Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery – review, pics, and info of Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery in Armada MI, an extension of Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill.
Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mills in Armada MI is now serving hard cider made from Blake’s Apples, and a large selection of wines at the new Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery.
The flavors of hard cider at Blake’s include Gold & Delicious, Gentlemen’s Dry, Semi-Sweet, Autumn Apple, and specialty ciders Cranberry Apple and Easy Peachy.
The wines are Sunset Ridge Demi Sec, Autumn Cranberry, Armada Sweet Cherry, Farmhouse Red, Blueberry Fields, Homestead Peach, Honey, and Country Currant.
Blake’s also offers Ciderkin, a sparkling non-alcoholic apple cider.
The samples are very decent sizes so this is the route I suggest you try. I plan on heading back and trying a completely different combination for my next flight, until I try them all.
This time around I sampled the Farmhouse Red wine, as well as the Gold & Delicious (Original) and Easy Peachy hard ciders. The Farmhouse Red was a nice semi dry Michigan wine. I’m typically a merlot fan, and this wine was a nice selection for a Michigan red. The Gold & Delicious hard cider was better than I’d expected. It was smooth and not as sweet as cider. It had less of a sweetness to it and more of the crisp apple flavor. When I drink cider, the thick sweet taste lingers. With the hard cider, it’s refreshing, cool and clean. On the other hand, the Easy Peachy was too sweet for me. It resembled a wine cooler which is not my drink of choice.
The Ciderhouse and Winery at Blake’s has a rustic, outdoor/up north feel. It’s cozy, and will make for a great hangout. If this place was in my backyard, I would make a habit of hitting this spot at least once per week. But for a short 30 minute drive, I am definitely planning on having a few girls night outs there. It has the perfect ambience with stone, wood, and a fireplace in the center. Blake’s built the Ciderhouse using many materials from the grounds there… the stone, the woods (some from old barns), etc.
Below are some facts on the hard cider beverages, which will be served at The Ciderhouse and Winery through the holiday season.
Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery Hard Cider Facts
- Blake’s Hard Cider is made from Blake’s apples, grown locally in Armada, Michigan.
- Blake’s has been family owned and operated for over 67 years. This is the first time Blake’s will produce a hard cider product.
- Hard cider is an alcoholic version of apple cider, with an average alcohol content of 4-7%. Blake’s cider will contain approximately 6.4%.
- Blake’s hard cider is a gluten-free product.
I interviewed Andrew Blake to find out more.
Lisa LaGrou of OaklandCountyMoms.com – How long did it take from the idea stage to actually producing the hard cider?
Andrew Blake of Blake’s Farms and Blake Orchards Cider Mill – It took about 1 1/2 years.
Lisa LaGrou of OaklandCountyMoms.com – What are your plans for distribution?
Andrew Blake of Blake’s Farms and Blake Orchards Cider Mill – So basically, we want to take care of our home base first. We want to make sure people are having a good time here. Here’s our hub – to sample the product, try new stuff, see what people like. We’re picking out what exact flavors we want to promote and push out there and we’re working with price points and distributors to get it into retail outlets.
Lisa LaGrou of OaklandCountyMoms.com – Where do you get your grapes from if you do the wine here?
Andrew Blake of Blake’s Farms and Blake Orchards Cider Mill – Basically what we do is we source grapes from the west side of the state, in Fennville, because we can’t grow grapes out here. We have 800 acres of farm here that we do various tree crops – pears, apples…the whole deal. So, we basically purchase it, it’s all Michigan.
Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery Pics
Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery
17985 Armada Center Rd
Armada, MI 48005
586-784-5343
For more info on Blake’s Ciderhouse and Winery, visit www.blakefarms.com