Locals Guide To – Ore Creek Craft Cidery & Tap Room

August 16, 2021

Calling all hard cider enthusiasts! Ore Creek Craft Cider is a must-try cider taproom located in Pinckney. Enjoy flavorful ciders created from locally sourced Michigan apples served in a tap room with an inviting outdoor patio complete with barrel tables, a fire pit, and board games.

We got the inside scoop on this cidery by speaking to Jennifer Bond, Ore Creek’s Social Media and Marketing Director. Here is your Locals Guide to – Ore Creek Craft Cidery & Tap Room.

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Which cider is your top seller?

Our top-selling cider can really vary from day to day depending on the season. Skinny Dipper, a refreshing lemon cider that is enjoyed more in the summer, and Winter Shanty, a mulled spice cider that many describe as tasting like Christmas, can be a winter favorite. Throughout the year, Chappy, our Traverse City tart cherry cider, I would say is our top-seller. Many people like blending it with Winter Shanty, which creates our Apple Pie blend. Because we don’t add any additional sugars, our ciders are on the semi-dry, semi-sweet side, which many folks appreciate.

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Which cider is your personal favorite?

I personally like Base Camp, which is our straightforward fermented cider. It’s the foundation of our ciders, and I enjoy the crisp apple flavor it brings time and time again!

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What kind of awards have the ciders at Ore Creek received?

When Ore Creek was in its infancy, [owners] Jay and Brandon entered the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition, commonly known as GLINTCAP. During their home fermenting times, they were able to earn silver and bronze medals for their ciders.

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Ore Creek partners with other Livingston County businesses like Eternity Brewing and Tabs Custom Cuts. Has Ore Creek partnered with any other local businesses and are there any that you would like to partner with in the future?

We have local snacks in our cidery like Pop Daddy pretzels from Whitmore Lake and Diablo salsa from Brighton. We also love having NautiMI as a neighbor and have even concocted cider floats with their Hudsonville ice cream served there. We are fortunate to have awesome food from Riverside Pizza right next door, as many customers will order it to enjoy with their cider.

Moving forward we are hoping to expand Ore Creek’s horizons, but we don’t have immediate plans for partnerships, as far as our ciders being on tap elsewhere.

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Ore Creek sells ciders with creative names, especially ones that promote favorite local spots like Strawberry Lake and Little Portage Pineapple. How often does Ore Creek release new ciders, and will there be more flavors named after local landmarks in the future?

Yes, many folks love our creative names! Many have a water/camping theme. For example, our jalapeno cider is named Angry Spanker. A spanker is another name for a paddle, as it spanks whitewater waves. We have also tried to bring in a local flair with our 10th Tap Seasonal Cider using names like Baseline Blue, Whitewood White Peach, and more.

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What is Ore Creek’s favorite part of being a cidery in the Brighton Howell Area?

By far the best thing about Ore Creek is the environment that has been created with our customers. We have some of the best customers that bring an awesome vibe to our cidery. From families gathering and eating together while enjoying the cider to weekly meet-ups with empty-nesters, we have customers that have found a great place to get away from the chaos of life. We don’t have TVs, which many people appreciate, so it really allows folks to have conversations and connect with each other. The staff at Ore Creek loves to connect too, and the customers are really the best part of working at Ore Creek.

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Enjoy a cider experience unlike any other at Ore Creek Craft Cidery and Taproom! Visit this cider shack and enjoy marvelous lake views while connecting with seasoned cider gurus and lovely Brighton Howell Area locals.

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