3 minute read
Keepsake Cidery
by Kate Noet
adds local offerings to its menu of beverages, food and events
By PAMELA THOMPSON pamela.thompson@apgsomn.com
On a hot, dry Sunday morning in early June, watering the pear trees imported from England and training new hires for the cider tasting room were only two of the dozens of tasks for Keepsake Cidery owners Nate and Tracy Jonkman.
But those chores were delayed for an hour thanks to the morning yoga class taught by Sarah Bach-Bergs inside their events barn.
With the barn doors thrown open to catch the breeze, the sounds of songbirds trilling and horses naying offered a naturally melodious backdrop to the meditative with flow yoga class.
Since they opened the Cidery in 2014, which is located east of Highway 3 south of Dundas at 4609 135th St. E., the Jonkmans have been tweaking their business model by adding new activities and events. Their website is crammed with fun summer offerings — for the whole family, for couples, for friend groups, for celebrations, and for single tasters.
There seems to be something for everyone at Keepsake.
Land of locals
“Our cider is about relationships both to people and the land,” said the couple on a walk through the pear orchard which is planted next to the larger apple orchard.
“We love food, community and nature,” said Nate. “We believe in supporting small, diverse, local producers. We want to increase the connection points so we’re always adding more unique collaborations.”
The Cidery owners said they were pleased to announce the latest collaborations this summer will extend to local cheesemakers, fiber artists, brewers and sheep farmers.
“We want the cidery to be a reflection of ourselves and how we use the land,” Nate said. “We want to be a creative, happening place, featuring a diversity of businesses.”
The couple explained that the cidery was open for small groups of about 100 people. Those events might be celebrating a class reunion, an intimate wedding, a graduation or a birthday party.
They said their interior spaces can handle business meetings, small conferences or workshops. Interested parties should consult their website and call to lock in the date on the increasingly filled calendar.
“We are not Target,” said Nate, referring to the retail giant. “We operate on a personal level. We’re showing the public that not all southern Minnesota farms have to grow only corn and soybeans.”
Tasting room
After a yoga class, an orchard walk or a game of corn hole, most visitors end up in the tasting room. Along with a lengthy beverage menu, food items include melt in the mouth toasties, made from the cheeses, breads and meats sourced from local producers.
“We offer simple ingredients well made that are available seasonally and are nearly all locally grown and made,” said Tracy.
Other seasonal food offerings include cheese plates, a mezze platter, an olive plate, and the Ploughman’s Platter with salami, ham, cheddar, pickles, grilled bread, apple, hummus with crackers, cheese curds and assorted pickles.
The popular toasties are made with a variety of cheeses and meats. The menu always includes vegetarian options.
Keepsake’s current cider list is divided into dry, semi sweet and strong. The options for dry cider includes information about the type of fruit and process used. The detailed menu reads like an agricultural tool kit with clever names such as Wild, River Valley Reserve and Orchard Reserve. The owners encourage multiple tastings and always to ask the staff questions.
This summer, some of the more popular drinks are the Chestnut SV, made with chestnut crab single varietal, the Sunset, which is aged on currants, aronia, and grapes, and the Cherry, aged on welch garden cherries.
More curious palettes might want to try Adventure, which is made with heirloom and bittersweets, plus wood and spirits, and aged on whiskey oak staves. Or they could try Happenstance, which is aged on foraged Wild Cherry Bark and stored in a J Carver Gin Barrel.
For a more festive drink, try the Aura, a Champagne style, high-acid with bubbles and tannin.
Keepsake has added a homemade wine, Frontenac Red. But this year’s big news is that the cidery also serves guest wine and beers, after the owners secured a liquor license.
“We always have Imminent Brewing on tap,” said Nate, “as well as rotating special blends available only at the cidery.”
