Month: January 2024

Torrey Cidery Draws Upon a Wild Bunch of Apples

See the full article by Austen Diamond published by Visit Utah here.

“Eight years after planting their first apple trees, this southern Utah cidery has received its liquor license, so production is ramping up. Construction continues on a tasting room which will welcome visitors en route to Capitol Reef National Park and scenic Highway 12

With the opening of that tasting room, the Etta Place Cider experience will be anchored in Torrey, a town with a rich history of apple growing and agri-tourism. “By the time tourists get to town, they’re thirsty,” Torrence says. “We want to give people a truly unique, novel experience that will help them remember their once-in-a-lifetime trip through Utah’s national parks.” 

And the cidery’s appeal draws upon stories of its namesake, outlaw Etta Place. Torrence and Marc like to imagine her hastily grabbing some apples while on the run with the Wild Bunch to Robber’s Roost. (Read: “In Search of Robber’s Roost” and “The Return to Robber’s Roost.”) Her life remains a bit of a mystery, but it’s documented she was educated, articulate and liked fine things. And yet, she ran from the law with a motley crew. (Read: ”Butch Cassidy’s West.”)”

Off the Eaten Path: Dining Between the Mighty Five

See the full article by Paula Colman published by Visit Utah here.

“Guests of these and other [Capitol Reef] area eateries, including Capitol BurgerColor Ridge Farm & CreameryHunt & GatherEtta Place CiderTorrey Grill and BBQ (all in nearby Torrey), realize that the connection runs both ways: the food introduces them to the land and its people, and their tourist dollars support this unique and fragile environment. 

These restaurateurs are stewards; visitors are patrons in the classical sense, and they cannot exist without each other. As rancher Andy Rice eloquently explained this symbiosis, “If the people spending those dollars could take a minute to ask themselves, ‘Is the money I spend going to stay in this community, or is it going to leave,’ that kind of thinking right there would make a big difference for everybody.” Unlike a homogenous theme park vacation, supporting businesses between The Mighty 5 becomes part of the local lore and, in very real terms, determines the next chapter.”

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