Cider Mills

**Meddle** · July-14-09, 04:05 PM

Just saw somebody mention Northville. Is Parmenter's still running?? What about Franklin? Used to love those hot, fresh spiced doughnuts.

There was another one west of US23 near Highland and another down near New Boston. That's about all I remember.

**hudkina** · July-14-09, 04:35 PM

The one down near New Boston is called Apple Charlie's.

Buy American · July-14-09, 04:43 PM

Yates, Dequindre and ???

**Detroitej72** · July-14-09, 04:56 PM

Blake's, out in Armada, now with 3 locations to serve you.

**Onthe405** · July-14-09, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

Yates, Dequindre and ???

Dequindre and Avon Rd [[aka 23 Mile Rd in Macomb)

Goodison Cider Mill, a few miles outside of Rochester. Orion Rd, between Silver Bell & Gunn.

**SUBVET** · July-14-09, 07:45 PM

The Parshallville Grist Mill is the one near US23 in Hartland - very nice place.

I used to go to Parmenters but I didn't like it. Parshallville is an active grist mill and is part of the Cider Mill Guild [[or something like that).

Yates near Rochester and I think the Franklin Mill is still open.

-Subvet

**gazhekwe** · July-14-09, 08:09 PM

Parmenter's was better before it burned down and was rebuilt. It was in a fantastic old building, pine walls and booths, and you could have lunch there.

**Meddle** · July-14-09, 09:50 PM

Parshalville, that's it. Was it also called Tom Walker's, or is that another one?

Parmenter's burned? When?

**reddog289** · July-14-09, 11:50 PM

Used to go to Parshallville as a kid, It was kinda creepy to me then . Guess I need to go back.With the weather the way it has been it feels like Cider Mill weather

**luckycar** · July-15-09, 05:53 AM

Bloomfield Twp.just completed the walkway/bike path from my house to the Franklin cider mill.Sustainable suburban living.Now I can walk or bike to the market in Franklin,cider mill in Franklin and go to thePost Office in Franklin.Isn't this what the sprawl opponents are always moaning about.Want to buy a reasonable taxed home with great schools?You can even walk to a cider mill!

**wazootyman** · July-15-09, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Parshalville, that's it. Was it also called Tom Walker's, or is that another one?

Parmenter's burned? When?

1977, according to their website: http://parmenters.homeip.net/parmenters/

**mkhopper** · July-15-09, 10:59 AM

But are there any "true" cider mills around any longer?
I'm talking ones that haven't completely sold out and become nothing but glorified grocery stores.

Some old family barn on an apple orchard.
Parking in an open field and not seeing some kid directing you to a spot.
Not having to pass though a craft show before getting to the barn.
Non-refrigerated cider that you know is "that day" fresh.
Donuts so hot and greasy that if you didn't eat em quick they would rip a hole in the paper sack.
Finding a shady spot under a tree to eat, rather than in some air conditioned cafeteria-like room.

**PlymouthRes** · July-15-09, 11:30 AM

Plymouth Orchards, on Warren west of Napier, may just fit your bill when it comes to "true" cider mills. The building itself sits nestled in the orchard from which the apples are gleaned. They have a press and the whole works similar to Franklin, plus the benefit of a petting zoo for the kids and hay rides for the family. They also have a kitchen area proximal to the actual cider press area wher they have a small band [[usually a guitar, zephyr and harmonica) playing Americana type tunes, too! And the donuts are awesome.

Try it sometime, September thru early November.

**Meddle** · July-15-09, 01:16 PM

Some old family barn on an apple orchard.
Parking in an open field and not seeing some kid directing you to a spot.
Not having to pass though a craft show before getting to the barn.
Non-refrigerated cider that you know is "that day" fresh.

That's the way I remember Parshalville, but that was years ago.

**DTWflyer** · July-15-09, 01:30 PM

Stoney Creek Cider Mill still is somewhat like a real cider mill. They have an orchard in the back where they get their apples, make their cider there, make their greasy donuts there. Its a good place. Its on 32 Mile [[Romeo Rd) between Rochester and Mound Rd.

Blakes up at 34 Mile east of M-53 is like that too I think but I haven't been there in a long time.

**punky1** · July-15-09, 04:17 PM

Franklin may be the only one left selling un-pasturized cider. It does make a difference. The donuts are to die for...still.

**Baselinepunk** · July-15-09, 06:45 PM

" Is Parmenter's still running??"

As far as last year it is. The one thing I cannot stand about cider mills are all the bee's getting drunk on garbage juice.

Nothing worse than trying to deal with a loaded Bee.

**reddog289** · July-15-09, 11:32 PM

I too have heard that Plymouth Orchards is a good bet as Cider Mills go. I think they host alot of field trips also.

**YouDummy** · July-16-09, 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by mkhopper

But are there any "true" cider mills around any longer?
I'm talking ones that haven't completely sold out and become nothing but glorified grocery stores.

Some old family barn on an apple orchard.
Parking in an open field and not seeing some kid directing you to a spot.
Not having to pass though a craft show before getting to the barn.
Non-refrigerated cider that you know is "that day" fresh.
Donuts so hot and greasy that if you didn't eat em quick they would rip a hole in the paper sack.
Finding a shady spot under a tree to eat, rather than in some air conditioned cafeteria-like room.

As a life-long resident of Hartland, I can assure you Parshallville remains like this.

**ja!mz** · July-16-09, 05:45 AM

Westview Orchards is by far the one of the best, alot for the kids to do as well www.westvieworchards.com

**G-DDT** · January-24-15, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by punky1

Franklin may be the only one left selling un-pasturized cider. It does make a difference. The donuts are to die for...still.

When I was a kid, I hated all things gross and organic. I hated granny Applehead dolls my mom liked. I hated my Dad dragging me to Greenfield Village to smell horse apples baking in the hot sun and feeling sick to my stomach as teams of fife and drum marchers sent ripples of nausea through my little body [[I hated the creepy ads they ran too with the music boxes and the dessicated toy horses coming out of the shadows). I especially hated the creepy, grinding cobwebby wheel at Franklin.
I lived in a false dream world of clean silvery Bauhausian Star Wars-designed Calvin Kleinish 1980's S.N.L. liquor ads and robots turning into vehicles. I dreamed of living in a pent house suite with a beige rug and pipe and leather furniture. What a neurotic lie I bought into.
The more I smoked grass [[which I eventually ditched) and got into better forms of herbalism, the more I appreciated organic things. The more I saw things I liked getting cheapened, corrupted, and standardized and realized older works of artists were better than new, the more I appreciated old wine over new. I hated when things of purpose or substance got completely swept aside callously [[or needlessly) and in their entirety when a new style or making a cheap joke took precedence.
When I saw how Franklin changed that wheel into the very thing I would've liked as an idiot kid, I was appalled. It was sanitized. Banal. All grimy history erased from it. Even if the dumb wheel served no purpose, what little it had as a reminder-that we got to sometimes force ourselves to reflect on the crusty, archaic, and ofttimes unavoidable aspects of nature and history that brought us here-got bleached out.
I changed and so did the wheel in counterpoint.
That's my cider testimony.

**Uncledave54** · November-18-18, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

Yates, Dequindre and ???

23 mile rd

**JBMcB** · November-18-18, 09:39 PM

Hy's Cider Mill at 37 Mile & Van Dyke is our go-to place. They have a full orchard where they get their apples from, and you can pick your own apples as well. The small store sells cider, fresh-made donuts [[usually still hot) pre-picked apples and a couple of other things. That's really all they have, and IMHO that's all you need.

Erwin Orchards near the Kent Lake Road exit on I-96 is a similar situation, though they have a petting zoo and a couple of other things to do. More importantly they still have unpasteurized cider, which is the difference between drinking beer made two months ago out of a can, and getting it on draught straight from the brewery.

**sirrealone** · November-19-18, 09:23 AM

Hy's is awesome. We go picking and then get cider and donuts and it's a fantastic time.

So many of the other places have just turned into money grabs. My in-laws live near Long's and last time we went they charged for cups and refused to give napkins. Really sad.

**jcole** · November-19-18, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Hy's Cider Mill at 37 Mile & Van Dyke is our go-to place. They have a full orchard where they get their apples from, and you can pick your own apples as well. The small store sells cider, fresh-made donuts [[usually still hot) pre-picked apples and a couple of other things. That's really all they have, and IMHO that's all you need.

Erwin Orchards near the Kent Lake Road exit on I-96 is a similar situation, though they have a petting zoo and a couple of other things to do. More importantly they still have unpasteurized cider, which is the difference between drinking beer made two months ago out of a can, and getting it on draught straight from the brewery.

I love Hy's; I went to high school with the family who owns it and used to clean house for their mom once a month. Been family owned for at least 50 yrs.