Metro Detroit: Northville’s Parmenter’s Cider Mill
Cider and Doughnuts and Beer oh my! It’s Friday and time for this week’s Fun Food Friday! It's that time of year and the smell of cider and doughnuts is in the air. We know there are a lot of cider mills in the area, and everyone has their favorite. If you are an East-sider you probably go to Blake’s, Franklin Cider Mill is an old standby, and there is always Spicer’s in the Hartland/Fenton area and the Dexter Cider Mill out near Dexter/Pinckney. Here in Northville we have Parmenter’s.
One thing we like about going to Parmenter’s, other than that it is close to our house, is that it is not too big. It’s only about 7 acres, compared to Blake’s which is on 120 acres, or Spicer’s which has over 200 acres. But what we really like is that they are not just a cider mill. They have also been making wine for years and 8 years ago started a micro-brewery. There is a schedule of live entertainment Wed-Sat each week and every Thursday they have Dead at the Winery with a Grateful Dead cover band that the owner is a member of. But the reason they are making it to the Fun Food Friday scene is the food trucks. They have a rotation of food trucks that appear Wed-Sat from 6-10.
We stumbled across this when Teresa and I went out for some cider and doughnuts in 2016, as many people do this time of year. After we had been gone for 3+ hours, our daughter Alyssa texted us to ask if we were OK. Well this was when we had discovered that Parmenter’s had started a microbrewery and now sell not just beer, but hard ciders and wine. We got so lost in the "day drinking" coolness of it all that we lost all track of time. Obviously COVID brought on a lot of changes to the world. You used to be able to walk into this barn, sit down at this little bar, and sample a few things before making a decision. Now, they have a walk up window, a line going down the side of the building, and picnic tables and various seating outside around the stage for the band. This little “hidden gem” that we found so many years ago, is now a full blown outside party. We couldn’t believe how many people were there! Entire families were there (including their dogs) a group of couples having a night out, and really people of all ages having good time. Our favorite part is the artist that is painting, just to the right of the stage, and grooving along with the music. It would be hard to have a bad time here!
The food truck that was there was Slow’s. This was definitely a hit with us, as we are major barbecue fans. The food was of course amazing. If you are wanting to go there, check the schedule for the band that is playing and/or the food truck that is on the schedule. I promise you won’t regret stopping by . . . and don’t forget the obligatory bag of donuts and jug of cider.
We decided to do a little research into the history of Parmenter’s. Here is a brief history, but more can be found at the link here: Parmenter’s was established in 1873 by Benijah Aldrich Parmenter and was in the Parmenter family until 1968 when it was purchased by Vern & Ruth Bodker. For those of you who grew up in Redford, you may recognize the name Bodker…They also owed Bodker’s Dairy Co. Teresa and I used to walk to school (Roosevelt Elementary) and had to walk thru the alley behind Bodker’s Dairy every day. The Bodkers started the winery in 1982. In 1991 sisters Cheryl Nelson and Diane Jones (neighbors of the Bodkers) purchased the cider mill with their husbands and ran it for the next 22 years. In 2006 Robert Nelson Jr and his Wiwife Carina (Cheryl & Robert Nelson’s son and daughter-in-law) purchased the winery. They added the microbrewery in 2014 and purchased the cider mill in 2016.
Parmenter’s is open every day 10-8 through Nov 20th 2022, and is located at 714 Baseline Rd., Northville. Northville Winery is open year round W-F 3-11, Sat 12-11 Sun 12-7 and is located at 630 Baseline Rd., Northville right next to the cider mill in a red barn. Give us a shout out if you are thinking of going there. If we are available, we will join you!
- Keith & Teresa Becker