For as long as I can remember, I’ve spent every fall season visiting a Pick-Your-Own orchard. From pumpkins to apples, there was always an excitement to find the perfect one to carve with my family or to bake a pie with my grandmother. It was always the best way to kick off the holiday season & encouraged spending more time in the kitchen, something I’ve learned to appreciate very much today.

As I’ve gotten older, it’s only become more fun of an adventure…because CIDER! Since living in the city, I’ve made sure to take advantage of visiting nearby cideries, breweries, & wineries in the NY/NJ areas. I find it’s an added bonus after a trip to an orchard to have a tasting experience, as well as a great excuse to get cozy inside by a fireplace.

Here are some of the best orchards, cideries, breweries, & wineries I’ve either visited or that are on my list to experience!

UPSTATE NEW YORK

Apple Hill Farm

Visit this beautifully restored 1859 barn full of homegrown quality fruits and other farm-fresh specialties. Enjoy a hayride, come and get fresh pressed apple cider and take home some of their famous mulled apple cider donuts. Tables are available for a picnic or, if you prefer, bring a blanket to relax and enjoy the views. Pet-friendly – You may bring your dog, though you must keep it on a leash at all times.

Location: New Paltz, NY

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Gilded Otter

Visiting the Gilded Otter is like getting re-introduced to an old friend every time you go. We offer easy access parking, a unique one-of-a-kind building, remarkable views, and some of the finest food and drink in the Hudson Valley. Sizable riverfront pub featuring an array of American fare plus house-brewed craft beers.

Location: New Paltz, NY

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Masker Orchards

At Masker Orchards, you can drive right to the tree with your family and all of your picnic gear for an idyllic day in the country. Wander through our 200 acre orchard, breathing the crisp fall air while enjoying quality time with family and friends. The views of the entire valley are breath taking, especially amidst the warm glow of the areas notoriously spectacular fall foliage. For the kids, there are barnyard baby animals, pony rides and wagon rides.

Location: Warwick, NY

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Pennings Farm Cidery

Pennings Farm Cidery is the newest addition to the Pennings Family Farm operation. The Cidery offers a variety of dry, semi sweet, hopped and other flavored ciders made on the farm right from the farm’s own apples, hops and other fruits. They also carry a variety of other New York State cider, craft beer and wine. Stop by the tasting room any weekend to see what you like best and enjoy the beautiful view!

Location: Warwick, NY

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Robibero Family Vineyards

Set on a 42-acre property nestled in and around the breathtaking Shawangunk Mountain ridge just a few miles from the historic town of New Paltz and an 85 mile scenic drive from New York City. Established in 2010, Robibero Family Vineyards is one of New York’s newest wineries. From the tasting room, to the wine cellar and vineyards, the family is hands on.

Location: New Paltz, NY

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Thompson’s Cider Mill & Orchard

The Victorian-style red barn with white trim that is the current mill sits proudly at the top of the steep driveway overlooking the Swopes’ Pond, Leslie Rickert’s original farmhouse and the new orchard on the hill. Hot or cold, nothing beats the delicious sweetness of fresh-pressed apple cider. At Thompson’s Cider Mill, small batches of fresh-pressed cider are made 25 to 30 gallons at a time, up to 250 gallons a week, that sell out each weekend! Only open Saturdays & Sundays, no public apple picking.

Location: Croton-on-Hudson, NY

LONG ISLAND

F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm

Fall is the favorite season at F&W Schmitt’s Family Farms. Why? Because it’s a continuation of a decades old tradition wherein parents bring their children to pick their own pumpkins, farmers give free hayrides, and families have a time to reconnect as the long hot summer comes to a close. Continue your family tradition or start a new one, this fall at F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm in Melville.

Location: Melville, NY

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Great South Bay Brewery

When it comes to Bay brews, it’s not about how much is made; it’s about how much better it can be made! All beers are craft brewed using the highest quality malts and the finest hops they can get their hands on using recipes that have been endlessly tinkered with and processes that are meticulously executed. Offers a Tasting Room + special events monthly.

Location: Bay Shore, NY

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Oyster Bay Brewing Company

Oyster Bay Brewing Company is in the business of making great beers locally on Long Island. Since 2012, this brewery has been committed to producing unconventional ales and lagers that defy styles, categories and your imagination. Their handcrafted brews utilize only the best ingredients with a sensational rich taste; taking special care to ensure every batch is the best they can brew.

Location: Oyster Bay, NY

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Riverhead Ciderhouse

Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Wine Region, the Riverhead Cider House is a new and completely unique visitor destination unlike any other on eastern Long Island that offers a wide variety of naturally harvested apple ciders, locals beer and wine, and other apple products. Complementing the overall tasting experience, Riverhead Ciderhouse is an 8,000 square foot facility with two floor-to-ceiling fireplaces that houses a tasting room, retail space and café, adorned in a décor of a natural rustic and brick setting.

Location: Calverton, NY

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Whisper Vineyards

Grown with a deep respect for the land, Whisper Vineyards wines reflect the soils and climate of beautiful Long Island.  Whisper Vineyards wines are carefully crafted with grapes that are sustainably farmed and hand harvested – just like the vegetables at Borellas Farm stand for over half a century.  Proudly offering world class wines for your enjoyment.

Location: Saint James, NY

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Woodside Orchards

Offering U-Pick harvesting of apples & assorted seasonal produce, as well as tasting sessions of signature hard cider brewed from 28 varieties of apples grown on the property. You can also shop an assortment of baked goods including pies & pastries, honey from the orchard’s own hives, as well as Christmas trees later in the season!

Location: Aquebogue, NY

NEW JERSEY

Demented Brewing Company

Tom Zuber founded the brewery in June of 2013. The tasting room opened shortly after and offers a variety of seasonally inspired “insanely flavorful ales” on tap, as well as its two core beers of production – Scarlet Night, an American red ale, and Gallows Hill, a New England Style IPA. The tasting room is open every Tuesday thru Sunday from noon – 10pm. Come down to the brewery for a tour, try some great beer, and converse with other beer lovers!

Location: Middlesex, NJ

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Eastmont Orchards

Eastmont Orchards (formerly Delicious Orchards) has been owned by the Barclay family since 1923. Today all products are sold retail, direct to the consumer via “pick-your-own.” This allows them to offer you fresher produce at a lower cost. Assortment of apples & pumpkins, as well as peaches, available seasonally. You can stop by the brick-and-mortar store for homemade pastries, fresh produce and an assortment of house-made products created on-site – highly suggest the apple cider donuts!

Location: Colts Neck, NJ

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Mackey’s Orchards

Welcoming the fall season, everyone’s favorite time of the year! Decorating your home with pumpkins, mums, straw bales, corn stalks, gourds and Indian corn is easy when you can find it all here. The arrival of fall also means the arrival of fresh pressed cider and apple bakery. Offering different types of pick your own activities year round, as well as an on-site bakery, farm stand, greenhouse, and seasonal homemade ice-cream.

Location: Belvidere, NJ

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Ralston Cider Mill

Experience the last authentic vestige of the once thriving cider and applejack industry in New Jersey. Discover the hidden still that allowed this distillery to operate through prohibition. Sense the massive stone walls and heavy timber structure built in 1848. See how water power is transferred by shafts, pulleys and belts to drive conveyors, chopper and large, powerful presses. This is the only operational cider mill functioning as a privately funded museum and educational experience for students of all ages. Observe annual apple pressing on restored historic equipment & taste the fresh cider.

Location: Mendham, NJ

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Sun High Orchards

One of Morris Counties best kept secrets! On site farm market offers you a full range of fresh picked fruits and vegetables.  Come early in the morning and smell the breads and apple pies baking in the ovens. Maybe try some of their signature picnic salads in the summer months or warm up with a quart of delicious soup in the cooler months. Got a sweet tooth?  Sun High now makes homemade gourmet ice cream.  Enjoy a cone or sundae on the garden patio or pack a pint to take home!

Location: Randolph, NJ

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Unionville Vineyards

One of America’s Top 500 Wineries, FOOD + WINE Magazine. The Unionville Vineyards team manages and sources grapes from six vineyards, spread across three New Jersey counties. The range of soil types, macroclimates, and topography allows its winemakers to craft diverse wines which showcase the often-discussed and hard-to-define concept of terroir. Visit one of their tasting rooms today!

Location: Ringoes, NJ