Botanist and Barrel is worth your time for so many reasons: 1. Cider that doesn't taste like it was produced by a blind platypus with an addiction to sugar. 2. The drive is beautiful- even if it might be long, depending on your starting point. 3. It's a peaceful, lovely spot where you can relax and hang out. With or without friends, this place has serenity etched into its bones. 4. Service is knowledgeable and prompt. But if you're claustrophobic don't wait at the bar indoors. Parking is plentiful, there are outdoors shades, birdsong, and again- cider. They also have beer and wine available. Bring your dog, bring your friends, bring your thirst. They're all welcome here. read more

Such an incredible establishment! North Carolina has a bit of my heart when it comes to establishments such as the Botanist and Barrel. Both a natural winery and natural cidery, this place has something for everyone. With an INCREDIBLY laid back experience in mind, I recommend you visit this site on a nice day, bring a picnic and enjoy a selection of thier best offerings in thier back yard. My wife and I recently came for their anniversary celebration, where they had wine sampling, live music, and a pizza oven. With such a great space, such great beverages, and fun music, there is nowhere I would have rather been. Now let's talk about their beverages. We had samples of their wines, and we also bought a flight to ensure we sampled the full spectrum. All of their wines are made using the natural method, which means that they have exactly one ingredient - grapes. Their wine brand goes by the name of DeFi, and these are all NC and VA-procured grapes, fermented and bottled on-site. I especially loved each of their Pet Nats along with the Piquette Rouge. These wines are all bone dry and bring in some wanted natural notes, which I love in natural wines. Oh, and their ciders! I had never heard of a Pet Nat cider, but now I am all in! All deliciously dry and complex with fun added fruit flavors. I am especially fond that they use the only North American tropical fruit - the Paw Paw in their ciders. The produce used in their ciders is harvested locally as well, and with the amazing combination of different apples used in their ciders, each is unique and delicious. They also have an amazing little market with local specialties, which is based on an honor payment system (something I have rarely seen). If you are anywhere in the Raleigh-Durham area, I highly recommend stopping by and enjoying the amazing offerings here. You will not regret stopping by. read more

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This spot is a bit out of the way, but the cider selection makes it worth it. The outdoor area is spacious and perfect for relaxing or meeting up with friends. There's also a small farm stand with local products that adds to the charm of the place. read more

This is such a unique spot! Local made wines and ciders. The ciders have such variety and can find an option for most everyone. The wines were also great, pleasantly surprised to find southern grown wines that were not as sweet and usual. Love the bottle labeling art as well. Lots of snacks to munch on with drinks and such friendly staff and owners. read more

Botanist and Barrel - Menu and samples of cider - Cideries Near Me - Cedar Grove, North Carolina

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Welcome to a countryside cidery outside of Hillsborough. Here is your peek into a different way of making ciders. These ciders are tarty and stronger than your average ones. Botanist and Barrel offers farm-style outdoor seating underneath an awning and picnic tables out back. Today was quiet, though food trucks will occasionally pay a visit. Check B&B's website for the schedule and what days feature live music. My long-time friend Meagan gave me a run-down of what B&B features and what ciders she recommends I try. I chose a flight of four ciders from her list. My favorite is the Tart Blueberry with Pardon My French coming in second. I recommend checking out B&B for a unique take on cider with a country atmosphere. read more

Botanist and Barrel - Cideries Near Me - Cedar Grove, North Carolina

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Attended the most fascinating Shitake Mushroom class, feasted on a salami/basil/sweet onion pizza, and sipped through a Southern Cider flight. We enjoyed the community atmosphere (farmers market items and pizza crafting in front of you). There is plenty of outdoor seating with various comfy chairs, picnic tables, and settings to choose from. Will be back when it gets warmer! read more

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On our way to Raleigh we added this as a stop on the way and am so glad we did. It's a great spot to pop in on a beautiful day and enjoy local cider. I'd previously read on weekends food trucks stop by but since we were visiting on a Friday early afternoon (around 2pm) there wasn't one. However, they do have some snacks you can order which were just the perfect pair for our flights. To order, you simply visit the window in front. There are options for flights, glasses or bottles. And if cider isn't your bag B&B also offers canned beer options. My husband and I both ordered flights. I went with option #2 (all B&B ciders) and my husband ordered #1 (one was B&B and the others featured ciders from other N.C. cideries). My favorite from my flight was B&Bs Love Over Hate. While enjoying our flights, one of the cider makers stopped by to say hi and see how we were enjoying the cider. He mentioned the land including blueberry bushes and how they incorporate it into much of their cider. I'm not a connoisseur of cider by any means but as a cider enthusiast I would definitely recommend checking out B&B. read more

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What a great place to hand out and sip on cider. There is tons of outside seating. The store service was great, offered recommendations. We ordered a vegan charcuterie board, it was the best faux salmon, made out of carrots, vegan cheese and crackers I've ever tasted. I want to go back for more. read more

After hearing about it several times, I decided to order delivery from Botanist and Barrel. It took me forever to choose which bottles to try since they all sound so unique and flavorful. I decided on 5 bottles and added a 6th to receive a discount. The prices are fairly reasonable and local delivery is only +$5. Local delivery is easy. Deric contacts you on the delivery day with an estimated delivery time (for me he let me know when he was 30 min out - although he arrived 15 min sooner than this). He then drops off the package at your door and checks your ID. I am unsure if they typically send out a message informing you of the delivery day. Since I wanted to make sure I would be home to receive it, I called them a few days ahead of time and they told me what the delivery date would be. Below are the bottles I ordered: Good ol' fashioned - flavorful and refreshing Apples on the hops - interesting flavor (similar to if you mixed corona with apple juice), I was not a fan Black honey - ordered for someone else so I did not try it Blueberry Wine - my favorite, it is unique and full of flavor. Strawberry Cider - refreshing, strong, and flavorful Emanation Apple - ordered for someone else so I did not try it Overall, I enjoyed them. It's a great way to try out unique flavors and beverages. read more

Botanist and Barrel - Cideries Near Me - Cedar Grove, North Carolina

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We live in an amazing place in Orange County. So amazing, in fact, that sometimes we miss places that are right in front of our faces. We found Botanist and Barrel today. You need to GO. I am very new to the cider scene. The commercial ciders I have tried are sweet and lifeless. The exact opposite of Botanist and Barrel. They are creating wonderful and delicious fermented drinks--sophisticated and interesting using a variety of fruit. They had live music (definitely a plus!). On a beautiful afternoon, it was the perfect way to spend a couple of hours. read more

When there are 8 flavors available and 2 people in your party, of course you get one of each. Flavors change periodically, so picking up a favorite to go is never a bad choice Botanist and Barrel is a great place to sit outside for a sip of something lovely. The Events page on their website lets you know which food truck will be there on a given day on the weekend. Or whether some extra special is going on. They do have some snacks available aside from the trucks. Well spaced tables behind the building. Helpful, masked staff checking in occasionally. It was a great way to get out on a weekend afternoon. read more

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Terrific little country stop with wines, beer & flights that also has some food selections including cheese, charcutery, fresh blueberries. Music on some days -- check their website. read more

We got a flight of their ciders! It was so good! Great experience. They also had live music and a few fridges of local produce. Highly recommended! read more

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I am a sucker for small, quaint, and homely places and I was so glad that I visited this hidden gem. Tucked in Cedar Grove, NC, Botanist and Barrel is a cider and wine vineyard that also shares the space with Cedar Grove Blueberry farm. In fact, I came to know about this place when I was looking for blueberry picking in the area. I am not a big cider person but it was so refreshing to try their unique ciders on a hot summer evening. The person at the counter was really friendly and knowledgeable and gave a wonderful explanation of the ciders they specialize in. The best part is, a lot of the fruits that they use for the ciders and wines come from nearby local organic farms. Me and my husband tried a flight of ciders and a ciser (a mix between a cider and a mead; a very intriguing combination and wonderful medley of honey, lime, and mint - works perfect as a dessert wine). We also tried the signature apple cider, BlackBerry cider, and strawberry cider. This place is currently functional only on weekend evenings. They also have a nice picnic area and this would make a perfect spot for a fun family outing. They also host dinners and pop-up events every once in a while and I would highly recommend visiting this place during one of these times. I look forward to being back at one of their summer pop-up. read more

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One of my favorite places to go, Botanist and Barrel is a true gem for both cider and people. Ciders are brewed using heritage and/or unsprayed apples, which is really important. Apples are local, not shipped, another important part of the process. Creativity runs through every aspect of this place, from the owners/brewers (also chefs), to the new little local food offerings, to food trucks to entertainment. They have expanded and upgraded their outdoor seating during the past year, and in summer, you can actually purchase local meat, veggies and flowers. Highly recommend read more

A gorgeous location with a variety of tasty ciders. We were impressed with how many choices they have--a variety of traditional cider as well as ciders with herbs or fruits, and a variety of sweet to dry ciders. It was obvious that they enjoy trying new things and are always creating. The ciders contain no sulfites or residual sugars, and the fruit comes from sustainable, organic, local farms. We ordered a flight and sat out on the patio. The outdoor seating area is enormous. Plenty of picnic tables with colored umbrellas and strings of lights. It's along a river, and surrounded by trees, a gorgeous, pleasant place. You can also walk in the woods or by the river. Parking is easy. The owners were friendly. They frequently feature food trucks and we were lucky enough to get food from Off the Hog, which was delicious and went great with their cider. Their store features their ciders as well as local products, such as the legendary Birdie's Pimento Cheese. We bought plenty of cider to take home. We had a lovely afternoon and will be back. read more

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We rented a local cabin near by and when looking for something to do on our anniversary the owners suggested checking out Botanist & Barrel! I immediately checked out their website and booked a tour/tasting for us! I am SO glad we did this! What an amazing experience with SO much information about everything from the blueberry orchard to the fermentation process to the canning process! Kether was awesome! It ended up just being my wife and I in our tour group, which was perfect! We got to ask so many questions and hear different stories and tid bits of information. We tried four different wines/ciders on our tour! We ended up taking a nice selection of bottles home to enjoy as well! If you're looking for something fun to do, even to just get out of the house you should stop by! They have food trucks on Saturdays and Sundays! And from what we learned and heard today, Kether, Deric and their team have some pretty awesome ideas coming up! read more

Botanist and Barrel - Less is More = - Cideries Near Me - Cedar Grove, North Carolina

Botanist and Barrel is such a gem! Not only can you escape the hustle and take in the fresh air, but you also get to choose an amazing cider flight! The owners are truly passionate about their craft, and it shines in their products. You won't regret spending time on their patio and enjoying a drink while listening to guest artists on the weekend. Worth the drive - a hidden gem! read more

Truly we had the best 1st visit ever. My friend had flew into town and we were enjoying neighbouring wineries when we came across Botanist and Barrel. It has hard ciders. Delicious hard ciders. We didn't know what to get so we had a flight. It was a great choice. We had 4 different ciders. My favorite was the Peppery Pumpkin Cider. It totally goes with Fall. The staff there was very personable and the guests that visit were a nice crowd. Thanks for a great visit. You definitely added to our celebration. read more

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Went here with a small group and was pleasantly surprised! I expected all the ciders to be super sweet. I described what I like to Megan, and she brought a flight full of winners! read more

The cutest spot for some good food and delicious cider! Plenty of outdoor seating and dog friendly :)

Went with a few friends of mine and we each got a flight of ciders. We sat outside and though it was hot, had a great time. Would love to be back to go blueberry picking as well but it wasn't open when we had gone. read more

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Amazing spot and delicious cider. You really feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, which for us is very relaxing. The staff was so friendly and made us feel like family. It was definitely an afternoon well spent. We will be back with our dogs next time! read more

Botanist and Barrel - Cideries Near Me - Cedar Grove, North Carolina

I bought a blueberry wine from here and it...no joke...tastes like vinegar. I bought it within the past couple of months and was so excited to celebrate an event tonight and opened it and it wasn't even tolerable to drink. We had to pour it out. I have had many, many different types of wine, port, brandy, etc., and none of them were as horrible as this one. The cherry wine I tasted a month or so ago at the facility was equally as disappointing. The pretzel event (not pretzels made by this facility) was literally someone serving hard, cold pretzels from a plastic bin. With all of the hype about the pretzels on their event page, I can say it wasn't worth the drive.. Won't be back :/ read more

This is one of my favorite "out of the way" places to visit. Friendly, knowledgable staff and most importantly - an awesome selection of ciders. Like nothing I have ever experienced before! I really thought "wine" was my #1 but some of these beautiful, dry ciders won me over. I love organic and I love "no sugar"! I didnt miss it at all! Put this cozy, fun, tasty place on your list of "must do" things! read more

This is an extraordinary NC gem. It is exactly the kind of place the late great Anthony Bourdain would have had a segment about. Cider Bar..Blueberry farm amd occasional pop up pizza shop out back by the pond. Scenic and unexpected. Just go. read more