MUSE CIDER BAR
We know, our hours are weird. See below for our typical hours, but always check the calendar as we occasionally close for private events.
OPEN:
FRIDAYS: 4-9PM
SATURDAYS: 2-8PM
*subject to close for private events, please check calendar above before visiting
CLOSED:
SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY
– Muse Cider Bar –
[ Orchard Based Cidery & Cocktail Bar ]
We are a working farm with over a century of agricultural and orcharding history, home to over 250 fruit trees, including vintage apple trees with heirloom varieties. We craft small batch, artisanal ciders that are hand-blended primarily in American oak barrels or stainless steel tanks.
The stone Cider Bar is an unusual work of masonry art, capped with 200-year-old slate, overlooking our apple orchard and the High Ridge Mountain. In late winter the building transforms into a working sugarhouse, where Farmer David produces hundreds of gallons of golden and amber syrups.
The interior is a modern bar with a speakeasy culture; you can post up to the walnut bar with the Cider-makers, sip on farm infused cocktails while relaxing on the leather furniture, or twist tales around the marble tables. Like the rest of Valley View Farm, the Cider Bar is whimsically different than anything else you’ll find in Western Massachusetts.
– History –
[ Founded in 1735 ]
Notable orchardist, E. Cyrus Miller, once operated the orchard. An expert of every phase of apple culture, Miller and his father planted over 7,000 trees — most of which were Baldwin apple trees — in the 1800’s on the farm.
Miller’s orcharding advice was widely sought-after and as a result of his consultation work became what was the influential “School of Orcharding” which proved to be instrumental in the production of fruit in the region. Students visited the farm to learn his orcharding practices from far and wide. Cyrus believed that apple production should be the cornerstone of New England agriculture.
We are especially excited to bring back to life 50 of the original 7,000 trees and are constantly adding to the orchard heirloom varieties.
– Ciders –
[ Wild New England Ciders ]
Our dearest passion is making wild cider, a terroir driven cider akin to “natural” wine, made in exactly the same way. The natural sugars turn into alcohol and what is left is clean and bright, local and farm-to-glass as you can find.
Fermentation is slow at low temperatures to allow a balance of acids and tannins to develop; it is naturally gluten free. We cultivate blueberries, wine grapes, rhubarb, pumpkins, hops, peaches, pears, and a greenhouse full of herbs to infuse our ciders and cocktails with.
Slingshot
8.0% ABV | Our Flagship; Bourbon Barrel aged, clean & crisp, semi-dry with medium acidity, hints of bourbon, baking spices, & maple.
Process: Low and slow fermentation in American oak barrel and stainless steel tanks. A blend of multiple vessels and three yeasts. Finished and aged in fresh Willett Kentucky Bourbon Barrels. Hand-blended with just touch of our own maple syrup prior to carbonation and bottling.
RosÉ
6.1% ABV | Fruit forward, crisp & tangy, with notes of overripe berries, slight earth, and a clean bright finish. Made with our own Valley View Farm blueberries.
Process: Macintosh cider slowly fermented at low temperature with macerated blueberries. Hand-blended with just touch of our own maple syrup prior to carbonation and bottling. The blushing color is from blueberries. Semi-dry.
Wild
5.5% ABV | A blend of Valley View Farm & Pine Hill fruit; Aromas of citrus and earth compliment medium acidity with a clean mineral forward finish.
Process: Fermented in three separate oak barrels. Naturally occurring yeast on apple skins, press, soil, barrel competed and established a dominant strain within each barrel. These natural yeast strains have imparted their own individual expression of flavors, esters and aromas called “terrior”. Low temperature slow fermentation in barrels. Hand-blended with just a touch of our own maple syrup prior to carbonation and bottling.
Redfield
6.0% ABV | Classic heritage style cider that boasts bright acidity, slight hints of yeast and floral notes with soft tannin structure.
Process: Single Heirloom red-fleshed apple variety. Redfield is fermented in American oak barrels and stainless steel tanks with three varieties of yeast. Low temperature slow fermentation. Hand-blended with just touch of our own maple syrup prior to carbonation and bottling. This is our driest cider. But still considered a semi-dry.
Dessert ICe cider
10.4% ABV | Aromas of stone fruit and rich over ripe apple, balanced with slight acidity and hints of baking spices with rich, elongated finish.
Process: Cold-concentrated juice from outdoor freezing in winter weather. After much of the water content has been removed, we add in yeast and slowly ferment at low temperatures. Semi-sweet.
