West End Ciderhouse, Athens

In 2014, West End Ciderhouse opened on the forefront of a cider revolution, being only the second cidery in the state of Ohio and the first to have a full taproom. Kelly Sauber co-founded the Athens cidery with partner Deanna Schwartz after a 17-year career working as a professional brewer. Discouraged by his inability to create a fully local beer and impassioned by his love for hard cider, he made the switch.

“As a brewer, I could not use local ingredients to make an entire beer,” Sauber says. “So, going into distillation and cider production, 100% of everything we make can be local. That just wasn’t possible as a brewer, at least back in the day.”

Sauber works with local farms like Hugus Fruit Farm in Rushville and Hirsch Fruit Farm in Chillicothe to source fresh-pressed apple juice, which he collects typically between September and February. The fermenting process begins within 24 hours of pressing and takes about six months to produce a finished hard cider. In addition to apples, the cidery incorporates other locally farmed fruits like strawberries, plums, raspberries, pears and mulberries, as well as wild-harvested fruits such as pawpaws and blackberries, to create cider flavors.

West End Ciderhouse has become a much-loved destination in the college town, especially during the autumn months. The large, plush couches and cozy fireplace nook, shelves of board games and exposed brick walls all work to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, the centerpiece of which is a stunning wooden bar where patrons can sample an array of up to eight ciders at a given time, ranging from dry to semisweet.

The cidery’s Kelly’s Dry variety is accompanied by other creatively flavored ciders. On the semisweet side, patrons can choose from the fruit, spiced and botanical ciders. One of the most popular choices is Zingiber, a tangy, slightly sweet cider that is made using fresh-squeezed lemon and ginger juices. Another customer favorite is Peach Melba, an apple-forward cider that leans a bit drier but still has a semisweet finish.

“It’s pretty cool to see how much people’s tastes have evolved since we opened,” Schwartz says. “We sell a lot more dry ciders now. People actually want to taste the apples.” 

234 W. Washington St., Athens 45701, athenswestend.com

For more Ohio food-and-drink inspiration, sign up for our Ohio Magazine newsletters. 

Ohio Magazine is available in a beautifully designed print issue that is published 7 times a year, along with Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter editions of LongWeekends magazine. Subscribe to Ohio Magazine and stay connected to beauty, adventure and fun across our state.