Cideries

Almost Heaven has a variety of hand-crafted beverages to top your day off of adventure, from the classics of craft beer and moonshine, to sweeter favorites such as wine and hard cider. Enjoy the flavorful taste of sweet, fermented fruits that will leave your taste buds satisfied at these West Virginia cideries.

Cideries are beginning to pop up in Almost Heaven with the south-eastern corner of the state serving as ground zero. Though the industry has a fresh feeling to it—this sweet beverage has been around for generations in the Mountain State. In the early 1600s, drinking water was often contaminated in England so, what was the alternative? Hard cider of course. When the English colonists later settled in North America, they brought with them their fermenting skills and apple seeds to begin planting.

Swilled Dog

After a day of adventuring in the Potomac Highlands, stop by Swilled Dog cidery for some refreshing hard cider. This majority female and family-owned beverage company offers hand-crafted hard ciders, award-winning small-batch spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. Their hard ciders blend the taste of various fermented fruits for a delicious flavorful beverage. These refreshing drinks are ready for your next mountain adventure or evening by the bonfire.

Swilled Dog is passionate about giving back to the community, donating a portion of all sale proceeds to charities, primarily to benefit our furry companions. If you are interested in joining the support for the local community, enjoy a cider from Lucy’s Tap where $1 from every pour is donated to a nonprofit organization.

At Swilled Dog, they strive to bring people together in the friendly environment of their tasting room. The tasting room is open on Fridays and Saturdays. Check their website or social media for hours. On weekends throughout the year, visitors can enjoy events at the cidery, like workshops and live music. So, bring your pup and friends and play some board games with a glass of hard cider by your side.

Hawk Knob

Located just outside of Lewisburg in the rolling hills of the countryside, Hawk Knob cidery provides a wide selection of delicious hard ciders and meads. At Hawk Knob, they are passionate about the Appalachian culture, which caught the attention of Salon and other major news platforms. Hard cider has been made in the region and throughout much of Appalachia before, during and after prohibition. Many of these ciders were made from heritage apple varieties, wild apples or both and fermented in used whiskey and bourbon barrels. While this style of barrel-aged ciders is considered a modern trend, this technique has been a part of our cultural history.

The tasting room is open Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Often times the tasting room will host live music from local musicians and other events throughout the year.

Pay homage to Appalachian culture and come enjoy one of their flavorful hard ciders on the pond-side porch with a side of fine cheese and charcuterie.

Old World Libations

In the heart of Monroe County, Old World Libations is keeping the traditions of yesteryear alive with heritage methods of crafting premier wine, meads and ciders. Overlooking the Indian Valley, this farm winery takes a simplistic approach to the art of beverage-making, using only the best that the Earth has to offer. While a focus is placed on their line of wines, such as the sweet favorite, Harmony Triple Berry, the offerings of this newly established watering hole are growing. Keep an eye on their page to never miss the announcement of a new cider or mead.

Open on Fridays from 4-9 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday from 1-6 p.m., the Old World Libations tasting room is the perfect weekend spot.

Round out your visit to their tasting room with a delicious bite to eat—serving many items including the mouthwatering Rueban Dip and a constantly evolving Speciality Charcuterie Board.

Don’t forget to grab your beautifully rustic Libations Cup to enjoy your hard cider like a true pro.

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