By Carol Fisher Linn
The Mayer name is known in Ellicottville for more than cider…
Olympic Silver medalist Travis Mayer was 3 years old in 1985 when he started skiing at Holiday Valley, at 6 he joined the Holiday Valley freestyle Team and eventually went on to win a Silver medal in men’s moguls in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Although he has gone on to other endeavors beyond the cider making business, it was surely Ellicottville’s reason to become more familiar with Mayer Brothers and their wonderful cider.
Mayer Brothers is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in New York State, founded in 1852 in West Seneca, NY and is now run by a fifth generation. Jacob Mayer purchased a local apple processing mill in West Seneca to service local farmers who would bring in their apples for processing. I suppose not much has changed since that time. They continue to process only NYS apples (the best, right?). In the 1920’s they expanded to baked goods, maple syrup and other food items. They also began processing cider under their own label, Mayer Brothers, and 1936 began producing hard cider. (They no longer do.) In the 1980’s, moving right along, they acquired the Gerber Baby Food’s facility in Barker, NY. This offered more product opportunities for the line and provided additional apple processing capacity. In 1990, spring water from the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains was their newest product. In 2000 more storehouses were purchased. A good thing to know for those interested in protecting our environment is this: their facility is currently certified by Underwriters Laboratories as a virtually Zero Water to Landfill facility. This means that they have successfully diverted 98% or more of its non-hazardous waste away from landfills. Ultimately, this certification serves as a powerful corporate sustainability metric providing verified third-party proof to consumers and investors that they are running a highly circular operation that contributes almost nothing to global landfills. It seems that in today’s world, that’s a very good thing. Congratulations, Mayer Brothers.
Mayer has clients nation-wide and is the largest processor of apple cider in North America. Along with apple cider, they produce bottled water, tea, lemonade, juice and certified organic and kosher products and are a preferred supplier to many of the leading beverage companies in the world. Today, over 10,000 people visit the original 1852 historic cider mill and bakery weekly in autumn. If you can’t make it there, go online to Mayer Bros Cider Mill Store and Bakery and order to your heart’s content filling your needs and taking care of some Christmas gifts too. They are located at 1540 Seneca Creek Road, West Seneca. You can reach them by calling, 716-668-1787 or email, info@mayerbrothers.com
For those of you who live in the Southern Tier, Portville is home to Cummins Cider Mill. It also has a history: During the depression, in 1932, Verne Cummins started selling home-made cider, door-to-door in Salamanca, NY. In 1936 he opened his first official mill in Allegany; then by 1958 the business moved to its present home in Portville, and cider from a mill in the Southern Tier became tradition. As with any self-respecting cider mill, donuts and apple fritters were part of the fare, along with honey, Graves maple syrup and Cuba cheese. Cummins moved along successfully for sixty years until 2018 and then it was sold to Donald Leilous and Connie Nowak. It sat for six years and then, in September 2024, Cummins reopened with Leilous continuing to run it.
Enjoy a cup of fresh, preservative free apple cider (hot, cold or slushie), hot coffee, a special donut (17 flavors), or maybe a long john with chocolate fluff filling and chocolate frosting. Will Halloween bring out the “mummies?” It’s the perfect way to enjoy a crisp fall day. Stop by Cummins cider mill and treat yourself to the flavors of the season.
Located at 159 Portville-Ceres Road, Portville. Open 7 days per week 6am to 7pm, September through the end of November each year. Its located alongside Route 417, a short drive east from Olean and a lovely drive though the colorful Southern Tier for autumn color watchers. You can reach them by calling, 716-933-8890. Cash or check only. If you are looking for heartier fare on your way to Cummins, stop at 102-year-old Red’s and Trudy’s on the same road a few miles before Cummins and treat yourself to their trademark loose hamburger on kosher salted/buttered buns. Mmmmm, Deeelish. Ahhh, the joys of Fall!