Jericho Cider Mill (Muttontown, New York) | restaurant, interesting place

USA / New York / Jericho / Muttontown, New York / New York State Route 25 (Jericho Turnpike), 73
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From the New York Times - When the Jericho Cider Mill was built around 1918, local farmers and workers on nearby Gold Coast estates would trade their surplus apples for cider.

''They would bring their bottles and their barrels and fill up,'' said George Zulkofske, the owner.

Mr. Zulkofske's father bought the mill in 1938, and now it's the neighbors who stock up on the full-bodied cider that is sweet as nectar and smooth as syrup.

The cider is made entirely on the premises, making its way through the maze of apple presses and commercial-grade pasteurizing equipment that occupies every inch of the old millhouse. The only ingredient is fresh ripe apples, with no preservatives added, and it makes a fragrant, delicious hot mulled cider on a chilly fall day.

Cider making has a long history in the area, Mr. Zulkofske said. A neighboring mill that was razed for highway expansion dated to 1820, and another one nearby is even older, he said.

Early Europeans on Long Island would put away a barrel every season. ''They drank it while it was sweet, then let it ferment into hard cider until the next crop came in,'' he said.

The mill today produces nearly 100,000 gallons from Labor Day to Mother's Day. (It is closed the rest of the year.) Half the mill's cider is sold at the roadside stand (70 cents a cup, $2.49 a quart, $7.29 a gallon) with the rest carried in local stores.

Homemade pies ($7.50 for small, $16.95 for large) are also for sale: flavors include apple (naturally), apple crumb, apple-raspberry crumb, pecan and pumpkin.

Finally, there are pumpkins (59 cents a pound) and Long Island and Hudson Valley apples ($1.59 to $1.89 a pound).

Jericho Cider Mill, 213 Route 106, Jericho, N.Y. 11753; (516) 433-3360.
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Coordinates:   40°47'54"N   73°32'13"W

Comments

  • Great cider -- prepare for long lines around Thanksgiving and Christmas!
This article was last modified 8 years ago