"Yates, the Unique"
When I was a little kid, it was our family tradition to go to the Yates Cider Mill, a self-proclaimed "unique" water-powered mill. We returned every autumn, and continued the tradition with our own children. (Alas, no grandchildren to carry on the tradition).
The fast river current turned the large wheel in the picture which powered the presses inside of the barn. On each warm, sunny autumn day, hundreds of families will return to Yates to consume a quart or gallon of cool cider and a dozen greasy donuts, and suffer stomach aches. But they'll be back next year : )
(UPDATE: Steve-h had a question about "Apple Cider". ( I've had "cider" at a London pub, and was surprised that it had quite an effect on me after a couple of "pints": ) Cider produced at American cider mills is a non-alcoholic drink made from the squeezings of apples, and sold almost immediately. It's different from "apple juice" sold in super markets; apple juice has been filtered, and pasteurized. Cider, on the other hand, is often darker and very cloudy, and very tangy; it may pass through a rough filter but is usually not pasteurized, although Yates does expose it to UV light. Consequently, it can't be stored for very long. Autumn is apple season, and Michigan is a big producer of apple, hence the popularity of cider mills in Michigan. This year has produced a "bumper crop" of high-quality apples, and the cider is SO SWEET!)
"Yates, the Unique"
When I was a little kid, it was our family tradition to go to the Yates Cider Mill, a self-proclaimed "unique" water-powered mill. We returned every autumn, and continued the tradition with our own children. (Alas, no grandchildren to carry on the tradition).
The fast river current turned the large wheel in the picture which powered the presses inside of the barn. On each warm, sunny autumn day, hundreds of families will return to Yates to consume a quart or gallon of cool cider and a dozen greasy donuts, and suffer stomach aches. But they'll be back next year : )
(UPDATE: Steve-h had a question about "Apple Cider". ( I've had "cider" at a London pub, and was surprised that it had quite an effect on me after a couple of "pints": ) Cider produced at American cider mills is a non-alcoholic drink made from the squeezings of apples, and sold almost immediately. It's different from "apple juice" sold in super markets; apple juice has been filtered, and pasteurized. Cider, on the other hand, is often darker and very cloudy, and very tangy; it may pass through a rough filter but is usually not pasteurized, although Yates does expose it to UV light. Consequently, it can't be stored for very long. Autumn is apple season, and Michigan is a big producer of apple, hence the popularity of cider mills in Michigan. This year has produced a "bumper crop" of high-quality apples, and the cider is SO SWEET!)