton, Oregon
• Earned gold and silver medals for its first releases
• Focused on native yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, and orchard-first practices
• Planted and top-grafted cider and perry fruit in both Oregon and Minnesota

Pear Ambitions and a Regional Vision

Levi's passion for perry is central to RAW Cider. With 60-year-old pear trees, now top worked with perry pear varieties and wild seedlings grafted in the Mississippi River Valley, plus collaborations in Hood River, he's betting on American perry's future.

He believes Hood River could become the "Domfrontais of the U.S."—a new home for pear-driven sparkling ciders that mirrors the pear region in Normandy, France.

Listen to episode 313: Wild Yeast Fermentations | CiderCon 2022 featuring a panel discussion with Levi Danielson

Contact info for RAW

• Website: https://www.rawcider.com

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• European Union 100% juice movement – Sign the petition today! https://www.petitions.net/protect-european-artisanal-cider-and-perry
• Totally Cider Tours
• Inn on Lake Champlain

Keep #ciderGoingUP by becoming a patron at the Cider Chat Patreon!

An intimate sit down with James Forbes of Little Pomona to talk about grief of losing his wife and business partner Susanna Forbes, the growth of the cidery, and the evolving identity of one this select cidery.

Remembering Susanna Forbes

Susanna Forbes, co-founder of Little Pomona, passed away in 2024. Her warmth, encouragement, and belief in others shaped the cidery from day one. As James puts it,

"She was always trying to build up and support others – including me."

James, Ria and Susanna 2019

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• Champagne Method Quince Wine – Possibly the second of its kind globally, due this summer.
• Champagne Method Egremont Russet – One of his favorite apples, now sparkling.
• Keeved Ciders – A new path, with mixed results but promising bottles.
• Distilled Projects – Collaborations with Capreolus and Pleasant Land to craft pommeau aged in chestnut barrels.
• Annual Disco Nouveau – Returning with the 2022 and 2023 vintages.
• Natural Yeast Ferments – Used throughout, except the second ferment in méthode champenoise.

Where to Find Little Pomona

• Hereford Beer House | Hereford
• Museum of Cider | Hereford
• Specialist shops in London, Manchester, and Glasgow
• Press Then Press –
• Select U.S. locations via Anxo (Washington D.C.)

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tours – UK Edition
• Vermont and New York Cider Tour/Road Trip
  • 1000 Stone Farm
  • Saint Lawerence Nursery
  • Frosty Twig and Canton Apples
  • Pierrpont Cider
  • Inn at Lake Champlain

Support #ciderGoingUP at Patreon

Fourth-Generation Farmer, First-Generation Cidermaker

Sophie Horstink of De Groote Wei, which means The Great Meadow in Dutch, is crafting Dutch cider as a value added project at her family's farm. Located in the eastern Netherlands near Arnhem, the farm spans 16 hectares and has long produced dessert apples and pears.

Sophie Horstink

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The Horstink family market is well-known and is a go-to place for locals to shop and would be considered a grocery store.

She released her first cider in 2022. The early response was enthusiastic, selling out quickly and prompting her to scale production. She now ferments around 5,000 liters annually in what is called the 'cider cave" on the family farm.

De Groote Wei's Ciders cider garden

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• Appel Vink (Apple Finch)
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • Notes: Lightly sparkling with fresh acidity and a hint of sourness. Made entirely from eating apples including Elstar, Jonagold, and Belle de Boskoop.
• Groente Vink (Green Finch)
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • Notes: A blend of apples as used in the Appel Finch and 30% Conference pears. Also bottle-conditioned, this cider has a rounder mouthfeel and delicate fruit aromatics.

Contact info for De Groote Wei

• Website: https://www.degrootewei.nl

Family Farm shop

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• VT & NY Cider Road Trip
• Totally Cider Tours
• SpaceTime Mead and Cider Works set to close June 22, 2025 – listen to the Space Time episode 288 with Dan Schreffler

Support this podcast by becoming a patron!

Donatas Genys didn't set out to launch Lithuania's first keeved cider. But after trips to England and Normandy, years of experimentation, and the planting of over 6,000 cider apple trees, that's exactly what he's doing. At Sodo Sidriné, located just a few kilometers from the city of Kaunus, Donatas is into a whole new era for cider Lithuania's cider revival

Donatas Genys Cider Culture and Baltic Roots

Lithuania has deep agricultural roots, but apple trees which at many of the homes are desired more for eating or making apple wine while vodka and beer under Soviet rule flourished.

Note: Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so, an act made possible in part by the loosening of Soviet control under Gorbachev's Perestroika reforms.

Donatas is using both local varieties like Auksis and imported cider apples such as Yarlington Mill, Harry Masters Jersey, and Marie Ménard. His orchard-first philosophy ensures every cider is estate grown and rooted in place.

Keeving in Lithuania

The hallmark of Sodo Sidrine's offerings is a naturally keeved cider. Donatas showcased his keeved cider at CiderCon 2025 and received a lot of praise from attendees, including this Cider Chat Producer Ria Windcaller. Genys admits it's the most labor-intensive process, but also the most rewarding. This method yields a semi-dry cider with natural sweetness and long-lasting complexity, a rarity in a country where most consumers only know industrial cider.

A New Era for Lithuanian Cider

With a production facility nearly complete, Genys is preparing to scale up. His vision includes:

Sodo Cider

• Stainless steel fermentation
• A small tasting room with potential for expansion
• Fruit wines and hopped ciders to appeal to a wider audience
• Apple brandy aged in sherry casks for future release

Inside Sodo Sidrine

Despite legal gray areas (there's no craft cider license in Lithuania), Donatas is pushing forward — blending tradition, research, and experimentation with quiet determination. He expects his licensing process to be completed by the summer of 2025. Stay tuned!

Contact info for Sodo Sidriné

• Website: https://sodosidrine.lt/

Mentions in this Cider Chat

• Totally Cider Tour_UK Edition
• Bent Ladder | Doylestown Ohio – Events
• Locust Grove Brewing – Mother's Day Brunch – Live Music, Food Truck 11-2pm