SEMINARY HILL Debuts New Hard Ciders Produced in the Western Catskills

Editor's Note: Find out all about the cider brand, Seminary Hill and their tasting room in the beautiful Western Catskills.

Seminary Hill, an orchard-driven, eco-focused, locally made cider brand based in Callicoon, New York, will debut a new line of hard ciders on June 25, 2021. Crafted in small batches in its own purpose-built, Passive House-certified cidery with a blend of cider apples and perry pears from its own holistic orchards and supplemental cider fruit from area growers, Seminary Hill cider is a true reflection of the character and heritage of the Upper Delaware River Valley and the Western Catskills.

Founded by husband-wife duo Doug Doetsch and Susan Manning, Seminary Hill recalls how local farmers, including Doug's family on both sides, made cider from their own apples, one of the few crops reliably cultivated in the hilly, rocky soils of the Western Catskills, long before craft cider became fashionable. "Our family ties to Callicoon date back five generations," says Director of Orchards and Facilities, Bill Hess, who grew up on the family's maternal homestead near the Cidery. "We're thrilled to be reviving old family traditions of cider making, sustainability and hospitality."

Seminary Hill cider is crafted from blends of more than 60 varieties of American, English and French apple and pear varieties specifically selected for the qualities and characteristics they promise to add to the blends, planted holistically across two scenic orchards following the holistic precepts of orchardist Michael Phillips, author of The Apple Grower. Free of harmful pesticides and herbicides, the orchards utilize organic soil supplements, daffodils planted in rings around each tree to keep away voles, and companion plants to attract bees and other natural pollinators.

"You need excellent fruit to make excellent cider," says cider maker Stuart Madany, formerly of Castle Hill Cider outside Charlottesville, Virginia. "Rather than replicate historic ciders, our goal is to produce the best expression of terroir possible, using methods that respect the land and the agricultural heritage of the Catskills. Because we put so much effort into variety selection and holistic growing, we really just want to let the qualities inherent in the fruit shine through."

Seminary Hill cider is fermented in stainless steel tanks and bottled just steps from the Orchard in the purpose-built, two-story Cidery, which combines a ground-floor production facility with an expansive, tasting room that features cathedral ceilings framing floor-to-ceiling windows and a wrap-around patio and balcony offering picture-perfect views of the verdant Catskill foothills and an early 1900s Franciscan seminary, from which Seminary Hill gets its name.

Designed by James Hartford of River Architects and built by premier construction firm Baxter, the Cidery is the first of its kind constructed according to the standards of Passive House, consuming minimal energy for heating and cooling by taking advantage of direct sun during the winter and shade during the summer. Low-impact inside and out, the tasting room is clad with larch wood reclaimed from the underwater pilings of the original Tappan Zee Bridge and decorated with recycled woodwork, fashioned by Bill Hess (who is also a master woodworker) from oak trees felled to build the property.

Seminary Hill worked with the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC) to structure, plan and help fund the cidery's growth into the twenty-first century. Through joint efforts, Seminary Hill was awarded Grants under the Regional Council Capital Fund Program and the Marketing New York Grant Program totalling $900,000 through Empire State Development, which will create at least 13 new jobs in the next eight years.

Inside the tasting room, guests can pair the brand's distinctive line of hard ciders with farm-fresh small plates from the kitchen, all within arm's reach of the apple trees. "Our ciders tend toward the drier end of the spectrum and are great with food or on their own," says Madany. " We offer a range of ciders so there's something for everyone at the table."

The tasting room's menu features an array of light bites and snacks from the outdoor, wood-fired Argentinian grill that complement the cider's terroir-forward flavors. For a more immersive cider experience, Seminary Hill will offer guests orchard and cidery tours every Sunday at 1:00 pm for $45 per person, which will conclude with a cider tasting. Guests who prefer to head straight to the Tasting Room can enjoy cider tastings at any time for $25 per person.

As an estate cidery, Seminary Hill's roster of cider expressions will constantly vary, giving people a new experience each time they come to visit. The cidery currently offers the below distinct expressions.

Available by the glass in the Tasting Room and by the bottle:

Susan's Semi-Dry: A deep gold, bright hued, petillant dry cider with notes of peach, raisin and spice on the nose, and peach and lemon on the palate followed by moderate bitterness and spice in the midpalate with a hint of guava on the finish. Available in 750ml bottles and by the glass in the tasting room.

Beechwoods: A still, rose gold cider with dried apricot and fresh peach aromas, and stone fruit, melon, vanilla, and light astringency on the palate. Available in 750ml bottles and by the glass in the tasting room.

Delaware Dry 2019: A brilliant, gold, perlant dry cider with notes of apple, sweet hay, and lemon on the nose and creamy citrus on the palate. Made with a blend of Gold Rush, Tremlett's Bitter, Chisel Jersey, Harry Master's Jersey, Winecrips, and Sundance apples. Available in 750ml bottles and by the glass in the tasting room.

Exclusively available by the glass in the Tasting Room:

Delaware Dry 2020: Lightly filtered, this golden cider has a touch of cloudiness. Orange, grapefruit and violet aromas are followed on the palate with concord grape, mandarin, and mild bitterness. This bone-dry cider surprises with lush fruit.

Northern Spy: A golden, cloudy, fully sparkling, bottle conditioned, single varietal cider made with 100% Northern Spy apples. Notes of apple and caramel on the nose and a dry, crisp, refreshing palate. Currently only available by the glass in the tasting room.

Baldwin Pippin: A straw-to-gold petillant dry cider with a persistent mousse. Notes of fresh and cooked apple on the nose and a creamy, brightly acidic, fresh apple palate. Made of 50% Baldwin and 50% Pippin apples. Currently only available by the glass in the tasting room.

Bottles are available for sale at the Cidery, online at www.seminaryhill.co with delivery to 37 states, and at local retailers including Catskill Provisions. Four more expressions will be available bottled and by the glass this summer, including a 500ml bottled, unfiltered, petillant cider made with 100% estate-grown fruit exclusive to Seminary Hill Cider Subscription holders. The subscription service, also rolling out this summer, will feature two different tiers that are divided into 4 seasonal shipments: Tier 1 features 1 case per year and Tier 2 features two cases per year.

For more information, please visit www.seminaryhill.co and follow on social media @seminaryhillcider.

About Seminary Hill Orchard and Cidery

Rooted in history and revitalizing tradition, Seminary Hill is a new orchard-driven, intently eco-focused, locally made cider brand based in Callicoon, New York. Free of harmful pesticides and herbicides, the holistic 12-acre Orchard features more than 1500 trees and 60 American, English, and French varieties of apples and pears. Committed to the sustainability of the land and the local community, the green design of the production facility, tasting room, and event space makes Seminary Hill the first Cidery to be Passive House certified. The Cidery at Seminary Hill combines a ground-floor production facility with a top-floor tasting room and event space offering unparalleled views of converging pastoral acres, the winding Delaware River, and verdant Catskill foothills. While onsite, visitors can learn about the complete orchard-to-bottle process and taste the distinctive ciders while enjoying light bites and snacks from the outdoor, wood-fired Argentinian grill that complement the cider's terroir-forward flavors. Seminary Hill ciders reflect the agricultural heritage of the Western Catskills and are exclusively available at the Tasting Room, online at www.seminaryhill.co and at retailers including Catskill Provisions.

Photo Credit: Brad Dickson

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