By Samantha Kupiainen
In 2016, husband and wife Aaron and Andréa Homoya opened Ash & Elm Cider Co. in downtown Indianapolis, which became the largest cider producer in Indiana. In late spring 2024, they will expand their cider company to a 3,500-square-foot space in the North End development in Carmel.
“We’ve wanted a second location for quite a while,” said Andréa Homoya, founder and CEO of Ash & Elm Cider Co. “We looked pretty seriously at a spot in the mid-town development back in 2018 and 2019, but we changed our mind on that spot. Then the pandemic and all these things got us delayed. This North End Development caught our eye, and after meeting the people involved and learning more about it, we just decided it was the right fit for us.”
Andréa Homoya said she felt the company could build a good relationship with the owners and residents at North End.
“Also, we liked the location,” she said. “We’ve always been a little bit off the beaten path in our downtown location, and so we’re comfortable not being right in the center of things. We just liked the overall neighborhood feel of it. That whole neighborhood is new. We liked being a part of helping it find its own personality.”
The North End location at 525 North End Dr. will have similarities to Ash & Elm’s downtown site, at least initially, in terms of the food and cider it will offer.
“We’ll definitely adjust as time goes on and we learn more about what our customers in Carmel want,” Andréa said.
The Ash & Elm Cider Co. Carmel location will feature at least 14 cider taps, including flagship flavors like Fleeting Youth, Sunset and Wayfinder. The cider company also has seasonal and limited releases, such as Bloomsberry, Autumntide and Cider of the Month. Also available for purchase are packaged cider, fill growlers and kegs.
In addition to cider, patrons can purchase lunch and dinner from a full-service kitchen, which includes a menu with a range of gluten-free and vegan options. Also on the horizon are Sunday brunches, community events and occasional cider pairing dinners.
Learn more at ashandelmcider.com.
