What a great family-run business, if you're in Ann Arbor it's about 30-40 minutes away but worth the trip. They've moved into a large barn from a much smaller building, and you can sit out in the orchard to enjoy your cider, donuts, etc. They grow 100+ varieties of apples including many heirloom and also have a tasting room for hard cider and wine - also in a historic barn. If you're remotely in the area definitely check out Alber Orchard & Cider Mill, it's a great visit and a great business to support. read more

Cute place. Lots of unusual apple varieties Unfortunately you aren't allowed to select and bag your own apples. They have someone do it, and that person has a habit of grabbing the apples with his fingernails which cuts into the apples. ALL of the apples. This happened over two seasons. Several people I know have had this same issue. A group of about 10 people left the line when they noticed it happening. I would love to make this go-to orchard but because of this hygiene issue, I just can't. And in case you wonder-they've been told it's an issue. They don't care I guess. read more

Alber Orchard & Cider Mill - Every single apple had to be tossed because of these nail marks. Sooo gross - Attraction Farms Near Me - Manchester, Michigan

See all

Great cider and hard ciders. Been back within a week. They are now open on just the weekends. The season is almost over. read more

Fall is my favorite time of the year and I love a good apple orchard. I had never heard of albers until a friend recommended it. It was a bit of a drive but ABSOLUTELY worth it. They have a winery with live music, an apple orchard, hayrides...the whole 9 yards. I bought a bag of apples, a quart of cider and some donuts! While I was waiting in line they offered free samples of cider and donuts and apples, so I already knew I would love everything I was buying. it was a very special day and I can't wait for next fall to come back. read more

See all

Having now been to several cider mills, I can say that this has been the best place I've been to. Alber is off the beaten path down a dirt road and seemed to have a good local following the day we stopped by. The cider here was very tasty with a depth of flavor that I haven't gotten at other places. The donuts are the best of what I've tried in the area. We really liked having a picnic table with a view to enjoy our cider and donuts. We were also impressed to hear about the large variety of apples which are grown here, but I won't spoil it for you. Go here! Drink the cider! Oh! And the hot apple cider "all the way" is amazing if you like sweet things. I will be back before the season is over! read more

See all

Real orchard with cider, donuts, pumpkins and apples (pick your own or pre-picked). Don't let the location off a quiet country dirt road fool you - the place can get hopping on weekends. If the weather is cool, grab a cup of hot cider and a cinnamon sugar donut before taking a stroll through the orchard. Sturdy footwear is recommended if you plan to walk around outside as there are some muddy spots. Back inside, sample some fresh apple slices before choosing which varieties to take home. Standard apple varieties include Empire and Northern Spy, or you can take home some heirloom apples in a variety of sizes and colors. Kids will love the pumpkin patch and tractor rides. Quintessential Michigan fall experience! read more

See all

The ambiance was beautiful and the cider was enjoyable. The young lady serving donuts and cider swiped at her nose and touched her face several times while serving us. The donuts tasted terribly stale. read more

We managed to get there in the last couple of weeks of apple season and I'm so glad we did. There was a huge array of apples in crates, including a ton of heirloom varieties to taste and buy. Many thanks to the woman next to me who muttered "I've been waiting all year for this" and inadvertently let me know which ones I wanted. So delicious. They also had donuts, cider, and other various goodies (we left with some cider and wish we'd had room for more). The orchard is beautiful and I want to come back earlier in the season. It looks like they have some really established trees, too, with more apples than I'd ever seen on one tree. There were pumpkins and some other fall stuff as well for families to enjoy outdoors. On the other side was the winery where we tried a flight of four different hard ciders - all delicious - and left with glass howlers of pear and raspberry, respectively. (They didn't last long at home and I want more) All in all a beautiful experience and I'd drive back out there any time. read more

Alber Orchard & Cider Mill - A rather large apple tree of unknown variety, laden with apples. - Attraction Farms Near Me - Manchester, Michigan

See all

If first impressions indicate the things to come, then Alber Orchard should be at the top of your list. Although it is hard to call any farm "immaculate", this comes as close as you can get. Excellent products(if you want the very best apple for pie making, their Jonagold is the tops.) Unpasterized cider makes all the rest taste like expensive apple juice. It may be a bit off the beaten path, but you will thank me for leading you there. read more

Literally, the best cider I've ever had. Must come here! I always look forward to coming here and the customer service is excellent!

We had the best apple cider with caramel and whipped cream. And the apple cinnamon donuts were just terrific with the crunchy crystalline sugar on the outside and a moist inside. We even tried the homemade tamales and enjoyed the homemade sauces. It's a cute orchard with wagon rides and pumpkins. Didn't pick apples there or do the corn maze but would have if had more time. Had a Lovely time there. read more

Excellent family fun, cost effective, friendly, personal; made my entire family feel like we were the only ones there, hay rides and even the process of watching pressed cider made!! There is also Apple sampling, corn maze, and Bunnies!!! I would highly recommend Alber Orchard for an excellent fun time that is cost effective for the family off the beaten path! Dr. Kirk David Duncan read more

See all

A mellow, no-frills cider mill. They've got cider, and they've got donuts. Animals were minimal --- 2 rabbits in a small hutch when we visited --- and the farm store has some out-of-place items like plastic toy cars filled with gumball-like candy. There's a small hay-bale maze for small kids, and a larger corn maize for bigger ones; we only explored the hay bales this time around. This place hit a nice balance --- more grass and farm feel and fewer bees than the Dexter Cider Mill, fewer crowds and parking hassles than something like Three Cedars Farm in Northville. There was a slightly boisterous high school track team when we arrived, but they cleared out and let us have the bench swing to ourselves for a while. Solid, mellow fun. read more

I was looking for a quiet orchard to visit with my girls for cider and donuts. Alber orchard was practically perfect! The cider is the best I've had in years, maybe ever. The surroundings were pretty, and I very much appreciated the lack of loud, commercialized attractions like most orchards have. I would love if the owners would consider planting a small u-pick plot in the future, but their orchard mainly grows rare, heirloom apples so I understand not wanting to offer u-pick at this time. Speaking of heirloom apples, the Pink Pearl variety they grow is delicious and beautiful. Be sure to try them if they're in season when you visit! I plan to make visiting Alber Orchard a fall tradition. read more

Really delicious apples, caramel apples, cider, and donuts. The hayride was really great. Will be making this a call stop every year from now on. read more

Alber's is a delightful cider mill that is perfect for a fall afternoon excursion. Start with a hayride around the orchard and then check out the cider press. The day we were there they were making cider. You can watch the press behind a glass viewing window. The owner was happy to tell us all a little about the press and his business. In the barn where the cider press is there were doughnuts, cider, apples, etc available to buy. Everything we tried was delicious. There is also a corn maze that looks huge. I can't remember how much admission was for that. I have watched Children of the Corn one too many times to go in it. read more

See all

Nice old orchard. Excellent apples, wide range of heirloom and conventional varieties. They're constantly working on improving the location and adding amenities, so for example one of the older reviews that dings them for not having seating is no longer valid because they've added several benches and picnic tables. The big project they have going right now is moving and reconstructing their centennial barn into an event space. No U-pick, they're protective of their trees. Cider is quite good, as were donuts. They have seasonal attractions like a corn maze and hayride as well. Reasonable prices. Worth the trip for an authentic family-owned orchard experience. read more

Very nice Apple orchard that is in the middle of no where. Hard to get to but worth the drive. Hay rides, corn maze, apple cider, pumpkin donuts along with other select yummy donuts, and a great view! I saw you could even have a wedding here, there was a nice white gazebo with some space in within the apple trees. While I was there they started to mash the apples to make the cider which was very cool to see. read more

See all

I love this place. You can pick, you can just buy, and they have very nice people working there. The little store has some other goodies too: donuts, cider, jams, honey, popcorn, and more. Lovely way to spend some time out in the country. read more

This place is amazing, the real deal. The owners and staff are friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and responsive to the tastes of the customers. And what a perfect experience! On the day I was there a small string ensemble set the poetic scene as we sampled the many varieties of apples. And each apple was lovingly polished before bagging. The perfect Autumn treat. read more

A disappointing visit - twice Every fall when the leaves start to change color, we like to take my elderly mother-in-law to a cider mill and buy cider and donuts. For me, a perfect trip to the cider mill means a drive through the country that ends with sitting at a picnic table with a bag of freshly made donuts and a glass of cool cider. Based on high reviews from Yelp, we chose Alber Cider Mill. It involves a nice drive through the country (about 25 minutes) but getting Mom out is such a big deal we try to make sure it will be a real success. On our first visit, in the fall of 2013, we went on a Friday and arrived in the afternoon. When we got there at about 3:30 pm, they were out of donuts and there was no place to sit (a real issue at her age). The place was nearly deserted. We purchased a gallon of cider and a bag of caramel popcorn. We looked at the cider press, which was very impressive, but Mom could not make it up the stairs, so she went back to the car to sit. As we left, Mom asked about the donuts. We told her they were out, and stopped at the grocery store to get some. For me, it was a disappointing trip. This year, 2014, we decided to try again. We went on Sunday. I called ahead, at about 2:30 in the afternoon, to make sure they had donuts. They assured me that they did. They said that there was a long line of people buying donuts as we spoke, and we should come by - they closed at 6:00 pm. It took about an hour to get Mom, her friend, and her dog into the car. We headed off into the countryside. The leaves were changing, the clouds were beautiful, and our hopes for a fun trip to the cider mill were high. Having learned from our mistake in 2013, we packed our own cups and napkins. When we got there at 3:30, the place was busy. We went straight to the store and found out they had NO donuts. I asked why. I explained that I had called at 2:30 pm and was told they had lots of donuts. The young lady at the register didn't know who I had spoken to, but said they had actually run out of donuts at about 2:00 pm. That means that whoever I spoke to at 2:30 had not even bothered to check their remaining stock of donuts - another disappointing day. We left Alber's with 2 half gallon bottles of cider in the trunk and went home. To me, the whole point of a cider mill is the atmosphere. I can buy cider in my grocery store. What I want is the atmosphere. I want cool cider, hot donuts, and a place to sit and enjoy them. Albers is not that place. There were lots of families that were enjoying the corn maze. They seemed to be having fun. Based on our experience at Alber Cider Mill, I can only recommended it if you are young and get there early in the day. I have still not tasted the donuts but the cider and apples are good. The layout is not. If you cannot climb stairs you cannot see the one really special item, the apple press. If you need to sit, bring your own chair or sit on the ground. If you want to enjoy the countryside (which is very pretty and very isolated) expect to do it standing up. read more

I'll admit it. I'm a fan. Alber is kind of a hike for those of us around Ann Arbor, but it's so much more fun that the overcrowded heavily-commercialized places closer by (*cough* Wiard's *cough* Dexter). The cider, pressed in their antique (but modernized) press is delicious and reasonably-priced (which makes up for the cost of the fuel to get out there and back). Get there at the right hour and you can watch them pressing! The doughnuts are excellent and they have plenty of crisp juicy apples for sale, as well. If you want jams, jellies, maple syrup, local honey and such, they have a nice assortment. Alber's runs from September until the weekend before Thanksgiving, so get your cider fix before the turkey gets roasted! Two weekends before Thanksgiving is the last time for fresh doughnuts - important to know if you have a weakness for those rings of cinnamon goodness like we do. They're in the process this fall & winter of moving the massive old barn that has been next to the cider mill. It's being disassembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle and will be reborn out in their orchard as an indoor event space. I can't wait to see it! read more

A small somewhat remote cider mill located in Manchester. They have many different varieties of apples (140 heirloom and common), some of which you may never have heard of but they have tasting samples which was nice. I ended up with Northern Spy and Wolf River in a half peck bag. Also got some cider which was very good as well. They have animal petting and hay rides for the kids as well as pumpkins, gourds, preserves, popcorn, donuts, and more. It's a very nice and friendly place that's not overwhelmed by all of the things you see at the big orchards. A nice family run cider mill. read more

Very welcoming atmosphere with a good variety of products. We stumbled upon this apple orchard by chance and was very pleased. Not overcrowded like most Southeast Michigan Apple orchards. read more

Love the location and the staff was very friendly. The cider was pretty good...I just wish that they made their donuts fresh so you would have warm ones with your cider. We will be back for sure. Prices were better then other cider mills that we have been to this season. read more

The best place to take your family if you are looking for local honey, Iarge pumpkins and great hospitality. The hay ride is perfectly timed and provides a great view of the farm. The smell of the orchard comes from the many different varieties of apples that you can pick right from the tree yourself. read more