At a special hearing Jan. 5, the Select Board granted Carlson Orchards its annual pouring license, allowing it to serve Carlson’s hard cider in the Cider Barn on its Oak Hill Road property for another year. The license has multiple conditions, including hours of operation and parking and lighting restrictions.
Since Carlson’s pouring license was first granted in 2020, it has also included a condition that abutters be notified in writing of future renewal hearings, and that those hearings be advertised in a newspaper circulated in Harvard. That same condition was included in the pouring license for the Fruitlands Museum café during its first years of operation.
But the board decided that three years was long enough to include that condition, and it voted unanimously to remove it. Administrative Assistant Julie Doucet said neither the town nor the police have received any complaints related to Carlson’s pouring license.
Abutting farmers Kerri and Chris Green spoke in opposition to the license. Kerri Green wanted to make sure board members were aware that Carlson’s hard cider is made by a Leominster company, New England Apple Products, using some, but not all, apples from Carlson Orchards. She was concerned that an outside entity had a vested interest in the license. But Town Administrator Tim Bragan pointed out that the conditions allow pouring of any alcoholic beverage produced by Carlson Orchards or for Carlson Orchards under its label. Chair Rich Maiore said he wished the cider was produced by Carlson’s, but they’re free to pour anything with their label on it. He added that Town Counsel Mark Lanza had reviewed the license and its conditions and found no legal problem with them.
