Visiting Alber Orchard & Cider Mill

This past weekend, the Bløm team made a visit to Alber Orchard & Cider Mill for an heirloom apple tasting (and of course, all you can eat donuts and cider). Alber Orchard & Cider Mill, in Manchester, was purchased by John Alber in 1881 and is now owned by Mike and Therese Bossory. They grow more than 150 varieties of apples, many of which are heirloom varieties. As a group, we tasted through Snow, Karmijn de Sonnaville and Hudson’s Golden Gem apples, all of which were delicious.

As cider makers, we love scoping out old apple varieties - ones that are tart, ones that are tannic, russet apples. Often, the worse they are for eating the better they are for cider - these flavor profiles add depth and dimension to a cider, while sweet grocery store varieties lead to more one-dimensional ciders. Though cider apples are on the rise in the U.S., they’re still challenging to come by (check out this quick crash course in the history of cider in the U.S. by WSU). Fortunately, we are able to buy some interesting apple blends from local orchards - three cheers for Michigan’s incredible biodiversity!