Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a family-owned historic agritourism destination and farm winery in Fly Creek, NY (est. 1856) that produces fresh sweet cider on an 1889 water-powered press, hard ciders, and apple wines, and operates a Mill Store, Tasting Room, Snack Barn Restaurant, and family attractions serving Cooperstown-area tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1856
- HeadquartersFly Creek, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard does
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a privately held, family-owned agritourism operation and farm winery located at 288 Goose Street in Fly Creek, New York, three miles from Cooperstown. Established in 1856 by Hosea Williams, the property is currently owned and operated by Bill and Brenda Michaels, who acquired it in 1999 from Bill's parents Charlie and Barbara Michaels (who had revived the Mill in 1962). The Mill produces fresh sweet cider using an 1889 Boomer & Boschert water-hydraulic press powered by a 1872 Lestner Water Turbine drawing from a 2.5-acre Millpond, with a Cidersure UV light processor replacing heat pasteurization. Production volumes include 20,000+ gallons of cider per fall season and 14,000+ pounds of sweet butter-cream fudge annually across 14+ flavors.
The business operates as a vertically integrated agritourism destination with seven identifiable revenue streams: (1) fresh sweet cider retail and wholesale, (2) hard ciders and apple wines under its New York State Farm Winery license (acquired 2002), including an 8+ SKU portfolio such as Apple Frost cryo-extraction wine, (3) 400+ specialty food products in the Mill Store Marketplace, (4) the Snack Barn Restaurant and Bakery serving breakfast through dinner, (5) the Tasting Room with flights and by-the-glass service of cider, wine, craft beer, and spirits, (6) family-friendly attractions including Duck Racing, Gemstone Mining, and Tractorland, and (7) the year-round online store at shop.flycreekcidermill.com. Ancillary revenue includes $199 private owner tours booked via TripAdvisor/Viator, motorcoach group tours (minimum 15 people), a Flavorful Rewards loyalty program (10 points per dollar), and a B2B fudge fundraising program (8-oz tubs at $10 each, minimum 100-tub orders).
The company serves five primary customer segments: families with children, baseball-tournament tourists visiting Cooperstown Dreams Park and the Baseball Hall of Fame, food and beverage enthusiasts seeking artisanal products, motorcoach group-tour operators, and craft-beverage trail enthusiasts. Distribution channels include on-site retail, direct e-commerce, the Cooperstown Beverage Trail (37-mile, 8-member association attracting 20,000+ annual visitors), the Central New York Cheese Trail, and a satellite warehouse at 800 Mohawk Street in Herkimer, NY. The Mill holds a registered trademark (Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard®), a single-entity corporate structure (Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, Inc., incorporated in New York), and no external funding, subsidiaries, or parent company. Recent milestones include the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice award for Best Cidery in the United States and the 2024 William Guglielmo Legacy Award from the Chamber Alliance of the Mohawk Valley.
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
- Legal name
- Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, Inc.
- Website
- https://flycreekcidermill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1856
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a family-owned historic agritourism destination and farm winery in Fly Creek, NY (est. 1856) that produces fresh sweet cider on an 1889 water-powered press, hard ciders, and apple wines, and operates a Mill Store, Tasting Room, Snack Barn Restaurant, and family attractions serving Cooperstown-area tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Cider and Farm Winery
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Apple Orchards (111331), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE), Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing) (AFAGACAJ), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL), Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fly Creek
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fresh Sweet Cider Sales: Fresh-pressed cider produced on historic water-powered equipment. Cider processed through UV light for safety without heat. Nothing added, nothing taken away. Sold in the Mill Store and online.
- Hard Ciders and Apple Wines: New York State Farm Winery producing Original and Apple-Raspberry hard ciders (22-oz bottles with foil topper), plus portfolio of apple wines including Original Apple Wine, Apple Cranberry, Apple Black Currant, Apple Blueberry, Apple Peach, Apple Cherry, Apple Strawberry (Strawberry Kiss), and Apple Frost. Sold in Tasting Room and online.
- Fudge and Specialty Foods: Over 5 tons (14,000+ pounds) of sweet butter-cream fudge manufactured annually in 14+ flavors. Mill Store Marketplace offers 400+ specialty food products including apple salsa, salad dressings, hot sauces, preserves, and Mill-aged extra-sharp New York State cheddar cheese.
- Restaurant and Bakery: Snack Barn Restaurant serves breakfast sandwiches, pot roast sandwiches, hot dogs, sausages, soups, mac & cheese (5,000+ served annually), baked goods including apple cider donuts and pies, ice cream, cider slushies (5,000+ sold annually), and floats. Open daily 9-6.
- Retail Store Products: The Mill Store Marketplace offers apples, pies, dips, mustards, sauces, honey, maple products, and branded merchandise including travel tote bags. Products available in-store and via online shop.
- Tours and Experiences: Complimentary self-guided Mill tours. Private tours with owner Bill Michaels at $199 for groups up to 6 (includes signed cookbook, $50 gift card, and four tasting flights). Group motorcoach tours with prepaid experience options.
- Group Tour Packages: Motorcoach and group tour experiences with minimum 15 people. Gift cards starting at $15/person, tasting flights at $9/person, collector wine glasses at $7/person, and marketplace vouchers from $5/person. Prepaid reservations required.
- Fudge Fundraising Program: Organizations sell 8 oz fudge tubs for $10, costing $5.50 per tub. Tax-exempt organizations profit $4.50 per tub, non-exempt profit $3.70 per tub. Minimum order of 100 tubs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Snack Barn Restaurant Menu Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Tour with Owner |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Group Tour Experience Options |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cider and Wine Products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Thanksgiving Pie Pre-Orders |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Donation Policy Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard manufactures fresh sweet cider on a historic 1889 water-powered Boomer & Boschert press, hard ciders and apple wines as a New York State Farm Winery, and over 5 tons of butter-cream fudge annually. It sells these alongside 400+ specialty foods, Mill-aged New York cheddar, and apple cider donuts through an on-site Mill Store Marketplace, Tasting Room, Snack Barn Restaurant, family attractions, and a year-round online store. The business also operates self-guided Mill tours, premium private owner tours, and motorcoach group tours as paid and complimentary experiences.
Product overview
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is an agritourism destination and specialty food producer offering a unified portfolio of products and experiences centered around historic cider-making. The core product is fresh sweet cider pressed on an 1889 water-powered Boomer & Boschert hydraulic press, complemented by a Farm Winery producing Hard Ciders (Original, Apple-Raspberry) and Apple Wines (7+ varieties including Apple Frost). The retail operation features over 400 specialty food products including the Mill's signature sweet butter-cream fudge (14,000+ lbs annually), Mill-aged extra-sharp NYS cheddar cheese, apple cider donuts, and an extensive hot sauce collection. Visitor experiences include complimentary self-guided Mill tours, a Tasting Room for flights and by-the-glass pours, the Snack Barn Restaurant & Bakery, family activities (Duck Racing, Gemstone Mining, Tractorland), premium Private Owner Tours, Group Motorcoach Tours, and Cooperstown Beverage Trail excursions. The business also operates a Flavorful Rewards loyalty program, Fudge Fundraising program for organizations, and a year-round e-commerce online store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Sweet Cider
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000+ gallons of cider produced annually
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cooperstown Beverage Trail AssociationcoreFounding/charter member of the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, New York State's first official cuisine trail spanning 37 miles with 8 member businesses producing beer, wine, cider, and spirits. The trail attracted over 20,000 visitors annually. The Mill serves as a key tasting location offering flights and by-the-glass service.
- New York Cider AssociationcoreMember of the New York State Cider Association supporting the cider and apple culture in New York State. Association promotes cider industry interests and provides industry networking.
- New York State Apple AssociationcoreMember of NYS Apple Association supporting apple growers and cider producers. Association promotes New York apples and agricultural products.
- Central New York Cheese TrailminorMember of the Central New York Cheese Trail, promoting regional cheese producers and retailers. The Mill's Mill-aged extra-sharp NY State cheddar cheese is featured on the trail.
- Cooperstown & Otsego County Tourism OfficecoreOfficial tourism partner promoting Fly Creek as a must-see Cooperstown destination. Joint marketing through I LOVE NY programs and regional tourism campaigns.
- Harvest HostsminorMember of Harvest Hosts program allowing RV/camping travelers to visit the Mill. Brings additional overnight tourism revenue from travelers in the region.
- North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA)minorMember of NAFDMA, an organization for farmers engaged in direct marketing and agritourism. Mill has received Outstanding Website (2007) and Outstanding Brochure (2005) awards through NAFDMA.
- American Bus AssociationcoreMember of American Bus Association supporting motorcoach and group tour industry. Received ABA Best of the Best awards (2002, 2022) for food and beverage venue excellence. Promotes Mill to group tour operators nationwide.
- Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM)minorMember of SPOOM, an organization dedicated to preserving historic mills. Featured in Old Mill News magazine (Winter 2024) for turbine restoration project.
- New York Wine and Grape FoundationminorMember of NY Wine and Grape Foundation. The Mill works closely with the Foundation implementing their Farm Winery plan and developing relationships with member wineries.
- Taste NYminorParticipating member of New York State's Taste NY program promoting locally-produced agricultural products and beverages.
- Critz FarmsminorCraft beverage producer featured in the Tasting Room offering specialty draft beers including Eleven IPA, Pig City Porter, and Conventional Wit.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards: New York State agritourism destination and cidery (1911 Cider brand) located in Lafayette, NY. Closest geographic and operational peer to Fly Creek, combining apple orchard, hard cider production, tasting room, restaurant, and family events.
- 1911 Cider Company: Founded by the Beak & Skiff family in Lafayette, NY, producing traditional and flavored hard ciders distributed across the Northeast. Direct regional competitor on product, geography, and apple-sourcing strategy.
- Doc's Draft Hard Cider: New York-based craft hard cider producer sold through regional wholesale. Comparable as a NYS Farm Cidery producing flavored and traditional ciders, though without Fly Creek's destination retail and agritourism scale.
- Critz Farms: Central New York agritourism farm and craft beverage producer with taproom, hard cider, beer, and seasonal family events. Already a current product partner featured in Fly Creek's Tasting Room and a comparable destination in the regional agritourism ecosystem.
- Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery: New York State orchard, farm store, and cidery in the Capital Region. Closely comparable agritourism business model with on-site cider production, retail marketplace, family activities, and tasting room offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Woodchuck Hard Cider: Vermont-based national hard cider brand owned by Vermont Cider Company. Competes in the same cider category with broader retail distribution and brand recognition, though without Fly Creek's agritourism/heritage positioning.
- Angry Orchard Cider Company: Largest U.S. hard cider brand (owned by Boston Beer Company), producing a national portfolio of hard ciders. Directly comparable to Fly Creek on hard cider production but with vastly greater distribution scale, marketing budget, and grocery presence.
- Bold Rock Hard Cider: Virginia/North Carolina-based regional hard cider producer with taprooms, distribution, and national retail presence. Comparable as a scaled craft cider brand investing in taproom experiences, but at meaningfully larger volume.
Emerging players
- AEppelTreow Cider & Winery: Wisconsin-based traditional craft cidery producing heritage-style ciders. Comparable as a small-batch craft cider producer emphasizing authentic, traditional cider-making methods.
- Graft Cider: New York City-based craft cidery producing small-batch, naturally fermented ciders. Comparable as a craft cider producer targeting premium positioning, though with an urban wholesale focus rather than a destination retail model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard social profiles
Digital presenceFly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
What does Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard do?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard manufactures fresh sweet cider on a historic 1889 water-powered Boomer & Boschert press, hard ciders and apple wines as a New York State Farm Winery, and over 5 tons of butter-cream fudge annually. It sells these alongside 400+ specialty foods, Mill-aged New York cheddar, and apple cider donuts through an on-site Mill Store Marketplace, Tasting Room, Snack Barn Restaurant, family attractions, and a year-round online store. The business also operates self-guided Mill tours, premium private owner tours, and motorcoach group tours as paid and complimentary experiences.
Is Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard a public or private company?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard founded?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard was founded in 1856. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard based?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is headquartered in Fly Creek, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Fresh Sweet Cider Sales are the primary driver. The others are hard Ciders and Apple Wines, fudge and Specialty Foods, restaurant and Bakery, retail Store Products, tours and Experiences, group Tour Packages and fudge Fundraising Program.
Who are Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, 1911 Cider Company, Doc's Draft Hard Cider, Critz Farms and Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery. Broad incumbents are Woodchuck Hard Cider, Angry Orchard Cider Company and Bold Rock Hard Cider. Emerging players are AEppelTreow Cider & Winery and Graft Cider.
Does Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard.
What industry is Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard in?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard's product category is Craft Cider and Farm Winery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAD, Cider & Perry Production, with a secondary code of CRADAIAE, Cider & Perry Producers & Brands. Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 2080.