During your jaunts through New England at this time of year, you might find yourself pining amongst the pines for a fresh, hot cider donut. And we all know cider donuts are not built the same. Some truly incorporate the flavor of tangy cider in their processing; others go for a general sweetness and then slather everything in a hood of crystallized sugar. A true cider donut doesn’t even need sugar on its exterior (that’s why our perennial favorite is the unsugared, flavor-filled Cold Hollow Cider Mill’s donut, which you can watch being manufactured in their cider mill in Waterbury, Vermont). Other places will box up their donuts and you can buy them the next day or the next. But self-proclaimed “cider donuteur” and Instagram influencer Alex Schwartz has made an art and a quest—and a map—out of locating New England’s freshest, hottest, most tasty cider donuts, as reported by Boston’s GBH. Let’s learn more!
Alex’s Instagram describes himself as “Just a plaid-wearing autumn man documenting his life-long mission to try every cider donut.” His map helps you locate the places throughout the New England states where you can find donuts he considers supreme. His criteria are that the donut be freshly made and fried well, and he factors in the cinnamon-sugar coating and what’s inside. Some spots on the map are orchards, bakeries, or cider mills, while others are cafes or general stores where you can buy pre-made donuts. The map was created in October of 2022 and is continually updated. As of today’s date, it has received over 4 million views. There are around 240 spots listed where you can buy freshly-made donuts, indicated by blue dots on the map, and about 35 locations of pre-made donuts for sale, shown with purple dots.
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The furthest north donut on the map is found at the Northcourt Orchard in Enosburg, VT. On the eastern front, it’s Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, ME; on the western front, it’s Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm in Sharon, CT. You’ll need a boat to get to the most southerly cider donut: it’s on Nantucket at Bartlett’s Farm.
Roll the windows down and let the chill breeze of autumn fill the car as you point it toward one of the locations on the map. New Englanders have a romantic habit of giving orchards and farms evocative names: we want to try the Windy Ridge Orchard in Haverhill, NH, the Tendercrop Farm at the Red Barn in Dover, NH, and the Windmist Farm and Hard-Pressed Cider Company in Jamestown, RI. Happy donut scouting!
Looking for another autumn fix? Don’t forget these fall foliage road trips or these fall foliage train rides—or just best places to see fall foliage in general. And this time of year, Trader Joe’s is offering seasonal specialties!