10 Places To Taste Hard Apple Ciders & Wines In Nebraska

Fall in Nebraska often means an apple-picking trip to the apple orchard. More and more orchards in the state offer some additional products, namely hard ciders and apple wines. Read on to find out where some of Nebraska’s best ciders and apple wines are available!

UPDATED: This post was first published in 2021 and has been updated most recently in September 2026.

What is hard apple cider?

Apple cider is simply fermented apples. Like beer and wines, hard apple cider is alcoholic and has many varieties. You can go hoppy (for the beer lovers out there), and have a taste and texture similar to beers. Apple cider can also be aged. which can add a layer of complexity to the cider, much as it happens when wine is aged. I like my cider on the sweet side.

Is hard apple cider the same thing as apple wine?

No. Not really. It turns out, apple wine and hard apple cider are not the same thing. While both require fermentation of fruit to make alcohol, wine requires more sugar. Most likely, there is either sugar added to make it sweeter or the apples were picked later. You can read more about the difference in a very detailed post here.

Where to buy Nebraska-made cider & apple wines

1. Arbor Day Farm

Where: Tastings are available at the wine bar at the Apple House Market. You can also purchase full bottles of wine at the Lied Lodge Gift Shop.

The draw: Nebraska City and specifically Arbor Day Farm have become nearly synonymous with apple trees. Where better to taste apple wine than in Nebraska’s very own apple city? The wine bar inside the Apple House Market has a surprisingly large selection of wines to sample.

Arbor Day Farm offers occasional events catering to wine and cider fans. The next event is a Cider Maker Tasting Experience on Oct. 23, featuring Saro ciders.

2. Glacier Till Cider House & Tasting Room and Glacier Till Winery & Vineyard

Where: The Cider House is located at 1419 Silver St., Ashland, and Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery is at 344 S. Second Road, Palmyra

The draw: This is the one that started the cider obsession for me. Glacier Till makes the best ciders I’ve had, plus their tasting room makes you want to linger all day. They make a variety of flavors, and some are better than others. I love the passion fruit one, but oh my, the lavender honey is not as good as it sounds.

The Ashland location is the Cider House, and it’s my favorite place. It has a fantastic rooftop patio and a full menu.

3. Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard

Where: 5995 G Road, Nebraska City

The draw: Like I said earlier in this post, Nebraska City has become synonymous with apples, so it’s no surprise that one of the largest orchards makes some hard drinks with apples. Kimmel grows quite a few grapes now; the last I’d checked, they have six varieties.

Kimmel has a pretty large wine bar the can serve quite a few people, though, it’s mostly standing-room-only. The cider served in the wine bar comes from Glacial Till Hard Cider. If you’re looking for apple wine, they pour two kinds: A regular apple wine and an apple pie wine.

Fun fact: They also supply the apples for many of the vineyards and ciders on this list.

4. Mac’s Creek Winery & Vineyard

Where: 43315 Road 757, Lexington

The draw: Mac’s Creek operates under a sustainable model of crafting wine, beer and cider. Their cider, Crabby Abbey, uses apples sourced from Arbor Day Farms in Nebraska City. Their flights can be a mix of wine, cider or beers. I think the most interesting item on their menu is the Chaider, which is their hard apple cider infused with chai tea.

5. Papa Moon Vineyards, Winery & Cider House

Where: 230975 County Road J, Scottsbluff

The draw: Papa Moon has been in business for 10 years, and they have 13 types of hard ciders (as well as some limited edition offerings). There’s even the uniquely flavored jalapeño hard cider. You can sample them in the farm tasting room. While they do offer wine, there are no apple wines.

6. SARO Cider

Where: 1746 N St., Lincoln

The draw: I’m a traditionalist so I really like SARO’s Milestone Original. That said, they have some creative flavors I’d be willing to taste, as well as some cider cocktails. They have seven standard ciders offered year-round in their tasting room, as well as seasonal offerings. The taproom in Lincoln also has a menu of food to enjoy alongside the cider.

7. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard

Where: 12102 S. 180th St., Gretna

The draw: Vala’s is what I like to call the Disney of pumpkin patches. It’s an all-day experience with activities, shows, food and, most recently, drinks. They started an orchard a few years ago and the fruits of their labor debuted in 2020 – hard apple cider. 

Vala’s has four standard hard ciders offered, as well as limited edition or limited-run ciders. You can sample them at the Cider Mill, as well as at a few stands throughout the pumpkin patch. In 2026, they offer Orchard Sunset Cider Tasting from Sept. 18-20 near the apple orchard. It’s an additional ticket and not included with gate admission.

8. Cellar 426 Winery

Where: 1402 S. Ninth St., Ashland

The draw: Cellar 426 is first and foremost a winery, with a large variety of reds and whites. I first sampled their cider in 2020, after which I promptly purchased a six-pack to bring home. The draw of this winery, in my opinion, is the view. 

Since my first taste of cider at Cellar 426, they increased their offerings. There are now three to choose from: The Original Hilske’s Hill Top Hard Apple Cider (my fave), as well as Wild Berry Cider and Hilske’s Hill Top Homemade Apple Pie Cider.

9. Stone Hollow Brewing Co.

Where: Two locations, 301 Court St. in Beatrice and 448 Fifth St. in Syracuse

The draw: Stone Hollow is a brewery first and foremost, but they have ventured into cider. Their tap is mostly going to be beer, but they do offer a cider or two. Their tap menu recently had Sweet CherryLime (a cherry limeade-inspired kind of cider).

10. Wostrel Family’s Union Orchard

Where: The orchard is located at 2405 S. Highway 75 in Union, and they also have Central Apple Market at 701 Central Ave. in Nebraska City

The draw: Wostrel Family’s Union Orchard is a family-run apple orchard has grown to include a market that just so happens to have a tasting room where you can sample Nebraska wines, hard ciders, and craft beer. They serve their own wine as well as products from Mac’s Creek Winery and Prairie Creek Winery.