Palladino Farms & Heritage Hill Brewhouse in Pompey celebrated their 175th anniversary with an Oktoberfest celebration this weekend.

Fresh apple cider was a big hit Sunday.

What You Need To Know

  • Jack Cummings started pressing apples himself eight years ago with the machine he hand built

  • He makes about 500 gallons of cider during apple season

  • Cummings made about 60 gallons over the weekend 

For Jack Cummings, pressing apples is no easy task. But with the help of his 12-year-old daughter and her friends, they make fresh apple cider that customers love.

“We tried just doing one apple and it’s just really plain,” mechanical engineer Jack Cummings said. “When you mix them, it just spices it up.”

Cummings started pressing apples himself eight years ago with the machine he hand built. The hobby started for him at the age of 5, when he would make cider with his dad. Now, he is teaching his daughter.

“Any neighbors that has an orchard, I ask if I can make the apple cider,” Cummings said. “They say ‘yes, we’re not doing anything with them.’ So they love it when I bring back a couple gallons of cider.”

It’s all about the right pairing of apples and pressing them properly that makes for that perfect sip.

Cummings made about 60 gallons over the weekend. During apple season, he typically makes a bath of about 500 gallons.