SALEM, Ohio — Childhood memories are what inspired brothers Dan and Joe Holoubek to return to their farming roots and open Brother Monk Ciderworks in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
“It brought us back to the apples on the farm where we grew up that our mom would turn into apple pies, and we’d go out pick and climb the trees,” said Joe Holoubek.
Veteran brothers Dan and Joe embarked on this cider-making journey in 2017 as a part of their retirement plan. Today, they offer a range of hard cider products at farmers’ markets and are looking to expand their operations.
A calling
Growing up in Nebraska, the brothers spent their childhood helping their father, Leonard Holoubek, raise dairy and beef cattle and pick fruit from trees on their homestead.
And just like their father, both brothers were also called to serve in the military.
Leonard served in World War II and the Korean War. Dan graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1979, and afterward served as an active duty surface warfare officer until 1985.
Joe went through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at the University of Nebraska before going on active duty in the Navy between 1989 and 1992. Joe would go on to work in Annapolis, Maryland, for several decades before returning to his farming roots. Dan currently works for the Pentagon, conducting IT services.
The brothers’ interest in cidermaking started in 2009, when they first began making home-brewed and fermented beverages like wine, beer and cider. But as they neared retirement age, the brothers were looking for something to occupy their time.
“So many people fall into bad habits when they retire, not having something to do when getting up in the morning,” Joe said. “Doing nothing was not how we were raised.”
So, the brothers bought a 24-acre farm in Northern Cambria, Pennsylvania, having family in the area, and founded Brother Monk Ciderworks. The idea for the name dates back 30 years earlier, when Dan married his wife, Dotty. Dan started losing his hair, and Dotty commented that he looked like a monk.
When it was time to name the cidery, Dotty came up with Brother Monk Ciderworks. “He’s the monk, and I’m the brother is what we tell people,” Joe said, with a laugh.
Brother Monk Ciderworks
The Holoubeks started planting cider-specific apple and pear trees in 2019, the same year they produced their first batch of hard cider from apples sourced from nearby orchards.
Today, they have 1,200 apple and pear trees on the property, including apple varieties like St. Martin’s, Kingston black, Roxberry russets and more. The first year they made cider from their own apples was in 2023, and they hope to continue this trend.
To make cider, they press apples at their farm and get fresh-squeezed cider from Way Fruit Farm in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania.
The cider is aged for at least four months, an important part of the process, Joe says. “A cider needs to be aged to really bring out the character. You shouldn’t rush it through the process,” he said.
The ciders come in multiple flavors, including Dutch Run Hard Cider, Black Currant Hard Cider, Hopped Dry Hard Cider and seasonal favorites like their Pumpkin Spice Hard Cider and Cranberry Hard Cider.
Their most popular cider is the Chesapeake Divide, a sweet cider named after the Chesapeake watershed divide that sits at the top of their farm. Soon, the brothers will be releasing a pear honey wine and an apple mead.
Brother Monk Ciderworks can be found at various stores in the region, with a product locator found on their website, https://brothermonk.com. They also attend farmers’ markets across the region, including Squirrel Hill, Sewickley, Carnegie and Ligonier. Going to the farmers’ markets is one of Joe’s favorite parts of the cidery.
“It has a really nice effect that you get to go out and meet the consumer and get feedback and a reaction, and then understand where people are with what they want. That’s certainly changed our vision of what the business would be over time,” Joe said.
Starting up and running the cidery hasn’t been without its challenges. But with Joe recently retired from his full-time job, and Dan on the way, the brothers are looking toward the future.
Their next goal is opening up a tasting room on the farm.
“The ambition would be to put a tasting room at the top of the hill that has a really nice view, and have different events there to draw people out to the farm,” Joe said. “That’s our next big step.”
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
