Yates Cider Mill Open

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — If you can’t wait until fall to get a taste of some crisp apple cider, you’re in luck – Yates Cider Mill is open. The popular Rochester Hills spot opened in April and will remain open through the fall this year if all goes as planned.

Co-owner Mike Titus said customer demand is the reason for the change in what is traditionally a fall-only enterprise. Advances in storage, which controls moisture, temperature and oxygen to keep apples fresh, also helped make the longer season possible.

“We’re careful to preserve the way things have always been done, even though we’re using technology to enhance it. We’re still running our press off of water power,” Titus told the Oakland Press. “Yates is so loved by the community, so it’s a responsibility for us. I love this place as much as everyone else.”

Patrons will notice some subtle taste differences in cider. Titus said the mill is producing crisper tasting cider with a distinct flavor, different from cider made in fall. Yates also utilizes ultraviolet light to pasteurize its cider, maintaining the color and flavor over regular pasteurization, the newspaper reported.

Yates Cider Mill is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The ice-cream shop at the mill is also open.

Photo courtesy of Yates Cider Mill