For the first 300 years of our country, everyone drank an alcoholic drink called 'Hard Cider'. It is the fermented juice of sweet apple cider which you get in stores and farm stands in the fall. It goes through a process of converting all of the sugars into alcohol when a yeast is added. This process can take anywhere from four months to a year. After 7 long years of research and some very hard wo
rk from all my amazing neighbors and friends, we give you the beginning of Colonial Cider. We are taking our heirloom apples and combining them with old world fermentation techniques to make you the most historically accurate organic Colonial Cider. Our 50 acre farm dates back to 1791, and has such tremendous history as well. We have just gotten our Colonial Cider patented and will be the first registered cidery in the state of New Jersey. While we were exploring, what we found was a romantic story of apples and cider. This beautiful state of New Jersey was the hub of the new world and cider production. Farmers grew apples mostly for cider during the period of 1600 to 1900. There were 1100 varieties grown back then, but over time most of these apples have all but disappeared. There are only a few hundred varieties in existence and only 20 or so mass produced. The Temperance Movement during the late 1800's put the axe on the cider market, and all the farmers cut down their cider trees for religious reasons. Years later, Prohibition finished it off. The cider industry was gone. Colonial Cider is bringing it all back. Luckily, our old heirloom varieties have gone through a revolution over the past 30 years. Orchardists and horticulturists alike, have rediscovered and brought these historical apples back into production. One of these apples is called the 'Harrison'. The earliest information indicates that this apple is native to Newark NJ, around 1712. The 'Orange Mountain' section of Newark apparently had the most beautiful apple orchards in the 13 colonies. In 1817 William Coxe, the author of 'A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees', said "This is the most celebrated cider apple of Newark in New Jersey" He also stated that it generated the highest price in the New York City markets. This small yellow round apple makes a single varietal cider that has been compared to a thick syrup. New Jersey farmers were so good at making cider it even shipped to the West Indies and Europe. With over 500 trees of this variety alone at Colonial Cider, we understand that we have the largest collection of these trees in the country. Another wonderful apple is the Campfield. Its roots come from Essex County as well. This apple is red and small, and was blended with the Harrison to make an exceptional cider. The Winesap originated before 1800 in Northern New Jersey. Another small red apple, adds an amazing 'twang' to cider. The American Golden Russet comes from Burlington County in the 1700's. This yellow oblong shape, rough skin apple is great for fresh eating, and makes a 7% high alcohol content cider. We are also growing The Newtown Pippin. Its roots are from Queens in New York dating back to 1666. This was George Washington and Thomas Jeffersons favorite apple. The Roxbury Russet is native to Roxbury Massachsetts in the early 1600's being introduced by the Pilgrims. This round greenish-yellow apple was the first american apple variety. The juice has a pleasing brisk flavor. There are so many other varieties we are growing, that also have amazing history during the period of the thirteen colonies. Some of them are Hues Crab, Grimes Golden, Limbertwig, Yellow Bellflower, Wickson Crab, Black Twig, Smiths Cider, and the Yates. It is our pleasure at Colonial Cider to bring to you, an old fashioned drink with amazing New Jersey history. It is produced right here in Sussex County, and totally organic. We so look forward to hearing back from all of you out there-
