Black Mountain Ciderworks & Meadery

Specialties

Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery is a small family business making real modern craft cider and mead using traditional methods. We chop and press local apples into the juice that becomes our cider, always fermenting in small batches and blending cider from heirloom varieties produced throughout the harvest. We embrace the terroir of our Southern apples – the sweet and the tart. And as meadmakers, we focus on sessionable meads that are lower in alcohol than high-​gravity traditional ones, with unique flavors such as coffee, beet, and sorghum-​pear. Every batch is a small batch.

In England a few years ago, we visited a town called Battle, enticed by the historical 1066 Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror. As homebrewers, we made dry cider a few a times year but were not fans of the mass-​produced cider on the market. In Hastings we attended a street fair where we drank real, country-​style cider made from 100% apple juice. It was dry and still, standing in contrast to the syrupy-​sweet industrial brands sold in the English pubs and much of the U.S. market. Our notion was whetted into conviction: cider needn’t taste like artificially-​flavored apple candy, and when made with 100% juice – and without concentrates, «natural» flavors, corn syrups, or other undesirables – real cider is a pure, yet complex and palatable delight.

Visit our taproom at 104 Eastside Drive, Unit 307 in Black Mountain (next to Pisgah Brewing)

History

Established in 2013.

Making Craft ciders and meads from local produce and honey since 2013.

In England a few years ago, we visited a town called Battle, enticed by the historical 1066 Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror. There we attended a street fair where we drank real, country-​style cider made from 100% apple juice. It was dry and still, standing in contrast to the syrupy-​sweet industrial brands sold in the English pubs and much of the U.S. market. Our notion was whetted into conviction: cider doesn’t have to taste like artificially-​flavored apple candy, and when made with 100% juice – and without concentrates, «natural» flavors, corn syrups, or other undesirables – real cider is a pure, yet complex and palatable delight. This experience continues to inspire our own North Carolina craft ciders and meads.

Meet the Business Owner

Jess + David B.

Business Owner

Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery is comprised of David Bowman and Jessica Puzzo-​Bowman, who craft all ciders and meads. As homebrewers, Jessica and David made dry cider a few times year but were not fans of the mass-​produced cider on the market. However, when visiting England they attended a street fair where they sampled real, country-​style cider made from 100% apple juice. It was dry and still, standing in contrast to the syrupy-​sweet industrial brands sold in the English pubs and much of the U.S. market. Their notion was whetted into conviction: cider needn’t taste like artificially-​flavored apple candy, and when made with 100% juice – and without concentrates, «natural» flavors, corn syrups, or other undesirables – real cider is a pure, yet complex and palatable delight. This experience continues to inspire our their own real North Carolina craft ciders and meads.