Arsenal Cider House is probably one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to. It is a “Civil War Thematic Winery.” Their specialties are hard apple cider, cider styled fruit wines, and mead, which are all hand crafted.
Arsenal Cider House is a small colonial styled house on a side street in Lawrenceville. When Keegan and I first arrived at the GPS destination I almost didn’t believe it. Luckily there was a sign out front that pointed us in the right direction. Inside there are two rooms-a main area with a bar and a back room to sit. The most notable aspect about the cider house is that it is very dedicated to its Civil War Theme. There are multiple pictures and antiques mounted on the wall. Additionally, the tap handles were designed to replicate gun barrels.
Arsenal Cider House only produces small batches so the products they have on tap are constantly changing. This encourages people to come frequently and taste all of their new concoctions. On each visit you are allowed six samples. When we went they were serving a dry champagne styled cider, two classic apple ciders, and fruit wines such as plum and sour cherry. The bartender explained each one to us and told us which ones were frequently on tap versus the more seasonal drinks. Once you settle on a drink (we chose the sour cherry) you do not simply get a glass, instead a jug is filled up for you to purchase. If you want to stay in their back room and drink you need to buy the jug and then ask for glasses. We also saw many people stop in, buy their jug, and bring it home to enjoy later, which seems to be the more common approach. The best part about Arsenal Cider’s system is that once you buy a growler you can come back to get it filled up with a discount price. There is also a punch card-for every 10 growlers you fill you get your 11th free!
To keep with their Civil War style every growler gets a personalized label with your name and a military title, mine says “Major Hiatt.” Keegan and I had a great time sitting and drinking our sour cherry wine. We actually stayed until closing, finished our growler, and got a refill to take to our BYO restaurant. It worked out really well! Because of the hours (4-8 Wednesday-Friday, 12-9 Saturday) Arsenal is a perfect place to spend time with friends before going out or an opportunity to pick up a growler for dinner. I have already been back once to get a personalized growler for Keegan as a present and loved the place just as much. Additionally, I have told my friends about it and we are making plans to visit and spend the evening talking over a jug of cider.
How to Get to Arsenal: Take the 54 bus from Craig St, get off at Penn & 39th St, walk two minutes to 300 39th St
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