Urban Orchard Cider Co. runs its headquarters, production and taproom out of 24 Buxton Ave on Asheville’s South Slope — a neighborhood packed with breweries and taprooms, where Urban Orchard has carved out its own identity as one of the city’s original modern cider producers. If your group wants to taste something other than beer or wine on an Asheville trip, this is the place that’s been doing craft hard cider here the longest.
From West Asheville to South Slope
Urban Orchard got its start in what was then the up-and-coming edge of West Asheville — an area now generally referred to as East-West Asheville. A local family of six started the company with a plan to change how craft cider was made in America, using local apples from Hendersonville, NC, and creative farm-to-table ingredients. Nearly five years after opening, the company outgrew that original space: in October 2019, Urban Orchard moved its production and opened its current taproom on the South Slope, where it now generates roughly 10,000 gallons of fermented base cider every four to five weeks during fall production. (Source: Urban Orchard’s own “About Us” page.)
What to Taste
Every Urban Orchard cider is aged a minimum of eight months, made from Hendersonville, NC apples, and fermented with a range of yeast strains to give each one a distinct character. The South Slope taproom’s tap list has included staples like Arid Apple (a bone-dry cider fermented with white wine yeast), Dry Ridge (green apple and tropical fruit notes), Ginger Campaign (effervescent and ginger-infused), Highland Cider (pear, elderflower and wildflower honey), Mountains to Sea (light and crisp), the habanero-and-vanilla Sidra Del Diablo, the strawberry-basil Sunglasses at Night, and a traditional unfiltered Sweet English. That list rotates with the seasons — check Urban Orchard’s current on-tap list before you go — but it’s a genuine range from bone-dry to semi-sweet, and the taproom recommends starting with a flight if it’s your first visit. They also pour wine and local Asheville beer for anyone in the group who isn’t drinking cider.
The Setting and the Experience
Urban Orchard’s South Slope taproom is built around 20 taps and a deep small-batch rotation, in a space the company describes as meant to foster conversation as much as drinking — comfortable enough to settle in with a book as much as a group of friends. The company has picked up national recognition for its cider program, including a #1 ranking as Best Place to Drink Cider in America from Food & Wine Magazine in 2017 and a #1 Best Cider Establishment in the Southeast from the United States Association of Cider Makers the same year. The taproom also functions as an event space — roughly 4,000 square feet that can hold 20 to 200 guests with seating for up to 100, available for rehearsal dinners, receptions, and corporate gatherings, with outside caterers allowed.
What Else Is Nearby
South Slope is one of Asheville’s densest concentrations of breweries and taprooms, all within walking distance of each other — which makes Urban Orchard an easy stop to pair with other South Slope stops on the same visit rather than a single destination requiring its own dedicated trip. It’s the kind of neighborhood where a private vehicle earns its keep: you can work through several stops without anyone needing to track how much they’ve had before getting back behind the wheel.
Planning Your Visit
Asheville is roughly 86 miles and about 2 hours 8 minutes from Boone via US-221, and a similar range from Banner Elk or Blowing Rock — this is a full-day trip from the High Country, not a quick run down the mountain, so plan accordingly and build the drive time into your schedule. Urban Orchard now ships cider nationwide and offers monthly cider subscriptions if your group wants to keep tasting after the trip home. As always, confirm current hours and tap list directly with Urban Orchard before you go, since both change seasonally.
Wine Tour Transportation to Urban Orchard Cider Co.
Ashe County Livery offers private, chauffeured wine tour transportation to Urban Orchard Cider Co. from Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson and across NC’s High Country. Our Urban Orchard Cider Co. trip-planning page covers drive times, tasting-room hours, group sizes and pricing.
Travel in a luxury SUV, sedan, or Sprinter van with a professional chauffeur — everyone in your group gets to taste, nobody has to drive. Plan your Urban Orchard Cider Co. tour or call (336) 484-1350.
Other High Country wineries we serve: VISUALS Wine · DSSOLVR · Noble Cider & Mead — or browse every High Country winery, cidery and meadery we provide transportation to.
Explore More from Ashe County Livery
- High Country Wine Tours — Mountain winery shuttle service
- Yadkin Valley Wine Tours — Explore NC’s premier wine region
- Wine Loop Shuttle — Hop-on hop-off winery tours
- Wedding Transportation — Luxury shuttles for your big day
- Wedding venues we serve — 40+ High Country venues
- Airport Shuttle Service — CLT, AVL, GSO & TRI transfers
- Airport shuttles by town: Boone · Blowing Rock · Banner Elk · West Jefferson · Linville · Beech Mountain
- Ashe County Livery — Premium transportation in NC’s High Country
- Request a free quote — or call (336) 484-1350
🍷 Planning a Wine Tour in the NC High Country?
Ashe County Livery offers private, luxury wine tour transportation throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skip the driving and let our professional chauffeurs take you from winery to winery in comfort and style.
Serving Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, and all NC High Country destinations • (336) 484-1350
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