NC is home to one of the Top 10 cideries in the country, USA Today says

If you’re a fan of hard cider, you may want to visit one North Carolina cidery that’s been named one of the best in the country.

As part of the annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, USA Today released a list of the Top 10 spots using “the freshest apples to produce innovative, unique, and delicious ciders.”

Of the hundreds of cider companies across the U.S., James Creek Cider House in Cameron was ranked No. 4 overall — the only one in North Carolina voted among the best of the best by USA Today readers.

“Equipped with a sprawling orchard that produces more than 60 different apple varieties, James Creek Cider House is a top destination for sampling high-quality North Carolina cider,” the report says. “The company offers a particularly diverse array of products, with options spanning from traditional dry ciders to barrel-aged options to bottles infused with fresh, locally grown fruit.”

Inspired by their favorite drink in college, the Moore County cider company’s roots go back 15 years — when couple and co-owners Ann Marie and David Thornton planted dozens of apple trees on their farm to create hard cider, according to the company website.

Then in 2016, the duo officially launched their labor of love, James Creek Cider House, as the first modern cidery in the state to make estate-grown hard cider made with Southern heirloom and cider apple varieties from Moore County.

“We try to let the unique flavors of these storied apple varieties shine through in our ciders, so the only ingredients in our ciders are fruit and yeast. We try to ferment slowly, preserving the fullness of the fruity aromas. We let the ciders clarify naturally over time, rather than filter. We produce ciders with a range of sweetness from sweet to bone dry, but don’t add sugar at any stage,” co-owner Ann Marie Thornton said in a press release.

“I think our customers can taste how natural and fresh our ciders are and appreciate the complexity of the flavors from these distinctive apples.”

You can get a taste of James Creek Cider House’s ciders onsite at the cider house, which has both a kid and dog-friendly cider garden and tasting room.

The company’s ciders are also available at Carrboro Farmers’ Market and some bottle shops, restaurants, breweries and pubs around the state. The specialty ciders are also available to be shipped within North Carolina and nearly 38 states across the US.

“This recognition is not just for the James Creek Cider House but is also a reflection of the long-standing apple culture and renaissance of cider in North Carolina and across the South,” said co-owner David Thornton.

“We are lucky to be surrounded by so many great cider makers in our state, and so many longstanding apple growers and family-owned orchards.”

Aside from being named one of the best cideries, the company’s Beehive Ginger Stargazer Cider was also voted one of the top ciders by USA Today readers (along with another North Carolina-based cider company, Urban Orchard Cider Company. )

“Sweet notes of local wildflower honey take center stage in the Beehive Ginger by North Carolina’s Stargazer Cider,” the report says. “For added complexity, ginger is incorporated into the final product, ultimately yielding a well-rounded cider that’s brimming with both floral and fruity flavor notes and enjoyed by connoisseurs of both dry and sweet ciders, alike.”

You can find more information about James Creek Cider House online at jamescreekciderhouse.com .