Two Iowa Cideries Make the List of the Best in the Midwest

Iowa has its share of breweries and wineries, but don't forget about the cideries!

Midwest Living recently put out a list of the 16 best cideries across the Midwest, and I'm happy to report that that state of Iowa is represented, not once, but twice! Here are the local places to make the list:

Winterset Cidery

Located at on Highway 169 in the Madison County town of Winterset, Winterset Cidery was purchased by the Findlay Family back in February of this year. The cidery's tasting barn officially reopened in May, and has been hosting live music and other events in the months since.

As far as their cider goes, Winterset Cidery does things a little bit differently than the big hard cider companies. All of their cider is produced with apples grown in their own orchard, with additional fruits sourced from other Midwest farms and orchards. According to their website, they pride themselves on not adding any sugar, water, or artificial flavors or ingredients. And, Winterset Cidery also uses a very specific types of apples. The site reads:

"In our orchard we grow many, many different varieties of apples, including true 'cider apples' that have more tannins and can be bitter sweet or sharp. When blended with other types of apples they produce a very special tasting hard cider."

Winterset Cidery offers more than 10 different flavors of hard cider, which change each year. Some of the 2025 flavors include Apple Pie, Lime Habanero, Cherry-Vanilla, Pineapple Orange, Guava, and Honey Jasmine. Be sure to get out and try them while you still can! The cidery closes for the winter season on November 2nd.

Jefferson County Ciderworks

The second cidery recognized by Midwest Living is Jefferson County Ciderworks, located in the town of Fairfield, Iowa. But, unlike Winterset, the cidery does not currently have a taproom that you can visit. The article reads:

"For more than a decade, Jesse Narducci and his team have brought bold, bright flavors to Iowa’s cider-curious crowd. While the original Fairfield taproom has closed, Narducci plans to open a new flagship brick-and-mortar soon. For now, the focus is distribution."

The good news? You can find Jefferson County Ciderworks' ciders all over Iowa! There's even a map you can search on their website where you can find the store nearest to you that carries their products. Here in Eastern Iowa, the list includes local Hy-Vee stores, New Pioneer Co-Op, NewBo City Market, Benz Beverage Depot, Johncy’s Liquor Store, Bootleggin’ Barzini’s, and John’s Grocery.

Jefferson County Ciderworks has four "Core Ciders:" Original Apple, Sour Cherry, Eazy Apple, and Hibiscus Rose. But, they also have plenty of seasonal and limited release flavors, too! Options include Tropical Pineapple, Cranberry Orange, Lemon Lavender, Winter Botanical, Cucumber Lime, Peach Tea, and more.

Other Awesome Iowa Ciders

In addition to Winterset Cidery and Jefferson County Ciderworks, Iowa's own Wilson's Orchard recently made a different list from Midwest Living of 13 "must-visit" Midwest apple orchards! They also have a number of ciders and hard ciders available, with locations in both Iowa City and Des Moines. Here are some of the other cideries based in the state of Iowa:

• Sutliff Farm and Cider House, Lisbon
• Jacked UP Hard Cider: Crimson Sunset Cidery, Cascade
• Deal's Orchard, Jefferson
• Paha Cider, Waverly
• Jasper Winery, Des Moines

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