Fall and apples go hand in hand. Long Island’s East End is home to several apple orchards and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than apple picking with family and friends.This tradition is a fun family activity that the kids enjoy. Enjoy Apple pie, apple cobbler, apple cider and for the adults, apple HARD cider. You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. If that apple comes in a growler with 6.8% alcohol, well that’s even better. Just in time for the season, and for the first time we’re serving Woodside Orchard’s Traditional hard cider on tap at At Bistro 72.

Apple cider is a staple Fall drink. Cider (/ˈsaɪdər/ sy-dər), known as hard cider in North America, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. The juice of any variety of apple can be used to make cider, but cider apples are best. The addition of sugar or extra fruit before a second fermentation increases the alcoholic content of the resulting beverage.

These days local winemakers and purveyors are taking the seasonal favorite and reinterpreting it, producing it at the level of a glass of wine or bubbly and introducing the artisanal hard cider.

Two local vineyards taking part in this process are Wölffer Estate and Lieb Cellars.

Wölffer Estate which produces a No. 139 Dry White Cider and No. 139 Dry Rose Cider which which retails for $16 for a pack of four 355ml bottles and Lieb Cellars, on the North Fork, produces hard cider made from Briermere Farm apples and they call theirs Rumor mill. It is dry and comes in at 7% alcohol. Drink enough of it and you’ll be singing Adele’s Rumor has it.

Wölffer Estate Vineyard139 Sagg Rd, Sagaponack, NY 11962 (631) 537-5106  website: wolffer.com
Lieb Cellars 13050 Oregon Road Cutchogue, NY 11935 (631) 734-1100  website: liebcellars.com

Woodside Orchards located in Jamesport with a second location in Aquebogue  grows 28 varieties of apples and produces several types of hard cider. You can visit for a tasting or purchase growlers of any of their flavors including traditional and cinnamon. A 64-ounce growler is $16 and $13 for a refill. You can also purchase fresh honey from on-site hives, apple doughnuts, apple butter, fresh pies and of course go apple picking. Woodside Orchards has two locations: Woodside Orchards 729 Main Rd, Aquebogue, NY 11931 and 116 Manor Ln in Jamesport.
(631) 722-5770 website: woodsideorchards.com

If you’re interested in trying Woodside Orchards hard cider stop by Bistro 72, we’ve got it on tap and it compliments any of our local Fall fare. Sip some today by the fireplace and watch the sunset. For reservations please call 631-369-3325