Dog-Friendly Hard Cider in North Georgia

Reece's Cider and Mercier cider bottles on the cabin wall rack at Headwaters in Suches GA — Photo: Headwaters · Suches, GA

Ellijay calls itself the apple capital of Georgia, and it earns it. Blue Ridge is right next door. Together this corner of North Georgia has a legitimate hard cider scene: small, local, made from fruit grown nearby. If cider is your drink, you are in the right place. Both cideries below are dog-friendly and both have a bottle refill system worth knowing about before you go.

Reece's Cider Company

East Ellijay, GA · Hwy 52 · Hard Cider

The first cidery in Ellijay. Reece's grows, presses, ferments, and packages their cider on site. The setup is more of a hang: outdoor picnic tables, an indoor taproom, live music on weekends, and food trucks on site. Leashed dogs are welcome anywhere on the property. Water bowls are out.

Leashed dogs welcome everywhere on the property
Water bowls provided
Indoor and outdoor seating
Live music and food trucks on weekends. Call ahead for schedule.
Glass bottle cider available to take with you

reecescidercompany.com →

Mercier Orchards

Blue Ridge, GA · Hard Cider & Fruit Wine

A working orchard that has been in the same family since 1943. Mercier grows the apples, presses them, and ferments on site. The hard cider deck overlooks the orchard and a pond. Leashed dogs are welcome on the deck and around the grounds outside the market. Water is provided.

The market itself is worth a stop: fresh-pressed juice, produce, baked goods, and more varieties of apple than most people knew existed. Dogs are not allowed inside the market or in the u-pick orchard areas, but the deck is a good place to land with a glass while someone browses inside.

Leashed dogs welcome on the Hard Cider Deck and by the pond
Dogs not allowed inside the market or in the u-pick orchard
Water provided for dogs
Glass bottle cider available to take with you

mercier-orchards.com →

The bottle tip: Both Reece's and Mercier sell their cider in glass bottles. Buy it at full price, bring the bottle back, and they refill it for less.

Designated driver note: Uber and Lyft do not operate in this part of North Georgia. If you are planning to stop at both cideries, a wine tour service is worth considering. Most cover cider stops too. A few that operate in the area: North Georgia Wine Tours, A Grape View Tours, DahloneGO, and DSH Transportation. Weekend tours book up in the fall.

Reece's Cider and Mercier cider bottles on the wall rack at Headwaters cabin in Suches GA

Featured Host Staying at Toccoa Currents? Both cabins have glass cider bottles waiting.

We bought bottles at Reece's and Mercier, drank the cider, washed the bottles, and left them at both cabins. Guests have never mentioned it, but there are more bottles now than we drank. Someone is putting them to good use. Check the cabin before you head out. If there are bottles, they are yours to use. Just leave an empty one behind when you go.

Book Headwaters · Book Fish Head Lodge

Apple Country Pours Well

Two cideries, two stops, one bottle each. Not a bad afternoon with a dog in the mountains.

Toccoa Currents curates mountain cabins across North Georgia, from riverfront retreats to ridge-top hideaways near Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, Helen, and Ellijay.