2 days Ago By By STEVE BUCHIERE [email protected]
J ERUSALEM — In the steep hills above Keuka Lake that were once filled with vineyards is a new family-owned cidery. Treetops Cidery, located on the narrow and winding East Bluff Drive, has opened — but it almost didn’t happen. The cidery, launched by brothers Doug and Eric Geertz and their parents, Jean and Sid, faced significant headwinds prior to its opening on six acres of land Jean and Sid purchased in 2001.
Doug had been dabbling in cider-making for some time and getting considerable encouragement from Eric, a pilot with American Airlines, and their friends, who were more than happy to sample his creations. However, Doug didn’t envision it as a way to make some money — or maybe even a living, at least not at this stage of his life. “(Cider-making) was kind of a retirement plan,” he said while sitting in the cozy tasting room with his mother, Jean, last week.
A biochemistry major at Villanova, Doug was working in cancer research in a lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City when covid hit in March 2020. “At that point, Mt.
Sinai closed all of their labs due to covid, and I was working remotely until May 2020,” he explained. “And then realized I wanted to go all in on the cidery, so I left the city in September 2020 to finish the rest of the construction, apply for licenses, order fermentation tanks and equipment, etc.” He said he completed a large chunk of the construction on the tasting room during the two months of remote work.
Treetops Cidery LLC was formed in October 2020, and an application to the State Liquor Authority was filed the following fall. In 2022, the Liquor Authority delivered a conditional letter of approval and the Town of Jerusalem issued an operating permit. They were on their way to opening a farm cidery.
Or so they thought. Neighbors began sharing concerns about the cidery with the town Zoning and Planning boards, Doug and Jean relayed. In July 2022, after the Geertzes had been asked to apply for a special-use permit, their application was rejected.
The Geertzes decided to fight the decision in court, but ultimately dropped the effort. Instead, with the property in a county-designated agricultural district, they enlisted the help of the New York Farm Bureau — specifically, Mark James, Region 4’s relations and development director, who told them state law was on their side. The property was in the county-designated agricultural district, making the farm cidery an approved use.
However, the agricultural district where the farm is located was scheduled for an eight-year review, and Jerusalem requested the county Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board remove the Geertzes’ farm from the district. That’s when the Yates County Farm Bureau, of which Tree Tops Cidery is now a member, stepped in. The bureau successfully lobbied the County Legislature to keep the farm cidery in the district.
Final approval from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets followed in May of this year, and the town ultimately decided against taking additional action to stop business from opening. Jean could not thank the Farm Bureau and James enough for their support. “They helped us so much,” she said.
“(Mark) worked diligently on our farm cideries’ behalf.” They also noted the assistance of State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-58 of Big Flats.
“He was super helpful,” Doug added. Jerusalem Supervisor Jamie Sisson did not respond to a request for comment as of Friday morning. With the battle over, Treetops Cidery could finally begin doing what it planned all time: Make cider, which makes the family happy.
Doug, who also makes and sells maple syrup, said he enjoys the process. “It’s always cool to make something from nothing,” he said. Well, in the case of Treetops Cidery, he’s making “something” from the organic apples they grow from orchards they purchased.
“We’re basically doing it top to bottom,” he said. They have a rotating line of flavors, some of which are infused with other fruits, including Grape Escape, a concord grape cider; Pineapple Sip of Sunshine; Scorched Mango; Paradise Place with pear juice; Lake Life Strawberry Lemonade; and OG Apple, a more traditional cider. “They will change seasonally,” Doug noted, adding they hope to add a couple craft beers to their 12 available taps as well in time.
“We’re going to start experimenting with wine as well.” The reception by customers in the little time Treetops has been open is encouraging, Doug said. “Everyone’s saying good things,” he said.
“We have had 30 so far as the most in our tasting room.” Doug admits the ordeal with the town still stings, but Jean said it is time to move on. They hope that, over time, those who opposed the cidery will see that they want to be good neighbors.
“It’s a very small, low-key operation,” Jean said. “We’re going to be very respectful and responsible.”.
