Happy Camper is a cider crafted from heirloom apples grown in local orchards and pressed directly to oak barrels with NO additives. Yes, that means no: yeast, nutrients, sulfites, enzymes, sugar, adjuncts or other commercially standard stuff found in other ciders. The result is a lively and authentic cider that’s precisely 6.3% alcohol by volume, dry, earthy and refreshing!
Happy Camper is honest and true to the fruit grown here in the Mid-Atlantic. We’ve been growing and fermenting grapes for the better part of a decade now and we’ve always loved the parallel nature of cider.
While we don’t grow apples commercially (yet), our neighboring fellow farmers do. The heirloom apples in Happy Camper wild cider are grown in two area orchards:
➡ Carolyn’s Orchard just over the hill in Carroll County, Md. We have a very special connection with these folks beyond sourcing apples for several years. Erin Brothers, the daughter of the farmer, is Lisa’s assistant winemaker here at Old Westminster. This is a coming together of worlds!
➡ Peter’s Orchard (30 miles up the road) in Adams County, Pa. Farmer and orchardist, Brett Krause, is one of the best in the business. Beyond growing apples, he produces fresh ciders that are esteemed throughout the region. Brett’s fresh ciders are made without any additives or adjustments: only apples. This provides a keen sense of what to look for in apples like flavor, tannin and acidity. It’s not all about high yields and sugar content.