Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 46
Kirk Billingsley is Dedicated to Heritage Apples
Mountain Cider Crafter
" Yeah, the old-fashioned apples have spots on them, " says the award-winning cider
maker. " But you won't notice spots when you drink their cider or eat their pies. "
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY BRUCE INGRAM
I
t's late August and Kirk Billingsley
strides over to a white plastic
barrel, uncaps it, siphons a few
ounces into a glass, inhales the
aroma, and samples the contents.
" Right on schedule, " he says about
the liquid that he and his staff pressed
from bins of Dolgo crabapples a fortnight
ago.
The Dolgo, which originated in the
1890s, is a heritage fruit, just as are many
of the other crabapples and apples that
Billingsley and his staff transform into cider
at Highland County, Virginia's Big
Fish Cider, winner of multiple awards
at the annual Great Lakes International
Cider and Perry Competition (perry is
the pear version of cider).
Billingsley's missions are threefold: to
46 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
keep alive the Blue Ridge's mountain cider
making tradition, promote the growing
of heritage apples and crabapples,
and make the most flavorful ciders he
possibly can. The 62-year-old, which began
his business in 2015, does not hide
his disgust for modern day apples.
" Many modern, made-for-a-store
apples like Red Delicious taste like old
snow, " he says. Of course, the blandness
of supermarket apples and the cider that
comes from them is not the only reason
that
the
orchardist
expresses passion
for vintage mountain apples and crabapples.
As a child in Highland County,
he helped his father make cider on the
family homestead and fondly remembers
often drinking a glass of freshly squeezed
cider when he arrived home from school.
And as Billingsley grew older, he
came to understand that heritage apples,
like Northern Spy, Old Fashioned Winesaps
and Smokehouse which flourished
on the home place, were worth preserving
and promoting to a public whose
taste buds had become benumbed by
such insipid varieties as Red and Golden
Delicious.
Or as Billingsley describes the duo:
" Pretty, not brown, apples
eaten by
people who don't know how good apples
can taste. Heritage apples have flavors
that can't be found in apples from a grocery
store. People should buy apples with
their taste buds in mind, not what is appealing
to the eye. "
After assessing the progress of the
Dolgo cider, Billingsley moves outside to
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 5
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 6
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 7
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 8
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 9
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 10
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 11
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 12
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 13
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 14
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 15
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 16
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 17
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 18
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 19
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 20
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 21
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 22
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 23
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 24
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 25
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 26
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 27
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 28
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 29
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 30
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 31
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 32
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 33
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 34
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 35
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 36
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 37
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 38
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 39
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 40
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 41
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 42
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 43
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 44
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 45
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 46
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 47
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 48
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 49
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 50
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 51
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 52
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 53
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 54
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 55
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 56
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 57
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 58
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 59
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 60
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 61
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 62
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 63
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 64
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 65
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 66
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 67
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 68
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 69
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 70
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 71
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 72
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 73
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 74
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/brc-jf-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-nov-dec-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com