I visit a lot of craft breweries in my travels around Pennsylvania, but I also love checking out the state’s many great cideries (especially in the fall).
I actually used to think that I didn’t like hard cider because I’d only had the mass-produced brands typically available in stores. However, getting to try fresh hard cider made in Pennsylvania really changed my mind, and now it’s one of my favorite adult beverages.
The PA cideries listed below are all ones that I’ve personally visited and enjoyed, but are certainly not the only ones in the state. I hope to visit even more in the future and update this list accordingly.
Big Hill Ciderworks
Big Hill Ciderworks can be found about halfway between Gettysburg and Carlisle and is one of my personal favorite spots in this region.
Big Hill’s taproom and production space are surrounded by their own apple orchard on which they grown dozens of varieties of apples for use in their ciders. Not only do they grow all of their own apples, but they also handle all other aspects of making the cider, making this a true farm-to-table operation.
Personal favorite ciders here include Little Round Hop, Michaux Mule, and Farmhouse Peach.
Big Hill’s tasting room features a fabulous outdoor space as well as indoor seating. They are only open Friday-Sunday, but often have live music and food trucks on site.
Find out more on Big Hill Ciderworks’ website.
Arsenal Cider House
Arsenal Cider House first opened in 2010, making it the first modern cidery in western Pennsylvania.
Their original location, which is where I visited, can be found, as the name implies, in a former residential building near the historic Allegheny Arsenal in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. They also have locations nearby in Dormont and Wexford, as well as in Cleveland.
The indoor space here is rather small, but they have a nice outdoor seating area in the back, both attached to the house and across the alley. There’s certainly a lot of character in this space.
Arsenal features a really nice selection of ciders, and there is a lot of variety in their offerings. Sadly, while you can get a few samples, they don’t do flights, which can make it a bit hard to try their many delicious-looking hard ciders.
During my visit, there were a total of 11 ciders on draft, with my personal favorites being the Grierson’s Ginger and the Vanilla Honey.
Find out more about Arsenal Cider House on their website.
Mad Macintosh Cider
Mad Macintosh Cider can be found just outside of Bellefonte, PA in the same repurposed warehouse where you’ll find Axemann Brewing, one of my favorite breweries near State College.
Mad Macintosh’s tasting room is located within Titan Hollow, a restaurant with some very cool decorations. It’s definitely worth visiting just to experience the great decor here.
While Mad Macintosh has traditional cider styles (which are quite good), as their name would imply, they also have some really creative offerings.
During my visit, I tried Spiced Mike (A cider with a mixture of spices like cinnamon and all spice), Ginger Geri (A rather spicy ginger cider), and Green Eyed Giddy (Made with green tea). All were quite delicious.
Find out more on Titan Hollow’s website.
Wyndridge Cider Co.
Wyndridge Cider Co. can be found on a 75-acre farm southeast of York, PA. They make all manner of craft beverages here including beer, wine, and sodas, but, in my opinion, their ciders are the true standouts.
Personal favorites include their Original cider, as well as Apple Cider Donut and Pineapple Mango.
Their space includes a beautiful restaurant/tasting room, as well as a lot of great outdoor space. This is definitely one of the most beautiful cideries in the state.
Find out more about Wyndridge on their website.
Five Maidens Craft Cider
Five Maidens Craft Cider can be found in Bethlehem, PA and is located on the city’s South Side in a small industrial building. However, what it somewhat lacks in ambiance, it makes up for with some great ciders.
During my visit, I was able to try four of the 14 ciders available on draft. My personal favorite was the Semi Sweet, but others like the Ms. Jackson were quite good.
Five Maidens has only been open since 2021, but has already won a nice number of awards from competitions like the one at the PA Farm Show, so this is definitely a great spot to check out.
Find out more on their website.
Threadbare Cider
Threadbare Cider is a great spot for hard cider lovers to check out in Pittsburgh. Started by the owners of Wiggle Whiskey, Threadbare produces some of the tastiest ciders I’ve had in Pennsylvania.
Their ciders are well balanced, while still providing a great flavor in a variety of styles. The three offerings I tired, Farmhouse, Dry, and Wild, each have a unique taste, and none are overly sweet.
Threadbare features a tasty menu filled with pizzas and other great food made with seasonal and local ingredients. They also offer dangerously delicious cider cocktails that are paired with Wiggle’s spirits and some great mead.
Visit their website for more information.
Lancaster County Cider
Lancaster County Cider is located in restored barn in Intercourse, PA. The space also includes a winery, a distillery, and a brewery all within the same building, so you can actually try a large mix of beverages during your visit.
The cider and beer taproom can be found on the second floor, and you can do a flight that combines both into one sampler (which is what I did). That gave me the chance to try two of the three ciders that were on tap, with both the Sweet Cider and the Blueberry Cider being quite tasty.
It’s worth noting that Lancaster County Cider is owned by the same company that runs the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair in Lancaster County, so you can also pick up their ciders there as well.
For more information, visit their website.
Good Intent Cider
Good Intent Cider is the second cidery on this list located in Bellefonte, PA, but is definitely worth checking out as well.
It can be found in a very cool small building on the edge of town, and I quite enjoyed looking at the building’s architecture during my visit. They also have a really cool outdoor space.
During my visit, I had a chance to try five different ciders, including ciders made with both peach and blueberries, and a cider aged in bourbon barrels. All of them were quite delicious, but the Violet’s Lament was my personal favorite.
Find out more on Good Intent Cider’s website.
Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider
Located only a few miles away from the popular Ricketts Glen State Park, Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider is a great spot to stop before after hiking in the area.
Colonel Ricketts is housed in a 19th-century barn with a setting and ambiance to match. This spot definitely has a much more rural country feel than most of the other cideries on this list.
During my visit, there was only a couple of ciders available, but the two I tried, Original Cider (which is aged in Jack Daniels barrels) and Fuji Fanatic were both quite good, though definitely for those that like their hard ciders on the sweeter side.
With such great ambiance, I can’t wait to go back and try more.
For more information, visit their website.
Do you have a favorite spot for hard cider in Pennsylvania that isn’t on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Looking for more things to do in PA? Check out the best fall festivals in PA, great places to go apple picking in Pennsylvania, and my list of the Top Things to Do in Pennsylvania.
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