SEPTEMBER 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 59
MAIN DISH
HOUSE
RIVERHEAD CIDER FARM CIDERY
PRESSES ON
BY BERNIE KILKELLY
September is prime time for picking
apples on Long Island, but for those
who prefer to enjoy apples in adult
beverage form, the Riverhead Cider
House has plenty to offer.
Since opening in 2017, the cidery has
developed a loyal following for its
wide variety of hard ciders and its
rustic tasting room featuring local
craft beer, wine, and a café serving
farm-to-table dishes.
“New York State now ranks first in
the U.S. for number of hard cider
producers,” said Scott Ramsey, the
executive director of the New York
Cider Association, calling it “a time of
great opportunity for New York cider.”
Riverhead was the first cidery on
Long Island to be licensed as a New
York State farm cidery, taking advantage
of a new law for hard cider
produced with apples grown exclusively
in the state. The number of
farm cideries statewide has grown
from eight in 2014 to more than 50
last year.
Will Loughlin became Riverhead Cider
House’s cidermaker soon after its
opening, following years of making
ciders at home. The Hauppauge native
was originally attracted to cider about
10 years ago after he discovered he was
allergic to wheat.
“Cider is gluten-free and craft ciders
are a great alternative for people who
can’t enjoy beer,” said Loughlin. “The
brewing process is similar, using apple
juice as our base instead of barley, malt,
and wheat.”
Loughlin sources the majority of his
apple juice from Beak and Skiff Apple
Orchards in the Finger Lakes region.
Riverhead Cider House planted its own
orchard in 2017 with 200 trees featuring
15 different varieties, and hopes to
Will Loughlin, Riverhead cidermaker.
be able to harvest enough apples next
year to produce cider.
The cidery has a large selection of yearround
ciders available, including traditional
hard apple ciders such as Apple
Annie, Benjamin’s Best, and Founders
Reserve with more fruit sweetness and
lower alcohol. Loughlin makes a wide
variety of seasonal ciders, with some
available only on draft at the tasting
room, including Grapefruit Squeeze,
Pool Side Pineapple, and Wild Blueberry
sparkling cider.
One of Loughlin’s favorite seasonal
ciders is Blackberry Habanero, which
last year won a Gold Medal at the prestigious
Great Lakes International Cider
and Perry Competition and a Bronze
Medal in the inaugural New York Cider
Competition.
Loughlin said the cidery is looking
forward to a busy fall, including the
return of some favorite fall seasonals
such as Cinnamon Toast Cider, perfect
for enjoying in front of the fireplace after
a crisp fall day spent picking apples.
Riverhead Cider House is located at 2711
Sound Ave. in Calverton. For more info
visit riverheadcider.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher
of LIBeerGuide.com.
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