Millstone Cellars - Monkton

So this place has a hipster feel and yet not exclusionary. Tours and samplings of over a dozen ciders are free, so it 's a great place to take a little picnic (... read more So this place has a hipster feel and yet not exclusionary. Tours and samplings of over a dozen ciders are free, so it 's a great place to take a little picnic (their website encourages it! . Came with some friends in December. It 's an old mill (i.e. poorly insulated so it was quite cold when we went there in December. There 's a lovely outside deck that overlooks the millstone well; when the weather 's warm, I imagine this is a pleasant place to enjoy some food and cider! Most of their ciders are on the dry side. In general, their few sweeter ones are only semi-sweet. I happen to like a dry cider, but I was puckering up for a while after drinking so many dry ciders. Return a bottle for a $1 credit and enjoy a few that they have on tap. My favorites: Farmgate, Cherrykriek, Thistle mead, and Hopvine. The Pomme Jacques is a pretty good take on apple brandy! Definitely a great place to enjoy local cider.

This is one of my new favorite places to take friends who are visiting in town. There's a free cider tasting and tour of the mill, and everything looks rustic A... read more This is one of my new favorite places to take friends who are visiting in town. There's a free cider tasting and tour of the mill, and everything looks rustic AF. Love it--totally my aesthetic. If you're into sour and dry ciders (also ceysers and meads , this is definitely the place for you. Everything they make here is all natural and they have a lot of experimental, creative, small-batch ciders that cycle every season/year, which adds some fun variety to their classic winners. Definitely do the tasting, then head up to the tasting room, order your fave cider and have a picnic (bring your own food! .

WE HAVE HEARD WORD AS OF 7/14 that Millstone is likely closed! We stopped by today after multiple websites confirmed they were open, to find the door locked and... read more WE HAVE HEARD WORD AS OF 7/14 that Millstone is likely closed! We stopped by today after multiple websites confirmed they were open, to find the door locked and nobody there. Another group showed up shortly after we did and said they drove 40 miles with visiting friends from Toronto and were very disappointed. We dropped by a liquor store about 5 mins away that carried their mead, and the employee there told us he believes they're done with business altogether, or at least are taking a hiatus he drives by almost every day and says there has been no activity whatsoever for the past month or so. So to all considering coming, I would backseat that idea altogether, or at least call and see if they are open. Currently, the number goes straight to voicemail. We are disappointed, their cider and meads were unparalleled.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon on a whim. I guess there's only one person working here. He was in the middle of a tasting tour with another group, so we wait... read more Came here on a Saturday afternoon on a whim. I guess there's only one person working here. He was in the middle of a tasting tour with another group, so we waited 20 minutes for them to finish up so we could start our tasting tour. Another 15 minutes after they ended, he said we would wait to gather more people. There were about three other groups waiting. My friend and I grew impatient and left. He seemed very informative and well received by the group before us though, so I'm sure the tour was very good and interesting.

Hipster. Cider. Nature. Foodie. If those words appeal to you, you'll love this place. Millstone Cellars is set inside a cute multi-story rustic barn that you ca... read more Hipster. Cider. Nature. Foodie. If those words appeal to you, you'll love this place. Millstone Cellars is set inside a cute multi-story rustic barn that you can explore by joining a complimentary tour. Our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide described the meadery's history, their cider-making process, where they source their ingredients from, and the seasonal events they host. My friends and I tremendously enjoyed ourselves throughout our experience, from basking in the cool summer breeze in the open air barn, to sampling delicious ciders in the tasting room. All ciders tasted very unique. We liked the more conventional flavors like asian pear and apple just as much as the more intriguing seasonal batches like Bonfire, which is made with fish peppers from Woodberry Kitchen. We'll be sure to visit again, especially during one of their community events, and also to try their new seasonal flavors. Until then, though, we'll continue to stock up on our Millstone stash at the Baltimore JFX Farmers Market! Thank you to the delightful staff for creating such a memorable and enjoyable experience!