Tours
A visit to the Ralston Cider Mill includes a guided tour outlining the history of the mill from a grist mill to a cider mill and applejack distillery and the historic importance of apples to America, especially in New Jersey.
Knowledgeable docents and millers will tour the building with you to explain the interesting history and complex construction of New Jersey’s last remaining cider mill. They will demonstrate the step-by-step process of apple cider production and tell the fascinating story of how this former gristmill for grinding grains into flour and cornmeal became a cider mill producing millions of gallons of apple cider, applejack and bootleg “Jersey Lightning”. If you are interested, you might also ask about our resident ghosts, for the Ralston Cider Mill has not always been kind to its owners!
Below, you will find information about our general and specialized tours.
General Tour
The general tour includes a history of apples in America, the mill and its resurrection, and lesson on social trends leading to Prohibition. We visit the old still shed for a video on the cider making process, and then go to the restored mill’s pressing floor for a demonstration of the machinery.
Specialized Tours
Industrial Tour
The general tour includes a history of apples in America, the mill and its resurrection, and lesson on social trends leading to Prohibition. We visit the old still shed for a video on the cider making process, and then go to the restored mill’s pressing floor for a demonstration of the machinery.
Agricultural Tour
Where do apples come from? How are they grown? What makes one variety different from another?
Our Agricultural Tour focuses on apples, including their origins, cultivation, uses, and their role and importance in American history. Tours include our video and machinery demonstration for visitors to see how freshly harvested apples are made into cider.
Prohibition Tour
Our Prohibition Tour gives more attention to the cider mill’s history as a legal distillery prior to 1920 and as an illicit bootlegging site afterward. Visitors will learn about the distillation process and alcohol taxation will be discussed in more detail. In addition to general overview, video room, and pressing floor demonstration, the tour will also include the underground still room and secret garage bottling basement.