Stops We Like: Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery

(2023) “Drink More Apples” was printed across a tshirt at Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery when we walked into the cidery, and it all made sense. The orchard located on Comfort Road in Solebury Township is big on drinking apples. For those riding the hidden ancient roads in the area, a stop at Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery will have you drinking apples before departure.

Established in 1984, the farm is run by Gary and Amy who resurrected farmland with the help from the Bucks County Conservancy. The orchard is proud of their peaches, sponsoring a variety called White Hale. But peach season isn’t all year, so expect to see amazing fruits like blackberries, blueberries, and - most importantly - apples. Apples are heavily leaned into at Manoff Market Gardens, that in 2018, they added a cidery and commenced drinking apples.

Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery’s outdoor space is inviting and relaxing. Located next to apple trees, it’s obvious the orchard loves talking apples and cider.

The orchard produces some of the crispiest apples around. The apple season starts in September with early varieties like the nationally popular honey crisp and ends in winter with a new popular apple called the ever crisp. These are the crunchy hand pumpkins that explode with flavor and apple juice. They are a treat to hold and bite into. But not all apples look the part. Those go into the cidery.

Oak barrels stacked in front of a barn currently under construction. Dad’s Hat is a local whiskey distiller that uses local rye.

Ciders in our area are borderline worshiped and rightly so. We’re talking unfiltered cider full of sediment and flavor. There are no additives. There are no cover up flavors. Cider from Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery is requested by those visiting; it doesn’t last long. Served hot or cold, Manoff offers multiple variations of cider, evident by the number on the jug cap. Using their cider press, Manoff uses blends of apples to create their cider. It is refreshing. It is flavorful. It is much anticipated. But Manoff has taken their cider to the next level. 

Manoff produces hard cider varieties using various brewing methods. Some ciders are naturally fermented varieties while others are infused with hops. These are the sipping varieties of hard ciders for a crisp fall day. Manoff features an outdoor gathering area for people to sit and stay awhile. They have cider parties complete with chess boards and campfires. Given the peaceful location of the cidery, it’s easy to disconnect for a spell and enjoy the sound of the breeze through the orchard or the crackle of the fire pit. For Manoff, the Cidery is an experience beyond what’s served in the can.

For those touring Solebury by bike, Manoff Market Gardens and Cidery is the perfect turnaround spot. The market offers water by the bottle to refill for the ride back. There are the apples of course, loose and purchased by the pound (honeycrisps are literally a pound). There are also bags of chips or tins of candy. This is the cyclist’s best mid-ride stop. Should the opportunity present itself, it should be considered to try a cidery concoction while people watching at the orchard. 

Views of the apple orchard and cider grounds.

The cidery offers numerous events, particularly during the autumn and winter seasons. There is Cider Night once a month on select Thursdays while Manoff’s farmer’s market presence is labeled on their event calendar. Meanwhile they feature live music on Saturdays in the Cidery. Despite the distance from the creakybottombracket.com office, we make regular trips to Manoff Market Garden and Cidery. Mostly we check to see if their cider jugs have made an appearance yet this season. It’s also the perfect distance for a late morning ride. Their chicken pot pies are often reported to the team car. Might as well add Manoff’s eggs, bacon, and Vermont maple syrup. Better yet, maybe we will just invest in a cargo bike. We’ll need it for the copious amounts of honeycrisp apples and Manoff cider to carry us through the off-season.