Angry Orchard Cider House

There's nothing quite like enjoying a cider made with apples from an orchard that's steps away. A centuries-old tradition, hard cider is realizing a popular revival, and Angry Orchard is a favorite among many cider enthusiasts. Located on a 60-acre orchard in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York, the 8,000 SF cider house is a destination for cider lovers from near and far, especially urbanites in need of a pastoral getaway. Visitors to the Cider House can experience a behind-the-scenes exploration of how cider is made, a tour of the cider cellar, and an in-depth tasting of limited-release and experimental new ciders.

Angry Orchard set out to reposition their cider property in Walden, NY, to better accommodate their growing popularity and agritourism opportunities. Although the space is still relatively new, the design improvements underscore efficiency, increase capacity, and elevate the visitor experience. Bergmeyer was asked to create an expanded, multi-functional space aligned with the Angry Orchard brand for visitors to enjoy exclusive cider offerings and complement their year-round events. Throughout the project, we worked closely as a team to ensure that we understood the client’s needs and aspirations, our measured approach to suggesting informed design decisions.

How do you reimagine an existing beautiful space, designed in the local agricultural vernacular, and make interior improvements that amplify the brand? Our design team grafted the old and new by developing new areas that were true to the brand without upstaging the building's design aesthetic. The thoughtful, modern, and straightforward approach was to add to and accentuate the building's existing appeal.

The project's scope includes a targeted upgrade of specific areas spanning over two floors, vastly improving the guest experience. Considerations included: a new check-in reception area with branded signage and wayfinding for safe visiting, a new tasting bar with an expanded tap line capacity and customer seating, a redesign of the retail space, a new retail and food transaction area, as well as a new (permanent) ground floor tasting bar. Additions to the exterior elevated the cidery experience, including a food truck area and a redesigned first-floor patio with a gas fireplace as the central focal point. Practical enhancements such as a remodel of the offices, a retrofitted kitchen, a new employee break room area, and a new shed provide the Cider House with additional storage space for seasonal furniture.

Understandably, Angry Orchard wanted the cidery to remain open and functional throughout the construction process. To accommodate their business goals, our team designed and aided in planning for the proper phasing of work to allow the Cider House to operate in tandem with the interior construction. This required careful scheduling and coordination with the client, general contractor, and all vendors to manage and streamline the process while allowing the client to continue operating the Cider House.

Angry Orchard’s Innovation Cider House is a destination for anyone who appreciates the craft of cider-making while being immersed in a serene environment with a keen sense of locale. We have enjoyed both our fruitful partnership and array of ciders with Angry Orchard and look forward to future collaborations.