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Seasoned

A visit to Hogan’s Cider Mill and a lesson in apple cider history from the authors of ‘American Cider’

By Robyn Doyon-Aitken ,
Marysol Castro, Chef Plum, Catie Talarski
Published September 28, 2022 at 1:12 PM EDT
Photo of the hands of Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop pushing apples down a chute.
1 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop pushes apples down a chute to be washed and ground up before being pressed into cider. Dunlop said this shipment of apples, from Hayward Farm down the road in New Hartford, contained a mix of Cortland, Macintosh, Gala, Macoun, and a box of green apples.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop pushes apples down a chute to be washed and ground up before being pressed into cider. He said about one bushel of apples (about 40 pounds) will yield 3 gallons of cider.
2 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop pushes apples down a chute to be washed and ground up before being pressed into cider. He said about one bushel of apples (about 40 pounds) will yield 3 gallons of cider.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop spreads out mashed apples onto a layer of cheesecloth before a cider pressing.
3 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop spreads out mashed apples onto a layer of cheesecloth before a cider pressing.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Chet Dunlop (left) and Theresa Clifford Dunlop (right), owners of Hogan’s Cider Mill watch as a hydraulic pump presses out cider from layers of apple mash. They made about 200 gallons of cider in two 30-minute pressings, and had sold all of it to customers by the next day.
4 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Chet Dunlop (left) and Theresa Clifford Dunlop (right), owners of Hogan’s Cider Mill watch as a hydraulic pump presses out cider from layers of apple mash. They made about 200 gallons of cider in two 30-minute pressings, and had sold all of it to customers by the next day.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Cider is pressed from apple mash spread between ten layers of cheesecloth at Hogan's Cider Mill in Burlington, Connecticut. One bushel of apples (about 40 pounds) will yield 3 gallons of cider.
5 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Cider is pressed from apple mash spread between ten layers of cheesecloth at Hogan's Cider Mill in Burlington, Connecticut. One bushel of apples (about 40 pounds) will yield 3 gallons of cider.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Seasoned Producer Robyn Doyon-Aitken interviews Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop as he explains the process of pressing sweet cider. The mill was founded in 1912. Chet and his wife Theresa Clifford Dunlop bought it about 30 years ago.
6 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Seasoned Producer Robyn Doyon-Aitken interviews Hogan's Cider Mill owner Chet Dunlop as he explains the process of pressing sweet cider. The mill was founded in 1912. Chet and his wife Theresa Clifford Dunlop bought it about 30 years ago.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Hogan’s Cider Mill Manager Margaret Borla works behind the bar at Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington, Connecticut. She started working at her parents mill about a year ago and has drawn a younger demographic through social media to enjoy the cider, the bucolic New England backdrop, and of course, the “Drunken Donut” — a cider cocktail she created topped with a donut, whipped cream, and sprinkles.
7 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Hogan’s Cider Mill Manager Margaret Borla works behind the bar at Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington, Connecticut. She started working at her parents mill about a year ago and has drawn a younger demographic through social media to enjoy the cider, the bucolic New England backdrop, and of course, the “Drunken Donut” — a cider cocktail she created topped with a donut, whipped cream, and sprinkles.
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public
Hogan’s Cider Mill Manager Margaret Borla tops off two “Drunken Donuts” — Hogan’s new signature cocktail consisting of one-third hard cider, two-thirds sweet cider, an apple cider donut, and sprinkles. Borla created the cocktail and has drawn a younger demographic to the cider mill through social media. She said people have made up to a two hour drive to come get a “Drunken Donut.”
8 of 8  — Hogan's Cider Mill
Hogan’s Cider Mill Manager Margaret Borla tops off two “Drunken Donuts” — Hogan’s new signature cocktail consisting of one-third hard cider, two-thirds sweet cider, an apple cider donut, and sprinkles. Borla created the cocktail and has drawn a younger demographic to the cider mill through social media. She said people have made up to a two hour drive to come get a “Drunken Donut.”
Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public / Connecticut Public

Apple cider is having a moment. This week on Seasoned, we watch the apple press at work during a visit to Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington, Conn. Owners Chet Dunlop and Theresa Clifford Dunlop make cider at the mill the way the farm’s original cidermakers did 100 years ago. And while the craft may be rooted in the past, Chet and Theresa are looking toward the future. Their daughter, Margaret Borla, manages the mill and creates the drinks people line up at the tap room to get. We sit down with the family to talk about cider making and try the mill’s new breakout drink, the Drunken Donut, as well as a flight of ciders. Plus, we talk with Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo, the authors of American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage.

Guests:

This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-Aitken and Catie Talarski and originally aired October 21, 2021. Visuals journalist Ryan Caron-King contributed to this show and our interns were Abē Levine and Dylan Reyes.

Seasoned is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

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Seasoned foodoutdoors
Robyn Doyon-Aitken
Robyn is the host and senior producer of Seasoned.
See stories by Robyn Doyon-Aitken
Marysol Castro
Marysol Castro, co-host of Seasoned from 2020 to 2022.
See stories by Marysol Castro
Chef Plum
Host of Seasoned and Restaurant Road Trip.
See stories by Chef Plum
Catie Talarski
Catie Talarski is Senior Director of Storytelling and Radio Programming at Connecticut Public.
See stories by Catie Talarski
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