Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider

We started making hard cider in our basement about 30 years ago. In 2006 we bought a press and began making our own sweet cider. Now we direct every step of the cider making process, from selecting the apples through bottling. We buy our apples from orchards here in Columbia and neighboring counties. We add only sugar, yeast and salicylic acid, and occasionaly fresh fruits, such as strawberries. We add no raisins, fruit concentrates, sulfur compounds or other preservatives. These ingredients allow us to produce pure, very smooth hard ciders. Each year we produce new flavors, depending on the types of apples available and growing conditions. Although we usually mix varieties, we sometimes produce distinctive single–apple ciders, such as Delicious Red and Satin Gold.