Boathouse Ciderworks began back in my grandparents’ Obstruction Pass boathouse. They moved to Orcas in the 1940s, back when land was cheap and the islands served as the orchards of the cities. I have always loved to put food by, and when my late grandparents’ trees grew heavy with fruit I decided to make hard cider in the cool of their boathouse. The apples kept coming so I made several batches that year. Then my gingered hard cider won the 2015 Orcas Ciderfest Homebrew contest. My friends and family enjoyed my efforts, which included perry, pear cider, Asian pear cyder and a killer ginger ‘champagne.’

By the time the ciderworks building at the landing became available, we had accidentally discovered hard cider and hard lemonade slushies. We knew we were onto something we needed to share. And we couldn’t be happier crafting good cider and offering it at Orcas Ferry Landing.