It’s not that apples didn’t grow because of the drought, in fact many apples thrived in the dry conditions with less disease and infection - just not the kind needed for making apple cider.
“I’m not sorting out as many apples that would go into cider,” explained Sue Zygmont of Hayward Farm. “It’s just not there.”
“Cider apples are what are considered seconds meaning that they’re not as pretty as the other apples,” said Theresa Clifford Dunlap, owner of Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington. “But the apples thrived in this weather are the premium apples.”
Premium apples run about seven times the cost of cider apples.
“What little supply there is we really have to kind of be very careful with which means we have cider available for 1 or 2 days a week before it sells out," Dunlap said.
For the first time ever, Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington has had to limit how much cider people can buy . They’re also been posting supply updates to their social media.
Clyde’s Cider Mill in Mystic caught wind of the struggling cider mill and offered their support.
Local
“It brought tears to my eyes,” explained Dunlap. “Annette gave me a call and said please come on up here and we’ll share our Apple supply with you which is just an incredible act of generosity.”
In a time when so many businesses are struggling. Through the hardships, Hogan’s Cider Mill is doing all that they can to produce a fall favorite.
“There’s nothing like fall New England and apple cider.”
