Sierra Cider in California’s Sierra foothills is the place to go to: Crisp, refreshing, enjoyable

MARIPOSA, Calif. — Nestled within the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, you may uncover a quaint and alluring apple orchard, the house of Sierra Cider.

“Our orchard sits on 16 acres. We have about 800 trees, 20 different apple varieties,” co-owner David Bailey shares, “They are very tannic, very acidic and perfect for either hard cider or fresh pressed apple juice.”

From tree to taproom, all the cider making course of occurs on property. Bailey and his spouse, Dana Tiel, opened the Sierra Cider 5 years in the past, welcoming guests right into a Gold Rush-themed taproom to pattern quite a lot of arduous ciders.

“We get a lot of people coming into our tasting room who will come up to the bar and say, ‘I’ve never had hard cider before…what should I try?” Bailey explains. “That’s why we make so many different types of cider.”

Ciders on faucet vary from very dry and tannic to somewhat bit candy. Bailey hopes to have one thing for everybody to get pleasure from.

“So if you say, ‘Oh, I love rosé,’ we have a cider called Blood Moon that’s infused with black cherry,” Bailey says. “If I get somebody who says, ‘I love whiskey cocktails,’ you know, that’s where I recommend our Speakeasy.”

Families visiting the farm may pattern contemporary pressed apple juice.

“You can get it as a cider slushie, which is a brand new thing here at Sierra Cider. You can also take a half-gallon jug to-go so you can enjoy it at home,” Bailey says.

Visiting Sierra Cider is about extra than simply apples. Bailey and Tiel have turned the orchard right into a fun-filled vacation spot.

“We try to do something fun all season long,” Bailey shares. “We do a huge Halloween spectacular in October. We do Christmas trees in the winter. We are open year-round.”

In 2025, the couple added a petting zoo to the property. And for visitors who don’t need their go to to finish, they’ll keep the evening in an Airbnb.

“People can stay directly above where all the cider is made and wake up and go out on a balcony that overlooks the orchard,” Bailey explains.

Although operating Sierra Cider is lots of arduous work, Bailey says it is extraordinarily fulfilling as effectively.

“It is such a rewarding lifestyle to not just grow something but to make something. And then in our tasting room to see somebody actually enjoying it,” Bailey confesses.

Looking to the longer term, Bailey hopes that extra individuals will respect the attraction and style of arduous cider.

“I love beer and I love wine, but you know, hard cider is less filling than beer and just crisper and more refreshing than a glass of wine. So am I saying that cider is better than beer and wine? Absolutely not. But a case could be made, you know,” Bailey says with a smile.

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