EsoTerra Ciderworks

When you think of lush orchards and crisp apple cider, the rugged Southwest might not be the first place that springs to mind. But, tucked between Colorado’s snow-dusted peaks and high desert plateaus, you’ll find verdant lowlands, fertile valleys, and hidden apple orchards that grow heirloom fruits whose names have been lost to time. 

These orchards are remnants of Colorado’s forgotten past as one of America’s most prolific apple producers. By the turn of the 19th century, Colorado was one of the most important apple growers in the nation. When a bout of fruit diseases, late frosts, and drought struck later in the 20th century, the apple industry crumbled, but dozens of small orchards—and more than 500 unique varieties of apple—remained hidden in plain sight. Now, Colorado-based EsoTerra Ciderworks is on a mission to revive that history.  

This craft cidery was founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Jared Scott and Elizabeth Philbrick in the small riverside town of Dolores, Colorado. At that point, Scott and Philbrick were spending hours each week experimenting with their own cider recipes at home. They quickly mastered the art of traditional cider making, i.e., using nothing but apples, yeast, and time—without any added sugar or additives. Soon, they’d begun to craft cold-fermented vintages that were as complex and ethereal as the region’s finest wines.

Today, EsoTerra has expanded into a tasting room on Durango’s Main Street. The team sources all its apples from heritage orchards across the Southwest. That partnership both supports small apple growers and helps bring wildly different flavors into the Main Street tasting room, a lively spot with a modern, industrial-chic vibe. Snag a table and a charcuterie board, and be sure to order at least one flight; EsoTerra serves around 20 different house-made ciders, and none of them are to be missed.