With a climate tempered by its proximity to the greatest of the Great Lakes and protected by rolling hills, Bayfield is famous for its fruit production, a rarity in such a northern latitude. Known as the “Berry Capital of Wisconsin,” you’ll find locally-grown Bayfield cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and apples. From these fruits come unique cider blends that visitors can enjoy while taking in a view across the Bayfield Peninsula.
What is hard cider? Is a fermented beverage with alcohol.
What is sweet cider? Is a non-fermented beverage without alcohol.
What is a cyser? A style of mead that’s made with fresh-pressed cider and honey. It has a higher alcoholic content (11.5%)
From Blossom to Bottle, Apfelhaus Cider is Engineering the Perfect Cider
Since 1908, Hauser’s Superior View Farm has been known for growing fresh, high-quality produce. From prize-winning potatoes to juicy apples, the Hauser family has a history of building on past experience with a vision towards the future – a future holding glasses full of sweet and tart hard ciders.
“The concept is to create a wholesale market throughout the year,”said Dane Hauser, a fifth-generation Hauser operating Hauser’s Superior View Farm and Apfelhaus Cidery.“If we can get our name out beyond the Bayfield area and Bayfield apples, it’s a win-win for everyone. More people will come to the orchard and cidery, but also to Bayfield.”
This year marks Apfelhaus’s ninth season producing hard cider and 12 seasons of pressing fresh, unpasteurized raw cider. In summer of 2025, Dane officially opened the Apfelhaus Cidery Tap Room, overlooking the family orchard with views of Lake Superior in the distance. This spring, Hauser is hoping to keep building his cider capacity with a state-of-the-art pasteurizer, allowing him to expand his bottling capacity and turn an otherwise seasonal operation into year-round sustainability.
“The best part is that it doesn’t compromise the taste; in fact, it makes it better,” he said..
Check out Hauser’s Superior View Farm and Apfelhaus Cider, open from May to October.
*Cider you must try: Apple Fest Blend Hard Cider.
More Than 50 Years of Craft in a Glass at Erickson’s Orchard and Country Store
Erickson Orchards and Country Store is another multi-generational farm in Bayfield that has been in operation for 116 years. Fred Erickson is the fourth generation to carry on the family business, including cider production. Fred’s father, Jim Erickson, began processing between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons of cider annually in 1976. Now, Fred is processing about 10,000 gallons a year.
“The goal is to do 20,000 gallons a year. On average, about 75 percent of my apples go to cider.” said Fred, who is training his son to be the fifth generation of cider makers and farmers.
Erikson’s Cider is produced from a blend of five apples from their orchard, producing a crisp bold cider full of character just like the orchardists themselves. Apples from Erickson’s can be found in other popular drinks from Duluth Cider, White Winter Winery, and even as far as Cohasset, Minnesota. Pair your next pint with a sweet treat from the bakery - we recommend the apple cider doughnuts or a slice of the award-winning apple pie.
Erickson Orchards is Open Memorial Day – October.
*Cider you must try: Erickson’s Hard Cider.
30 Years of Making Local Spirits at White Winter Mead, Cider & Spirits
From beekeeper to mead maker, Jon Hamilton has been experimenting with mead, cider and wine making for 30 years. He first started making his own mead homebrew as a hobby and noticed there were no commercial operations in the region.
“Little did I know that was a clue of how challenging it can be (to make mead) on a commercial scale,” said Hamilton, owner of White Winter Mead, Cider & Spirits in Iron River, Wis. That challenge is what has kept him producing award-winning wines, meads, and cyser (pronounced size-er) since 1996. cyser is old English for cider and is a type of mead made with fresh-pressed apple cider and honey.
Since the meadery’s inception, Jon and his wife Kim have made it a point to keep all the ingredients as local as possible, buying fruit from Bayfield farms like Erickson Orchards and Highland Valley Farm.
“It’s been a joy working with people locally. We work really hard to support the local economy and do our best to support the local causes when we can, especially if (those causes) have to dowith kids and families,” Hamilton said.
Don’t miss their 30th Anniversary Celebration on September 6, 2026. They will have fun activities and new tasty releases to try at their store and tap room in Iron River.
*Cider You must try: the Blueberry Hard Cider.
An Effervescent Approach to Cider at Highland Valley Farm and Pikes Creek Winery
At Highland Valley Farm, where rows of blueberries stretch toward the Bayfield horizon, Jon Dale has found a little magic in the art of fermentation. When Jon’s father, Rick Dale, established the farm in 1977, he helped shape the region’s blueberry industry by planting northern Wisconsin’s first commercial winter-hardy blueberry varieties.
Pikes Creek Winery produced its first commercial batch of sparkling cider in 2019, but Dale’s journey began years earlier. In 2014, he was already experimenting with small batches, refining techniques and exploring how Bayfield fruit could express itself in a glass.
“Our most popular cider is 'Bayfield Blues.' It's completely unique among ciders, providing a full-bodied experience with 50 percent of the juice derived from blueberries. Blueberries grown at our farm, of course,” Dale said.
All of Dale’s sparkling ciders are naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation, a process that produces tiny bubbles — often described as “beads” — that rise steadily in delicate columns from the bottom of the glass and provide a smooth textural feel to the palate.
Stop at Highland Valley Farm and Pikes Creek Winery for a taste of Bayfield Blues during blueberry season (mid-July through Labor Day). You can also find bottles at local retail outlets, including Apostle 22, Hillcrest Orchards, and Bayfield Apple Company.
*Cider you must try: the Bayfield Blues.
Community Roots and Crisp Innovation at Bayfield Winery and Blue Ox Cider
For Phil Bratsch, cider started as a simple curiosity. Eighteen years ago, frustrated by the limited hard cider options on liquor store shelves, he decided to try making his own at home. The first batches were admittedly a little bland, but he was hooked. Six years ago, that hobby turned professional, and today Bratsch is a driving force behind Bayfield Winery and Blue Ox Cider.
“I took courses with Portland State University and Washington State University to learn the technical side of cider making. We then jumped into it in 2021 and haven't looked back,” Bratsch said.
One of Bratsch’s most meaningful projects extends beyond the tasting room. The idea for a “community cider” began with an observation: apple trees heavy with fruit along country roads, farms, and front yards, often going unpicked. So, he encouraged people to bring their unwanted apples to create a collaborative batch. The idea turned forgotten fruit into fresh funds with $9,000 raised for local nonprofits and three batches of delicious cider.
Bayfield Winery and Blue Ox Cider is open May – October and some weekends in the winter.
*Cider you must try: Ginger Cider or Wild Perry.
Pick up a Berry Farm and Orchard guide at the Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau for a list of what is available at every orchard in season.
