Each fall reawakens a collective adoration of apples as people flock to orchards, bake crisps, and debate our favorite varieties. Though orchard frolicking season is waning, we can sustain that autumnal romance with apples by delving into locally crafted ciders. 

Here’s a list of top-tier spots that specialize in hard cider — made from fermented apple juice — most of whom offer fun non-alcoholic options as well.

Sociable Cider Werks

The upsurge of Twin Cities cideries started when Sociable Cider Werks opened in 2013 as the state’s first cider taproom, offering a single beer-cider hybrid. Their menu has since swelled to include a rotating cast of mostly semi-sweet ciders in addition to hard seltzers and apple cider vinegar based switchels. Rusty Chain, a seasonal tart cranberry apple cider, stands out on their current lineup. If you seek a more traditional no-frills cider, go for the Freewheeler, made from local Haralson, Honeycrisp, and SweeTango apples. 1500 Fillmore St. NE, Minneapolis

Ombibulous

You can sample Sociable’s ciders, seltzers and switchels at their cozy Northeast taproom, which maintains a spacious patio year-round. Or pick up a pack at nearby Ombibulous, the gas-station-turned-super-local-liquor-shop, which sells exclusively Minnesota-made beverages and usually has a friendly dog lounging on the floor. When I stopped by, co-owner Ross Sandell offered a rundown of the local cider scene along with a list of recommendations - one of which was Minneapolis Cider Co.’s Brut. Which is, in his words, “bone-dry and fantastic” — more below. 949 Hennepin Ave. E, Minneapolis

Minneapolis Cider Co.

The aforementioned Brut is something to sip on while you learn the ropes of pickleball at Minneapolis Cider Co.’s cavernous taproom nestled into the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. The Blueberry Borealis, imbued with “blueberry, rosemary and wilderness” also deserves praise for its bright pine-y character and charitable partnership with Friends of the Boundary Waters, who receive a portion of the cider’s profits. The lengthy menu here will take you a few minutes to scan in full, and includes fresh apple juice, a non-alcoholic apple hot toddy, and a few flavors of their new sparkling THC beverages. 701 SE 9th St., Minneapolis

Urban Forage Winery and Cider House

Urban Forage sits in south Minneapolis, and true to its name, staffers concoct ciders and wines using fruits scavenged from backyard trees and bushes. This past summer, they received so many calls from neighbors with prolific cherry trees that they’ll be offering three distinct cherry-based bevs. The best way to explore their evolving menu — full of novelties like dandelion wine, N/A butterbeer, and hard root beer — is with a flight. I truly hope you make it in time to taste the ethereal herbed cider they have on tap right now, infused with apple mint, anise hyssop, and bee balm (gathered at a community garden in St. Paul). 3016 E Lake St., Minneapolis

Wild State

On the North Shore, Wild State occupies a bright, airy space near downtown Duluth, complete with a patio. Raspberry Hibiscus, a fan favorite, comes across almost like a rosé. If the icy lake winds are a-blowing, try the warmly spiced Apple Pie cider, or the newly arrived small-batch Cherry Bourbon. 2515 West Superior St., Duluth

Sweetland Orchard

The window to visit Sweetland Orchard in the rolling hills of southern Minnesota has closed this year, but you’ll find their Rustic Apple cider at local liquor stores, which embodies apples-in-wooden-crates in the best way. If you make it into their picturesque barn in a future season, you’ll be rewarded with specialty ciders like the young Whippersnapper. The orchard grows a whopping 49 apple varieties using a low-intervention, no-toxic-pesticide approach, and the kind folks there will talk your ear off about all things apple. 26205 Fairlawn Ave., Webster, Minn.

Keepsake

Down in Dundas, near Northfield, is another cidery and taproom that grows their own goods, and also utilizes hyper-local yeast in their production process. Keepsake ferments the old-fashioned way, using whatever natural yeasts are bumbling around their orchard, resulting in flavor profiles that pick up what’s in bloom and reflect the delicate dance of their orchard ecosystem. These wild fermentations brew more funky and complex results than their closely controlled counterparts. Ross Sandell of Ombibulous endorses the Wood and Spirits Medium Cider, “It’s barrel-aged, which gives it some of that oaky dryness and adds that woody vanilla-y, caramel-y thing.” 4609 135th St. E, Dundas, Minn.

Milk and Honey

You’ve likely seen Milk and Honey’s whimsical staple ciders in stores, which they’ve brewed since 2011, but their 5,000-square-foot taproom outside of St. Joseph is a more recent addition. With room to stretch their legs, they keep a full suite of ciders flowing for visitors Thursday through Sunday. Heirloom, a mainstay made with 11 local apple varieties, is on the sweeter side. The limited-release Chaga Chai has a more earthy spice to it, thanks to regional ingredients like chaga mushrooms, chicory, dandelion, and burdock. 11738 County Road 51 St. Joseph, Minn.

At this late point in the season, Milk and Honey and Sweetland Orchard have begun work on their ice ciders — Alchemy and Ice Borealis, respectively. The chill of the first frost changes the fruit’s composition concentrates the natural sugars. The perfect choice for when you’re ready to embrace the long winter ahead. 

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.