There is a moment on a spring evening in the orchard when the light fades and the rows of trees shift from familiar to something else. We have walked these rows for five generations. On Saturday 31 October, we are opening the gates for just fifty guests to experience The Dark Orchard, a six-course Halloween dinner at our Cellar Door in Spreyton, North West Tasmania.
This is not a standard dinner. It’s a long-table experience built around one rare cider apple: the Kingston Black and Hellyers Road Whiskey.
Why one apple gets a whole dinner
Most cider is a blend. Different apple varieties are mixed to balance sugar, acid and tannin. The Kingston Black doesn’t need that help. Cider makers call it a bittersharp; it carries all three qualities in a single fruit. That combination is rare, which is why it’s been known as the king of cider apples for more than a century.
It’s also difficult. The trees crop unevenly and are fussy about soil and climate. Many orchards have stopped growing it. We haven’t. When Kingston Black is grown and fermented properly, nothing else tastes like it.
Kingston Black Barrel Aged Cider & Hellyers Road Whisky
Our Kingston Black Barrel Aged cider spends six months in whisky barrels from Hellyers Road, just up the road.
Here is what that means in plain terms. Oak barrels are not completely sealed. They breathe, and the wood retains some of the whisky it previously held. Six months in a whisky barrel softens the cider’s edges and adds warmth, vanilla and a bit of smoke. The apple is still the star, but it’s wearing a coat.
It finishes at 9.8% ABV and is bottle-conditioned in champagne bottles. We only made 1,440. That relationship between Kingston Black apple and Hellyers Road whisky is the foundation of the entire night, and it is selling fast.
The evening
The Food. Head Chef Josh Cox is creating six courses specifically matched to Kingston Black cider and Hellyers Road whisky. Every dish is designed to sit alongside the drink poured with it. The full menu will be released closer to the night.
The drinks. Six carefully chosen pours, one with each course. Expect our Kingston Black ciders, Hellyers Road whiskies, plus selected wines, ciders and cocktails. The Hellyers Road team will be on site to talk through their side of the collaboration.
The music. The Lumina String Quartet plays live as the light goes. Strings in an orchard after dark is a particular kind of thing.
The dress code. Gothic glamour. Dark florals, velvet, lace, old finery and a bit of the macabre. Nobody is checking at the door, but the room is better when everyone leans into it.
Why fifty seats
Fifty is the number that makes The Dark Orchard work. Everyone sits at the same table, close enough to talk, close enough to hear Josh explain each course as it arrives. It’s the difference between a dinner and a function. It also gives Josh the freedom to cook without compromise: six courses, fifty plates and every detail delivered as intended
Tickets are $200 per person.
Book your tickets here
Finding us
We’re at 6 Melrose Road, Spreyton, about ten minutes from Devonport. Devonport Airport and the Spirit of Tasmania terminal are both close by, and Launceston is around an hour and a half up the highway.
If you’re travelling, there’s good accommodation in Devonport and Latrobe. Six pours is a generous night, so sort your bed or your lift before you come.
If you miss out
The good news is that the cider doesn’t only exist on one night in October. You can taste the Kingston Black range at our cellar door any day we’re open, alongside the rest of what we make. We’re a working orchard, not a bar with a view, and the tasting is better for it.
You can also order online and have it sent to your door anywhere in mainland Australia. If the Kingston Black Barrel Aged is the one that has your attention, that’s where to start.
[Book your seat at The Dark Orchard]
[Shop the Kingston Black range]
