From Orchard to Glass: The Art of Cider-Making

Botanist and Barrel is a blueberry farm, cidery, winery, and a social gathering venue located in Cedar Grove, 15 minutes outside Hillsborough. The owners, Kether Smith and Deric McGuffey met at a culinary school in Asheville more than 20 years ago, where they fell in love. Their mutual passion in cooking and experimentation led them to discover a shared interest in cider-making. The family bought a blueberry farm with a warehouse without knowing what to do with it at first.

After some time, they decided to turn it into a cidery. Opened in 2014, Botanist and Barrel began production in 2016, having 8 barrels in their warehouse with a 5000-liter tank space. Currently the warehouse has approximately 60 barrels and over another 20,000 liters of tank capacity for producing ciders and wines. Moreover, Botanist and Barrel serves as a social hub, hosting weekly events such as pizza nights and concerts on Sundays, letting the visitors spend a great time while tasting their delicious ciders.