Using apples from Paradise, Hobbled Dog Cidery expects to begin offering both classic and unique hard cider blends at a new taproom in Logan this summer.
Founder Ben Kuethe began making wine with friends years ago, experimenting with fruits like plums and strawberries. In 2014, he and his partner, Lori, bought 10 acres in the Cache County town of Paradise, their website explains.
They began planting cider apple trees the next spring, and they’ve since developed a range of filtered and unfiltered ciders with their own apples and fruit from elsewhere.
In late January, Hobbled Dog Cider received a manufacturing license from the Department of Alcoholic Beverages Services to ferment cider at 918 W. 700 North, Suite 110 in Logan.
In celebration, Hobbled Dog posted images on Facebook of its gleaming tanks going up in the space. “We can’t wait for you to experience the cozy, welcoming vibe we’re creating (and, of course, the cider you’ll sip here soon!),” the business posted.
Kuethe told The Salt Lake Tribune he’s ready to start creating the first commercial batches.
( Lori Spears | Hobbled Dog Cider) Ben Kuethe, a founder of Hobbled Dog Cidery, offered samples at a Utah cider tasting at Fisher Brewing Company in Salt Lake City in October. Hobbled Dog Cidery is expected to open in Logan this summer.
“It’ll probably be a couple months until we open,” Kuethe said. “If you rush the product too quickly, it affects the flavors, so we want to take a little bit more time, get some stock built — then open up.”
Hobbled Dog uses more than a dozen apple varieties, according to its website; its modern ciders include botanicals or other fruits. A Friday post on its Facebook page showed the process getting underway.
In Cache County, the new cider source joins Slide Ridge Winery in Mendon, which makes honey wines, and Prodigy Brewing, which makes craft beers in Logan. Home Range Brewing, a brewery and community taproom space, has its alcohol license but remains under construction in the historic Arimo Block building in Logan.
Another new Utah cidery expects to start sales this year — Dendric Estate, located on 20 acres in Marion, in the Kamas Valley. It announced in December that it had completed its first “crush and press” season and its cider will be available to purchase in mid-2025.
Utah’s current cider scene also includes Mountain West Hard Cider in Salt Lake City, which recently launched its first wines, and Etta Place Cider, which opened a new taproom in Torrey last year.
Newer spots include Second Summit Hard Cider Company, which includes outdoor pickleball courts it’s now covering in Millcreek, and Thieves Guild Cidery, themed around fantasy and magic, which recently opened in Salt Lake City as Utah’s first “experience” bar.
