| RETAIL STORE: 8 AM - 6 PM DAILY  | CAFÉ: (B) 8 AM - 10:30 AM (L) 11 AM - 3 PM DAILY  |  TASTING ROOM: 11 AM - 4 PM SU-TH & 11 AM - 6 PM F-S  | MAIL ORDER: 9 AM - 5 PM DAILY | All time in EST |

FAQS

FAQS

(Fun Apple Questions)

Frequently asked questions

What are your hours?What are your hours?

We’re usually open and always happy to see you. The cider mill is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our Luncheonette is open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Breakfast is served 8 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Lunch is served 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m (last call for alcohol is 15 minutes before closing). Hard cider tastings 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hours may vary with season. We’re only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Do you give tours?Do you give tours?

Not really…we let you explore our Cider Mill at your own pace. Everything is free and self-guided, and we encourage you to take your time and enjoy. We’re open to the public during our regular business hours 7 days a week. No reservations required. Simply enter the cider mill and follow the painted apples on the floor to the press room for a FREE sample of our fresh cider – while you watch it being made! When we’re not pressing, a video shows the whole process.

Are you pressing apples today?Are you pressing apples today?

Answer to question 1

Do you offer apple picking on site?Do you offer apple picking on site?

No, because we don’t have an apple orchard on-site (though we do have a “solar orchard” of panels that helps power our Mill!). We love apple picking, too, and you’ll find a complete list of “pick-your-own-apples” sites at the Vermont Department of Agriculture’s website. Just click this link:  http://www.vermontapples.org/vermont-orchard-listing/ 

Where are the all-important restrooms located?Where are the all-important restrooms located?

In three places: In the Cider Mill, just follow the apples painted on the floor starting at the main entrance, then hang a right at the 4th apple (near where the t-shirts and clothing items are.) You’ll find two additional bathrooms located in our other building across the parking lot, called “the Barn”, which houses our Tasting Room and Luncheonette.

What is your address?What is your address?

3600 Waterbury Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677

You don’t have an orchard, so where do you get your apples?You don’t have an orchard, so where do you get your apples?

We partner closely with several orchards spanning the shore of Lake Champlain. They provide our favorite top quality McIntosh apples, as well as the other varieties we insist on in order to produce our uniquely delicious fresh cider. By the way, if you look out back we do have a “solar orchard” of panels that help power our Mill.

How much power do the solar panels generate?How much power do the solar panels generate?

A lot! We’re delighted to report that the solar panels in our “solar orchard” generate enough renewable energy to provide over 60% of power to our cider mill. Which helps keep the Green Mountains green.

How many of your absurdly good cider donuts do you make each day?How many of your absurdly good cider donuts do you make each day?

We love them too and we (very happily) make them every day. During the peak autumn foliage season, people love to watch as our 4 robotic donut machines help us make as many as 15,000 donuts a day! Definitely worth seeing.

How much of your fresh cider can you make each day?How much of your fresh cider can you make each day?

If our pressers are really cranking it out (and our customers are really thirsty) we can make up to 4,000 gallons a day the old fashioned way on our vintage rack-and-cloth press. One taste and you’ll agree that our older and somewhat slower process is more than just endearing…the old way just tastes better!

What happens to the apples leftover from cider pressings?What happens to the apples leftover from cider pressings?

Vermonters don’t waste a thing. We use some of the apples leftover from pressing – known as “pomace”– to make our own homemade Doggie’s Donuts. Whatever is left over is used as animal feed or as compost. (Dogs wish we just kept it all and made more Doggie’s Donuts.)

What is in your other building across the parking lot?What is in your other building across the parking lot?

Our other building, known as “the Barn” is home to our Luncheonette, our beer and hard cider store, and our Tasting Room, where we offer over six different modern hard cider taste profiles. All are made from our fresh cider (the really good stuff) we make here at our Mill.

What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?

There’s a huge difference, and you can taste it. Apple cider is 100% pure juice squeezed from the apple. Nothing added, nothing taken away. It’s a perishable product, needs to be refrigerated, and has a shelf life of about 6 weeks. Apple juice is whole different story: Generally speaking, it may have started as apple cider, but along the way all the pectin and fiber are filtered out, then water, artificial flavor, artificial coloring, sugar, and a bunch of preservatives are added. Not good. It’s then pasteurized at a very high temperature to make it shelf stable before being bottled. Look at the label…you’ll see that most apple juice in this country is made from concentrate that comes from overseas. Apple cider, on the other hand, is the real thing, made right here in the U.S. using local apples from local orchards. We think it’s important that people know where their food comes from and support local growers as much as possible…that’s what we do!

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