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Ellijay calls itself the apple capital of Georgia, and it earns it. Blue Ridge is right next door. Together this corner of North Georgia has a legitimate hard cider scene — small, local, made from fruit grown nearby. If cider is your drink, you are in the right place. Both cideries below are dog-friendly and both have a bottle refill system worth knowing about before you go.
Reece's Cider Company
Reece's Cider Company
East Ellijay, GA — Hwy 52 — Hard Cider
The first cidery in Ellijay. Reece's grows, presses, ferments, and packages their cider on site. The setup is more of a hang — outdoor picnic tables, an indoor taproom, live music on weekends, and food trucks on site. Leashed dogs are welcome anywhere on the property. Water bowls are out.
- Leashed dogs welcome everywhere on the property
- Water bowls provided
- Indoor and outdoor seating
- Live music and food trucks on weekends — call ahead for schedule
- Glass bottle cider available to take with you
reecescidercompany.com →
Mercier Orchards
Mercier Orchards
Blue Ridge, GA — Hard Cider & Fruit Wine
A working orchard that has been in the same family since 1943. Mercier grows the apples, presses them, and ferments on site. The hard cider deck overlooks the orchard and a pond. Leashed dogs are welcome on the deck and around the grounds outside the market. Water is provided.
The market itself is worth a stop — fresh-pressed juice, produce, baked goods, and more varieties of apple than most people knew existed. Dogs are not allowed inside the market or in the u-pick orchard areas, but the deck is a good place to land with a glass while someone browses inside.
- Leashed dogs welcome on the Hard Cider Deck and by the pond
- Dogs not allowed inside the market or in the u-pick orchard
- Water provided for dogs
- Glass bottle cider available to take with you
mercier-orchards.com →
The bottle tip: Both Reece's and Mercier sell their cider in glass bottles. Buy it at full price, bring the bottle back, and they refill it for less. We bought bottles at both places, drank the cider, washed the bottles, and leave them at the cabin. We ask guests to leave an empty bottle behind when they go. Guests have never mentioned it, but there are more bottles in the cabin now than we drank — so someone is putting them to good use.
Staying at
Headwaters or
Fish Head Lodge? Check the cabin for glass cider bottles before you head out. If there are any, they are yours to use — just leave an empty one behind when you go.
Apple Country Pours Well
Two cideries, two stops, one bottle each. Not a bad afternoon with a dog in the mountains.
Toccoa Currents curates mountain cabins across North Georgia — from riverfront retreats to ridge-top hideaways near Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, Helen, and Ellijay.