Jeff & Nancy's Apple Cider Party FAQ

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Date, Time & Location

Concert

For Jeff & Nancy's 30^th anniversary, we are holding a concert of our wedding music the evening before the party.

• Concert Date: Friday October 16, 2026
• Time: 7:30pm
• Location: St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA (Central Square)

You can find additional information about the concert here.

Party

Here's the important info about our Apple Cider Party:

• Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
• Time: drop in any time noon to 10:00pm; pressing begins at 1:00pm, or as soon afterwards as the press is set up and ready to go! (We will confer sainthood upon anyone who's there between noon and 1:00 to help set up the press.)
• Location: Jeff & Nancy's house, 8 Little Nahant Road, Nahant.
• Weather: The party is mostly outdoors, so watch the weather forecast. We will cancel in the event of heavy rain and/or strong winds.
• Bring:
  • family members and/or close friends
  • a potluck contribution (especially if you're going to be there around lunch time)
  • musical instruments in case you want to jam

October seems to be the month for significant events in our family--we've found that it's a great time to get engaged, get married, move into a house, get pregnant, and have a baby, all of which we've done in past Octobers. This year, we are celebrating our twenty-seventh wedding anniversary.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What's your policy on health precautions?
• When is this year's cider party?
• What's the weather forecast for the party?
• Why do you have a cider party every year?
• Where/how did you acquire the cider press?
• How much cider can you make?
• What kinds of apples do you use?
• Why is your cider more oxidized (more brown) than it was with the old press?
• May I take some of the cider home with me?
• Do you pasteurize the cider? Will I get sick from drinking it?
• Should I bring apples?
• Should I bring food?
• Should I bring anything other than a potluck contribution?
• Is your house child-friendly?
• May we use the hot tub during the party?
• Don't you have a trampoline?
• Do you have wireless internet? May I use it?
• With over 100 people possibly coming to the party, is there anything I might want to know about logistics?
• Is there anything I can do to help out during the party?
• What else is there to do besides pressing cider, hot tubbing, and meeting and talking to the 100 other interesting people at the party?
• I'm allergic to bee stings. What precautions should I take?
• I'm allergic to certain kinds of furry animals. Do you have any?
• May I bring my dog?
• How do I get to your house?
• Can I get a ride from the Lynn train station/bus stop?
• Why did I get more than one copy of the invitation?
• How can I get added to (or removed from) the invitation list?

Health Protocols

What's your policy on health precautions?

Our health guidelines for the party are:

• Please do not attend if you or someone in your household has a serious, communicable illness.
• If you suspect that you might be coming down with something (or you have something minor but annoying like a cold), you are welcome to come, but please wear a mask in the house or when you are in close proximity to others.
• If you have had the flu recently, you are welcome to come provided that you have not had a fever, vomiting or (flu-related) diarrhea within the past 24 hours.

Date & Time

When is this year's cider party? How do you determine the date of your cider party?

This year's cider party, as stated above, will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026 , from noon until 10:00pm. (Drop in any time.) We will press the first drops of cider as soon after 1:00pm as we have enough people to set up the press!

The party is always on a Saturday in mid-to-late October. We try to have it close to our wedding anniversary (October 19), but the date depends on our schedules, including Jeff's orchestra performances.

Weather

What's the weather forecast for the party?

This is New England. We don't know.

You can find predictions in many places, including:

• The National Weather Service
• AccuWeather
• The Old Farmer's Almanac
• WeatherTrends 360
• The Weather Channel
• NOAA

However, you can see the current weather conditions at our house.

About the Cider Party

Why do you have a cider party every year?

This is our annual party to which we invite all of our friends from all of the groups and social circles we're involved in. Jeff bought a cider press in 1991 and had a small party that October to try it out. The party has grown since then; we often have over 100 guests!

The cider party party is a celebration of:

• Our friends & family, all of whom are invited.
• Our relationship. In past years, the party has been the first time Nancy came to Jeff's house (1994), our engagement party (1995), our wedding reception (1996), our housewarming (1997), a (secret) celebration of Margaret's conception (1999), and Laura's birth (2003).
• Apples and the other great things about Autumn in New England.

The Press

Where/how did you acquire the cider press?

Our previous cider press was a beautiful piece of 19th century manufacturing, with open gears and a cast iron flywheel. Jeff was driving through Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1991 and stopped at a flea market. The asking price was $125. How could he resist?

Unfortunately, the antique press has had more and more problems over the years, and in 2016, Jeff & Nancy decided that a new press would make a great twentieth wedding anniversary present. The new press is the same two-stage design as the old one, and was purchased from Happy Valley Ranch in Dothan, Alabama.

Quantity of Cider

How much cider can you make?

A hand-cranked cider press can make about 1-1.5 gallons per bushel of apples. Because it's possible to simultaneously grind and press separate batches of apples, we can grind and press up to 3-4 bushels per hour. 16 bushels of apples should make about 20-25 gallons of cider.

Apple Varieties

What kinds of apples do you use?

According to a Cider Apple Varieties page we found on the web:

Cider quality inevitably depends on the type of apple used. Cider is traditionally made with one third each of sweet, bittersweet, and sharp apples. The principle [sic] characteristics of cider apples which contribute to this classification are the content of phenolic compounds (tannins) and malic acid.

According to Sweet & Hard Cider, by Annie Proulx & Lew Nichols, English apple categories are defined as follows:

The high-tannin varieties are needed for "hard" cider, because these leave more flavor behind after fermentation. High tannin apples generally do not make good sweet (unfermented) ciders.

• Sweets: sweet, low-to-medium acid. Varieties include: Baldwin, Ben Davis, Cortland, Jonagold, Rambour Franc (also known as Summer Rambo), Red Delicious, Rome Beauty, Spencer, Stayman Winesap, Westfield Seek-No-Further, York Imperial.
• Aromatics: contain higher amounts of compounds that give apples their characteristic smells and flavors. Varieties include: Cox's Orange Pippin, Red Delicious, Golden Russet, Gravenstein, Liberty, McIntosh, Ribston Pippin, Roxbury Russet, Snow (Fameuse), Wealthy, Winter Banana.
• Tart (sharp): medium-to-high acid. Varieties include: Jonathan, Cox's Orange Pippin, Esopus Spitzenberg, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Paula Red, Rhode Island Greening, Wayne, Wealthy, Winesap.
• Astringent (bittersharp): high tannin. These apples are good for hard cider, but are generally left out of sweet cider mixes. Varieties include: Newtown, Lindel, Red Astrakhan. Also crab apple varieties: Martha, Dolgo, Red Siberian, Transcendant.

In general, we've found that a mix of about 40-50% sweet, 30-40% aromatic, and 10-20% tart apples makes outstanding cider. However, each year's mix depends on which varieties are available around the time of the party.

The apple varieties for the 2026 party are:

• 4 bu. McIntosh
• 4 bu. Liberty
• 4 bu. Cortland
• 4 bu. Gala

You can read descriptions of many of these varieties on the Massachusetts Apple Varieties page of the Massachusetts Farm to School's website. As usual, we purchased the apples from Bolton Orchards in Harvard, Mass.

Flavor

Why does your cider oxidize more quickly some years than others

It seems to depend on the apples themselves. Some years the cider comes out almost clear and tastes like drinking an apple. Other years, the cider starts to oxidize (turn brown) by the time we get it into the jugs.

Taking Cider Home

May I take some of the cider home with me?

Yes. Please bring your own container, up to a quart/liter. Leave as little air space as possible in the container, and be sure to drink it within a few days.

Unpasteurized Cider

Do you pasteurize the cider? Will I get sick from drinking it?

We don't pasteurize our cider, but the likelihood of your getting sick from it is minimal. There were some well-publicized incidents in Washington state in 1998, in which people got sick from E. coli that came from unpasteurized apple cider. These were probably the result of cider made from drops (apples that fell off the trees) that weren't (or couldn't be) sufficiently washed. These resulted in the FDA requiring warning labels on unpasteurized apple cider for sale.

Apples

Should I bring apples?

Only if you want to (and please let us know in advance). We typically buy 15-20 bushels of apples, and we try to make sure we have a mix of sweet and tart varieties that will make good cider. If you're going to bring a large quantity of apples (e.g., a bushel or more), please talk with us beforehand about how many bushels of which varieties you'll be bringing, so we can adjust our purchases accordingly.

The Potluck

Should I bring food?

Yes, please. Lunch and dinner will both be potluck. We're usually short on entrees (especially early in the day), so please bring something if you can.

What Else to Bring

Should I bring anything other than a potluck contribution?

You don't need to bring anything other than yourself. However, if you happen to have any glass one-gallon jugs you'd like to get rid of, we'll happily take them off your hands. Please try to remember a towel if you think you might go to the beach. And if you want, you're invited to bring musical instruments, and any fun geek toys that you want to show off.

Children

Is your house child-friendly?

Our house is reasonably child-friendly, but not baby-proof. If you have young children, please make sure someone is keeping an eye on them at all times.

Hot Tub

May we use the hot tub during the party?

Unfortunately, the hot tub no longer works. It sprung a serious leak, and it would be not cost effective to repair it.

Wi-Fi

Do you have wi-fi? May I use it?

Yes to both. The SSID is Gilman-Bigler Guest, and the password is I<3applecider (both are posted in the living room). Signal is pretty good inside the house but weak outside near the cider press.

Logistics

With over 100 people probably coming to the party, is there anything I might want to know about logistics?

Yes. We'll have signs posted to make things easier. Also, please look at our party logistics page, which contains some of the ideas we've come up with over the years.

Helping Out

Other than what's mentioned on the logistics page, is there anything else I can do to help out?

If you notice something obvious and you know of an obvious way to take care of it, feel free (but not obliged) to do so. Mostly, just have fun and help other people have fun.

Other Activities

What else is there to do besides pressing cider, hot tubbing, and meeting and talking to the 100 other interesting people at the party?

You're not serious, are you? If we fail to adequately entertain you (or if your kids or pets get restless), there's a town beach and a playground within about 200 yards of our house. Of course, you could also decide to surprise us. One year, a group of amateur arborists helped us by cutting down one a tree that we wanted to get rid of...

Bees

I'm allergic to bee stings. What precautions should I take?

Every year when we start pressing cider, bees (including yellow jackets) show up and drink whatever we spill or leave out uncovered. They're much more interested in the cider than in the people, and I think only one or two people have ever been stung in more than thirty years of cider parties. Nevertheless, if you're allergic to bee stings, please bring your Epi-pen, or any necessary medications.

Pets

I'm allergic to certain kinds of animals. Do you have any?

We have a calico (female) cat named Countess (because she is very insistent about what she wants). She is skittish and timid around people she doesn't know, but she is also quite friendly. If she comes up to you, she will happily let you pet her, but please do not pick her up.

She is an indoor cat. She hasn't tried to run escape, but please help us make sure she stays inside. Also, she is possessive of her territory (the house). If you bring pets of your own, please keep them outside. Note also that Nahant has a leash law, so if you bring your dog, it needs to be on a leash at all times.

Dogs

May I bring my dog?

Yes, with two caveats. First, please do not bring your dog (or any other pet) inside the house because it will upset the cat. Second, Nahant town law requires that all dogs be kept on a leash everywhere except for "Doggie Beach" (the beach that's at the bottom of the hill and across Nahant Road).

Directions

How do I get to your house?

All of the various GPS devices and phone apps that we know of will take you to the right place. We also have a fairly thorough set of directions on another web page, including car, bicycle and public transit directions, and GPS coordinates.

Rides from the Train Station/Bus Stop

Can I get a ride from the T?

Most likely yes, if you can T to Central Square in Lynn; our house is about a 6-minute drive from there. Lynn is on the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, and on the 426, 429, 435, 436, 441, 442, 455, and 456 bus lines. Please let us know in advance if you'll need to be picked up (and the approximate time you expect to arrive), and call the house phone (781) 592-5802 when you get there.

Note that we are no longer offering to pick people up from Wonderland. It's about a 30-minute round trip, and we don't feel comfortable asking anyone to miss that much of the party. From Wonderland, you can take the 426, 441, 442, or 455 bus to Central Square in Lynn.

Receiving Multiple Copies of the Invitation

Why did I get more than one copy of the invitation?

We send the invitation to our friends individually, and also to a few email lists that contain a lot of our friends. If you got more than one copy, it probably means we've invited you individually and you also received invitations via one or more email lists. If you received several copies, it means you know us from more than one context, and it probably also means that several other people you know are also invited.

Cider Party Email List

How can I get added to (or removed from) the invitation list?

Just ask. :-)