Featured Letter: Thomas Jefferson Requests a Sampling of Cider
Like many of his neighbors, Jefferson drank cider, favoring that made from the Hewes' Crab and Taliaferro apples grown in the orchards at Monticello.
Cider at Monticello
Castle Hill Orchard Select Cider
A collaboration between the orchards of Monticello and Castle Hill Cider featuring a delicate balance of Albemarle Pippin, Hewes Crab, Esopus Spitzenberg, and Roxbury Russet apples.
Available exclusively onsite from Monticello's shops or Castle Hill Cider.
Cider and Cider Apples at Monticello
Hewe's Crab Apple
Thomas Jefferson recorded a recipe that blended "red Hughes" cider apples with other varieties to make hundreds of gallons of cider each year.
Albemarle Pippin Apple
The Albemarle, or Newtown, Pippin was one of Thomas Jefferson's two favorite apples, the other being 'Esopus Spitzenburg.' He planted as many as fifty Albemarle Pippin in the South Orchard at Monticello between 1769 and 1814.
Esopus Spitzenburg
Thomas Jefferson's planted thirty-two of Esopus Spitzenburg apple trees in the South Orchard at Monticello between 1807 and 1812.
George Granger, Sr.
Many enslaved workers harvested apples and labored to bottle cider each year, including George Granger, Sr.
Fruit Orchards
The mountaintop orchards included up to eighteen varieties of apples planted on the south, east, and north slopes.
Apple Mill and Press
An undated sketch made by Thomas Jefferson with front and side views of an apple mill and press.
Annual Apple Tasting
Learn more about the history of apples in America in this short video, including how most early apple trees were planted for cider-making. Check our online Calendar of Events for the date of this year's annual fall apple tasting.