If your idea of a perfect fall day involves crisp air, apple cider, homemade treats, and getting out of NYC, we have a new destination to add to the group chat.
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard in Upstate New York was just named the No. 1 Best Cidery in the U.S. for 2026 by USA TODAY 10Best readers, officially claiming the top spot after landing at No. 3 last year.
Located in Fly Creek, New York, the historic cider mill dates back to 1856 and still uses water-powered machinery as part of its cider-making process. This isn’t your average modern taproom where you show up, order a quick flight, and leave—it’s a full blown fall destination.
A 170-year-old cider mill crowned the best in America
The 2026 USA TODAY 10Best awards were determined after cideries were nominated by an expert panel and voted on by readers. USA TODAY highlighted the mill’s huge selection of food and drinks, as well as its long history of serving visitors to Central New York.
It’s also still very much a working piece of history.
The water-powered mill sits along Fly Creek, where the water energy from the millpond helps drive the machinery used in the cider-making process. Visitors can witness this historic process firsthand through the mill’s Learning Center and Cider Gallery.
Operating since 1856, today it welcomes more than 150,000 visitors annually.
There’s a lot more to do than just drink cider
The mill’s Tasting Room serves flights and by-the-glass pours of hard cider, apple wines, spirits, and craft beer.
- Hard Ciders: The lineup includes the Original, a semi-sweet cider with a pronounced apple flavor, and Apple-Raspberry, a semi-dry option with a fruitier finish
- Apple Wines: Varieties include Apple Cranberry, Apple Black Currant, Apple Blueberry, Apple Peach, Apple Cherry, and Strawberry Kiss. There’s also Apple Frost, made using cryo-extraction to concentrate the cider into a dessert-wine-style drink
And then there’s the food.
The Mill Store Marketplace carries more than 400 specialty food products, including items made right at the mill. Expect everything from apple salsa and hot sauces to preserves, fudge, cookies, dumplings, and extra-sharp aged cheddar.
Long story short, you’ll definitely want to leave some room in your tote bag.
It’s also surprisingly family-friendly
You don’t have to be planning an adults-only cider weekend to make the trip.
The mill offers complimentary self-guided tours during regular operating hours, and there are plenty of activities for younger visitors, too.
Kids can run around Tractorland, a play area with a little-trike track and wooden tractor structures, or hang out around the Millpond, where ducks and geese have apparently become part of the entertainment.
There’s even a “Quack & Honk” Gemstone Mining Sluice for finding hidden gems as well as duck races.
Apparently a cider mill needed one more reason to keep you here all afternoon.
Don’t leave without trying the famous pot roast sandwich
Adjacent to the mill is the Snack Barn Restaurant & Bakery, where you’ll find freshly baked goods, soups, sandwiches, ice cream, cider drinks, and other comfort-food staples.
The signature order is the Pot Roast Sandwich with Olde-English Horseradish Sauce, a fan favorite that tastes straight out of a grandmother’s kitchen.
You can also grab freshly baked pies, dumplings, cookies, cider doughnuts, cinnamon buns, cider slushies, and floats.
There’s outdoor seating along the boardwalk overlooking the Millpond, making it particularly appealing when the leaves are changing and you’re trying to squeeze every last drop out of fall. (You can track New York’s developing fall foliage here!)
It’s about 4 hours from NYC
Here’s the catch: Fly Creek is not a quick Hudson Valley day trip. Located at 288 Goose Street in Fly Creek, New York, the mill is roughly four hours north of NYC by car.
However, that distance makes it a natural candidate for a fall weekend getaway rather than a rushed day trip.
The mill is just minutes from Cooperstown, allowing you to easily build a longer Central New York itinerary around the visit, including stops along the Cooperstown Beverage Trail or Central New York Cheese Trail.
Why fall is the perfect time to go
The timing of this year’s No. 1 ranking couldn’t be better.
We’re heading into the heart of apple and cider season in Upstate New York, when the surrounding countryside starts filling in with fall color and the mill’s cider-making operation is particularly relevant to a foliage-filled weekend.
Even more, the East Coast is expected to have a “long, spectacular” fall foliage season in 2026, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac!
Fly Creek itself is part of the Cooperstown area, which means the trip can easily become a full weekend of small town wandering, fall foliage, food, drinks, and historic attractions.
What to know before you go
📍 Where: Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard, 288 Goose St., Fly Creek, NY 13337
🚗 From NYC: About 4 hours by car
🍎 What it’s known for: Hard cider, apple wines, fresh cider, baked goods, specialty foods, historic cider-making, and family-friendly activities
🏆 2026 USA TODAY ranking: No. 1 Best Cidery in the U.S.
For more information and current visitor details, check the Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard website before heading out.