Co-founders Jay and Judy Watson opened Indigeny Reserve to the public in 2012. Son Joe is the Orchard Manager, Cider Maker and Chief Lab Technician, while son Ben works as the Facilities Engineer. The 160 acre apple ranch on Summers Lane that is home to Indigeny Reserve has gone through the three-year process of pruning and organic certification. It now boasts 20,000 Granny Smiths (used in Indigeny’s crisp hard cider), 400 Red Rome and 7,000 Honeycrisps.

Visitors can see the brandy production part of the operation, which includes a distilling room with a double-pot copper still and the barrel room, where the brandy ages in 55-gallon American oak barrels. The certified organic oak-aged apple brandy, initially released in 2013, comes in distinctive light gold and red 750ml bottles.

In addition to the tasting room, cidery, distillery and gift shop, the Watsons have developed the 160-acre ranch into a retreat for visitors to enjoy, complete with a park-like setting, tree-lined paths, a covered bridge, picnic grounds and two mile-and-a-half hiking trails; one of them passing an old mine and offering Phoenix Lake views.