While they’re booming businesses in the Hudson Valley, apple farms and cideries can be difficult to maintain due primarily to unpredictable weather patterns that plague crops throughout the growing seasons. This rings true for Seminary Hill, Callicoon’s hotel, restaurant, and organic certified cidery, which suffered from a late spring frost in 2023 that destroyed many apple blossoms in the region and across the state. Now, as the destination gears up for its four-year celebration in May, the anniversary serves as a comeback story for the Catskills cidery as it follows a triumphant 2024 harvest season.
The anniversary celebration in early May will consist of two weekends of cider releases, special tastings that coincide with Cider Week New York, and programming with The Catskill Project, the region’s first carbon-neutral community. Together, the special events at Seminary Hill intend to provide a holistic cider experience for locals and tourists alike who have enjoyed the Callicoon destination’s cider over the years.
After a successful 2024 harvest, Seminary Hill is back on track to produce 1,800 gallons of juice from the fruit grown in its 12-acre orchard last year. Compared to the 50 gallons of juice that the cidery was able to produce in 2024 following the spring frost in 2023, this year’s yield will certainly be an exciting comeback for the brand. To celebrate, Seminary Hill is releasing two estate ciders on May 2: the SHOC Still 2022 and the SHOC Pet Nat 2023. The latter of the two is produced from the recovered apples from the 2023 harvest. Both ciders will be available in the tasting room with limited flights during the first two weekends of May.
While apple picking is reserved for autumn, spring is for sipping cider — at least according to Cider Week New York, which runs from May 3-11. As Seminary Hill’s fourth anniversary happens to coincide with the seasonal event, the destination is hosting a Cider Fest on May 10. Along with the Callicoon cidery, other regional cideries will flock to the destination with their products for a showcase of Hudson Valley ciders against a backdrop of the Catskills. The fest will also include tours, live music, a bonfire, and food.
Also taking place on May 10, Seminary Hill has partnered with The Catskill Project to bring guests behind the scenes of the Catskills’ first carbon-neutral community. Known as passive houses, the homes in Livingston Manor celebrate sustainability in much the same way as the cidery.
“We hope Seminary Hill will continue to be more to visitors than a fantastic boutique hotel or restaurant. We hope they’ll see us as the best place to stay for a few days to immerse themselves in the past and present of cider and, by extension, in the pleasures of a life grounded in history and nature,” says Susan Manning, co-owner of Seminary Hill.
Seminary Hill is located at 43 Wagner Lane in Callicoon. The anniversary celebration will take place on weekends from May 2 through May 11.
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