Hard ciders have a long tradition of excellence in England and France and after having experienced a tasting at Thompson's Cider Mill in Croton-on-Hudson in September 2023 with owner Geoffrey Thompson, we understand why his hard ciders have continue to win awards in the United States. 

Very impressed with Thompson's Cider Mill Hard Ciders during the cider mill tasting, we also sampled the Thompson's Cider Mill Hard Cider Antique Apple Blend Semi-Dry at home and found that it was delicious, refreshing, with crisp acidity, and a clean finish. 

In addition to drinking the hard cider on its own, we also thought that it would be very delicious in a cocktail, and it was. We created the cocktail, Luxury Experience French Press, using the hard cider as well as Thompson's Cider Mill fresh cider, and also used fresh cider to create our apple dessert, Luxury Experience Apple Cider Raisin Walnut Cake. 

Product Information: Thompson's Cider Mill Hard Cider Antique Apple Blend Semi-Dry, 7% alcohol by volume. Carbonated and gluten-free. Made from a proprietary blend of heirloom and antique apple varietals including Winesap, Golden Russet, and Idared, grown in Hudson Valley. Available in 750-ml screw top bottles, 12-ounce bottles, and 5-gallon kegs. $29.26 bottle (10% case discount). 

Bottle Notes: "I founded the Cider Mill in 1976 with the goal of restoring a 100-year-old orchard and preserving a piece of Westchester's rich agricultural past. From the beginning, my commitment has been to making exceptional fresh cider. We are proud to bring that same commitment to tradition and excellence in crafting the finest quality hard ciders. Geoffrey Thompson, Owner." 

"Special Apples, Unique Blends. The terroir of Westchester and the Hudson Valley offers the ideal combination of climate, soil, and sun to produce some of the world's best apples. We work with more than 30 varieties and other fruits in crafting our dry and semi-dry hard ciders. Made from 100% NYS Hudson Valley Apples. Contains Sulfites. Produced by Thompson's Cider Mill, Inc. in Croton-on-Hudson. Bottles by Prospero Winery, Pleasantville, New York." 

Tasting Notes:  The color is an attractive pale yellow. There is an aromatic bouquet of apple on the nose, with tart apple, mineral, and limestone notes on the palate with a clean, crisp, and dry finish. 

Luxury Experience was "In the kitchen and behind the bar®" creating an incredibly special handcrafted cocktail and an impressive dessert recipe to tempt your palate and inspire your own creations using Thompson's Cider Mill Hard Cider Antique Apple Blend Semi-Dry. 

Luxury Experience Cocktail and Culinary Menu 

French Press Cocktail

The Cocktail Recipe 

Luxury Experience - French Press is a playful reference to Geoff's pressing apple pomace to extract the liquid and create cider and Grand Marnier's origin in France. This is a great standalone lower-alcohol cocktail to serve anytime or during the holidays. The cocktail also pairs very well with Luxury Experience Apple Cider Raisin Walnut Cake. 

Luxury Experience - French Press 

Cocktail Ingredients:
 

Method for the Garnish for the Cocktail and the Cake: Peel one large apple, cut into slices widthwise. Remove the core from each slice. Heat a sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cider, and when the mixture starts to dissolve, Place apple slices, cook for 30 seconds on one side, then turn and cook the other side. This is to glaze the apple, but do not overcook or the apple slices will be too mushy to use as cocktail garnishes. (The slices for the cake can be a little more tender.) 

Method for the Cocktail: Chill glass and set aside. Add ice to a mixing glass, pour all ingredients over the ice, then strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with the glazed apple slice. 

The Culinary Recipe

Luxury Experience Apple Cider Raisin Walnut Cake would make Johnny Appleseed proud and has diced apples, applesauce, baking spices, Thompson's Cider Mill Fresh Cider infused raisins, and walnuts in it. The cake is finished with a cider-sugar glazed apple slice, cinnamon-cider buttercream frosting, and a cider-sugar leaf garnish. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/177 degrees Celsius. 

Baking Pan: We liked how this cake looks baked in individual mini-tube pans, although you can make this cake in a full-size tube pan, a round cake pan, or a sheet pan. 

Prep baking pan(s) with baking spray or grease with Crisco and dust with flour. Shake excess flour out of pan. If using a large pan, you can also use parchment on the bottom of the pan to keep the cake from sticking. 

Walnut Ingredients:
 

Method for the Cider Raisins: Add raisins to a small jar and set aside. Heat the cider in a small saucepan (or in the microwave). Pour hot liquid over the raisins and let set while you prepare the other ingredients.

Homemade Applesauce Ingredients:
 

Method for the Homemade Applesauce: Place apples and vanilla in a microwaveable bowl and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until apples are tender. Place the cooked apples in a food processor and process until smooth; set aside.

Diced Apple Ingredients:

Method for the Diced Apple: Peel and small dice a small apple to yield one-half cup. Set aside.

Dry Cake Ingredients:

Method for the Dry Ingredients: Sift all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. 

Egg and Sugar Ingredients:
 

Method for the Egg and Sugar Ingredients: Mix all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and creamy. 

Wet Ingredients:
 

Method for Cake: Add ingredients to the eggs and sugar mixture and mix until smooth. Add the sifted flour and spices to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir well to combine. Drain cider- raisins, and reserve liquid for the frosting. Mix the raisins, diced apples, and chopped walnuts into the batter and blend well. 

Pour batter in prepared pan(s). Bake 20 minutes for 8-ounce mini-tube pans or until tester comes out clean in the middle. Adjust time according to size of pan used. Let cake(s) cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely. 

Pro-Tip: Reduce one-half cup of fresh cider to one-quarter. Brush liquid on the top of the cake(s) and refrigerate until ready to frost. This will provide you with a moist cake. 
 

Method for the Frosting: Add butter to a food processor or a standing mixer and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until very smooth. Add additional cider if needed. Set aside. 

Garnishes for the Cake: Cider-Sugar Slices and Cider-Sugar Leaves. 
 

Method for the Cider-Sugar Leaves: Cut a piece of parchment paper and set aside. Heat a sauté pan and add the sugar and cider. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and takes on a light golden color. Using a tablespoon, pour the syrup onto the parchment in leaf shapes. Set aside and let cool on the counter to harden. 

Finishing the Cake: Add a light layer of frosting to the cake. Top with cider-sugar apple slice(s). Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and use a star tip to pipe a circular dollop in the center of the apple. You can also pipe additional frosting around the top edge of the cake if desired. Garnish with cider-sugar leaves inserted into the frosting dollop. 

Until next time, cheers and Bon Appetit! 

Thompson's Cider Mill Hard Ciders: Semi-Dry Styles: Antique Apple Blend, Apple Antique Apple Rosé, Apple Black Cherry, Apple Blueberry, Apple Raspberry, and Perry Pear. Dry Styles: Double Golf Blend, Gold Rush, and Heirloom Blend. 

Thompson's Cider Mill is open seasonally on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. They are located at 335 Blinn Road, Croton-on-Hudson, New York, where they sell apples, cider, and hard ciders. 

You might also like to read more about Thompson's Cider Mill in the Gastronomy section. 

To learn more about Thompson's Cider Mill or to purchase their products, please visit their website: www.ThompsonsCiderMill

Thompson's Cider Mill
335 Blinn Road
Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10520
Telephone: +1-914-409-3433
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.ThompsonsCiderMill
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ThompsonsCiderMill
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/230232408 

Read more about Peekskill and the area in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Gastronomy, Liquor Cabinet, Adventures, and Arts and Antiques sections. 

For more information on the Hudson Valley, please visit the website: www.HudsonValley.org and www.VisitWestchesterNY.com 

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