Imagine a place that makes you smile the moment you hear its name. A place layered with generations of family memories, the kind you hope to pass down to your own children or share with someone visiting. A place that invites you to slow down and savor something historic, while somehow making the arrival of fall feel new again. In our area, that place is The Dexter Cider Mill.
This September, The Dexter Cider Mill marked its 140th season as Michigan’s longest continuously operating family-owned cider mill. Owned by just three families since 1886, the mill still makes its cider much as it did in the beginning, using an oak rack press and a blend of three to five varieties of hand-picked apples in every pressing.
But cider is only part of what draws generations back each fall. Warm doughnuts, caramel apples and apple nut bread have become traditions of their own, turning a simple stop at the mill into one of fall’s most anticipated rituals.
For owners Nancy and Marty Steinhauer, the mill’s history is deeply personal. More than 60 years ago, Nancy’s parents visited on a date, and her father remarked that he would love to own a place like it someday. Decades later, they purchased the mill as a “retirement project,” eventually passing it to Nancy and Marty. Today, three generations can often be found working there together.
To recognize the cider mill’s incredible 140 years, local leaders joined the celebration to present state and congressional tributes honoring its lasting place in the community. And if you haven’t made your annual stop yet, there’s still time to be part of the tradition before the mill closes for the season in mid- to late-November.
Learn more at dextercidermill.com