About Oak Tree Orchard

Oak Tree Orchard crafts the finest hard ciders while respecting the terroir and fruit of Lancaster County. Our small estate orchard in Manheim, PA, consists of approximately 20 varieties of heirloom and cider-specific apples. Highlights include: Golden Russet, Harrison, Franklin, Ashmead’s Kernel, Wickson Crab, and three red-fleshed varieties! The orchard was planted in 2022, so is a few years away from bearing fruit for our first estate lineup of ciders. Our “Pub Cider” lineup was first released in 2026 and is a trio of Modern Ciders for which we source apples and fresh-pressed juice from Lancaster County orchards.

About the Cidermaker

Jason’s first recollection of wanting to farm came around the age of 10 when—walking through the local IGA with his mother—he noticed that a packet of pumpkin seeds sold for $0.25 while a pumpkin sold for two whole dollars. Now this was a way to make some serious money!

The eventual path to farming was a bit convoluted and never involved pumpkins, though included many life experiences that helped him build Oak Tree Orchard. Formally trained in chemistry, his background as a PhD chemist certainly impacts the ciders. Jason’s guiding principle in the winery is to respect the fruit and to create the best cider hidden within. Jason is an American Cider Association Certified Pommelier, one of 178 in the world (as of February 2026).