Holidays & Occasions Fall Here's Where You Can Taste the South's Best Cider This Fall By Marissa Wu Marissa Wu Marissa Wu is a writer with a love for home, food, travel, and art stories. She holds a journalism degree from Boston University. When not editing and producing articles or updating the homepage, she's trying new recipes, jolting along in her manual transmission car, Fitz; hammering out a manuscript on her 1930s Royal Aristocrat typewriter, Georgie; and making film photographs with her Rolleiflex, Cecil. She's currently an Associate SEO Editor for PureWow. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Novo Studio Many of us know apple cider as the steaming, gently-spiced, divine-smelling hot beverage enjoyed on a farm during a crisp fall afternoon. It's the fuel that pushes us through the orchards in the continued search for the sweetest apples to take home and bake into a pie, crisp, or crumble. There is, however, a whole world beyond desserts that is equally delightful in autumn. At these cider breweries across the South, it's not just about the drink. For some brewers, it's about being creative with experimental ingredients and flavors. For others, it's about cultivating and giving back to the community. From growing their own apples to being women-owned and led, these spots are putting their own spin on a rapidly-growing beverage industry—and we'll say cheers to that! 01 of 14 Singin' River Brewing Co. Savannah Stevenson Florence, Alabama The owners want to create a place that feels like a second home—come with your old friends and leave with new ones as you gather at the wooden bar for a glass of cider. In Cider You is a crisp, slightly dry, gluten-free hard apple cider. Be sure to catch one of their weekly gatherings, which they host in partnership with local restaurants. 526 East College Street, Florence, AL 35630, singinriverbrewing.com 02 of 14 Black Apple Novo Studio Springdale, Arkansas With flavors like Cherry Limeade, Pineapple, Hibiscus, and Raspberry Passion, Black Apple Hard Cider prides itself on sourcing its ingredients as locally as possible. This includes Arkansas peaches, Ozark apples, and executing the production process with utmost care. Some ciders are year-round, while others are seasonal specialties. 321 East Emma Avenue. Springdale, AR 72764, blackapplehardcider.com 03 of 14 Liquid Alchemy Beverages Liquid Alchemy Wilmington, Delaware What began as a husband-and-wife home-brewing operation ballooned into Delaware's first meadery and cidery. The brewery has earned numerous awards in competitions such as the U.S. Open Cider Competition, the New York International Beverage Competition, and the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. Located in Wilmington, the tap room is open for tours and tastings. 28 Brookside Dr, Wilmington, DE 19804, liquidalchemybeverages.com 04 of 14 Green Bench Brewing Co. Green Bench Brewing Co. St. Petersburg, Florida At this brewery, it's not just about the drinks (though they're darn good)—it's about community. Green Bench Brewing Co. works to create drinks that simultaneously delight and challenge the tastes of the surrounding area, and to provide a space and environment where people can come together and get to know their neighbors. Their large selection of ciders range from dry with orange pippins to semi-dry with fresh raspberry. 1133 Baum Ave N., St. Petersburg FL 33705, greenbenchbrewing.com 05 of 14 Urban Tree Cidery Urban Tree Cidery Atlanta, Georgia As Atlanta's first cidery, Urban Tree Cidery is on a mission to create a legacy. Their apples come from a 100-year-old family-owned orchard in the Blue Ridge Divide, and the end result yields award-winning flavors like Sweet Heat Haze (Seattle Cider Awards) and Wild On Cherry (U.S. Open Cider Championship). The dog-friendly tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday. 1465 Howell Mill RD NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, urbantreecidery.com 06 of 14 Wise Bird Cider Co. Wise Bird Lexington, Kentucky Drop in for a tasting (plus small bites) or join the cider club. Members get a curated shipment, which includes vintages, specials, or new products that haven't yet been released to the public. You'll also find, in their extensive online shop, a mulled cider kit—a great (easy!) way to welcome fall at home. 1170 Manchester St, Suite 140, Lexington, KY 40508, wisebirdcider.com 07 of 14 Kingfish Cider Kingfish Cider Jefferson, Louisiana A female-owned brewery, Kingfish Cider specializes in cider and perry (pear cider). The menu also offers cider cocktails made with Louisiana liquors. Visit the tasting room to build your own charcuterie board while you taste a flight. 355 Iris Ave Suite A, Jefferson, LA 70121, kingfishcider.com 08 of 14 Backwater Cider Company Backwater Cider Company Olive Branch, Mississippi This cidery does things a bit different. Rather than choose the traditional cider apples for their products, Backwater uses the table and dessert varieties to create modern and new-world style ciders. Other ingredients, such as hops, juices, and spices will occasionally find their way into the mix, too. 9203 Hwy 178, Olive Branch, MS 38654, backwaterms.com 09 of 14 Noble Cider Noble Cider Asheville, North Carolina Located in what is known as the new "Craft Brew Mecca," Asheville-based Noble Cider churns out interesting flavors in the likes of chai, Earl Grey, and pineapple jalapeño. They also do a twist on the spritz, including a lemon elderflower flavor. You can get a taste at one of two locations: the cidery production facility in west Asheville or the taproom downtown. 356 New Leicester Highway, Asheville, NC 28806 and 49 Rankin Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801, noblecider.com 10 of 14 OK Cider Co. OK Cider Co. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Head down to Film Row for some beer-inspired cider that's more than just OK. The owners developed first developed a recipe out of their own need for a tasty, gluten-free beverage. The cidery uses different varieties of beer yeasts, fermentation profiles, hops, fruit, and more to create a unique cider-drinking experience. 705 W Sheridan Ave., Oklahoma City, Ok 73102, okciderco.com 11 of 14 Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill York, South Carolina Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill has been producing hard cider since 1996. Visit the Cider Bar for tastings and stay on the farm to pick your own Southern heirloom Stayman Winesap apples. Weekend tastings begin in mid-August, along with live music. 1860 Black Highway York, SC 29745, windyhillorchard.com 12 of 14 Gypsy Circus Cider Gypsy Circus Cider Knoxville, Tennessee Tennessee's first cidery was also named the state Cider Producer of the Year—three times. Flavors like coffee, fire-roasted pumpkin, and lemon basil will make you want to stay longer and taste your way through. Now with five locations, their 4,000 square foot taproom includes 40 taps of Gypsy Circus' products and local craft beer. 621 Lamar St., Knoxville TN, gypsycircuscider.com 13 of 14 Atheneum Cider Atheneum Cider Fort Worth, Texas At Atheneum Cider, they're not afraid to get a little wild or experiment with, as they put it, "crazy ingredient combinations" like strawberry and habanero or wild yeast. Cider purists, fear not—the classic stuff is still on tap, too. This cidery holds regular trivia nights, too, for those who want to test their knowledge while they taste. 12509 N Saginaw Blvd #106 Fort Worth, TX 76179, atheneumcider.com 14 of 14 Swilled Dog Swilled Dog Upper Tract, West Virginia If you want to enjoy fun flavors and support furry friends, Swilled Dog, which proclaims itself to be a majority female-, family-, and dog-owned company, allows you to do just that. They donate a part of their sales to various animal charities. And, when patrons choose Lucy's Tap at the tasting room, Swilled Dog donates a dollar (per pour) to their non-profit of the month. 28 Pendleton County Industrial Park Road, Upper Tract, WV 26866, swilleddog.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit