I HAVE FOND MEMORIES of the Franklin Cider Mill, located just north of Fourteen Mile Road in the NW suburbs of Detroit. https://www.franklincidermill.com/donuts-cider/
I regularly visited the mill in high school and college in the late summer and autumn. Their apple presses and water wheels were viewed on self-directed tours, and the pressed apple pomace would begin to ferment on warmer days bringing forth a distinct aroma that helped define the space. The yellow jackets also found it simply alluring.
Their cider was delicious, and the fresh fried donuts were a treat beyond compare. This one-two combination has never been duplicated anywhere that I have found. We didn’t worry about grease or pasteurization in the 60s. The fear of an incoming atomic bomb was enough to fill our heads.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a newer generation of apple offerings in NW Michigan. Cideries dot the landscape offering their version of pressed apples filling a niche for hard ciders. They are aficionados' of craft ciders and do a fine job.
Three of my favorites in Leelanau and Benzie Counties include:
Suttons Bay Ciders https://www.suttonsbayciders.com/
Tandem Ciders https://www.tandemciders.com/
St. Ambrose Cellars https://www.stambrose-mead-wine.com/
My past life pulls at my strings longing for old-fashioned cider with fresh donuts stacked in paper bags, fresh crisp apples, fruit pies, and smoked cheeses. I even drove around yesterday wondering if some older buildings could be repurposed in our region to present an opportunity to create a setting that would serve as a destination business to enjoy the fruits of the harvest. I even located a commercial stainless steel donut maker on eBay.
This is coming from the same person who launched cherry dog bones for senior dogs twenty years ago.
Never say never.
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