Explore Franklin Cider Mill: A Century of Cider, Donuts, and Family Legacy

With Fall approaching, our cider mills are open and ready for your next visit. One of our favorites is Franklin Cider Mill in Bloomfield Hills (on the edge of the village of Franklin, Michigan). Read on to find out about the rich history and delicious cider.

Franklin Cider Mill won the WCSX Cider Mill Madness bracket challenge in 2022 and they wholeheartedly deserve it.  With City of the Week being in Bloomfield Hills, we decided to make this week’s celebration all about the mill that stands on the fringe of Bloomfield Hills looking across the street at Franklin.  Franklin Cider Mill: Bloomfield Hills.

The mill began construction in 1832 and was completed in 1837.  The lumber was all hand-cut.  The nails were all made by the local blacksmith.  Originally a grist mill, the Franklin Cider Mill came to be in 1918 when it was purchased by Robert McKee.  After Robert bought the mill, he brought his brother in to help. McKee’s brother also brought an old German recipe for spiced donuts with him… the same recipe is used by the mill today.  The mill became the property of the Peltz family in 1966 and has been family-owned and run ever since.  For more on the mill’s history, check out the Franklin Cider Mill website.

The history of this cider mill is also found in the people who work there. Franklin Cider Mill has quite a few second-generation employees including Kevin who runs the donut shop. He started working at the cider mill when he was a teenager. Kevin’s parents both worked at Franklin.  In fact, Kevin’s dad ran the donut shop before Kevin. I met Sergio and Sergio Jr.  Sergio met his wife while working at Franklin Cider Mill.  Sergio and his son, Sergio Jr. work together getting the apples ready for pressing.

The mill doesn’t have an orchard.  Instead, they use the best apples Michigan’s orchards have to offer.  The taste of the cider evolves through the season depending on the apples they are using and whether or not the weather has been cold enough to create a frost.  Franklin Mills uses honey crisp apples in their cider.  On top of that, Franklin offers a cider that’s made using ONLY honey crisp apples.  You can see which apples are used at what times of the season on the Franklin Cider Mill’s product page.

We hope you get a chance to enjoy Franklin Cider Mill this season. It's a gem and a part of our history and customs in Michigan. We love it!