Bent Ladder Cider and Wine — Attraction in Rittman

Visited Bent Ladder on Saturday, May 31, 2025 from approximately 6pm until closing at 9pm with family. We have been at Bent Ladder a handful of times in the past couple years as the views are spectacular, their wine is average and although I'm not a cider drinker, others in the family liked their cider very much.

My issue when visiting this past Saturday was with the terrible counter staff which comprised of two older women. As soon as we arrived, I ordered a couple wine flights and wanted to get the bread board and meat/cheese/cracker plate as that is what we normally eat while drinking wine but one of the older lady's stated in a very nasty tone... "we don't serve these menu items while we have a mexican food truck outside".

So, with that ignorant comment and basic attitude, I went and ordered food from the food truck which was very good by the way. We were talking wedding plans but throughout the next three hours we basically sampled everything on the menu, purchased large bag of pretzel chips and cheddar cheese popcorn. Each and every time I went to the counter, the same counter staff (just the one lady) was so nasty.

At about 8:30pm, my wife wanted one of the wine slushies but same counter staff stated they are not serving anything else which I was fine with as we had already spent $130+ there. We finished up our remaining ciders, tipped the entertainment and headed out the door. We were talking outside in the parking lot at approximately 9:15pm where the same counter staff, one lady stated "have a great night" as she drove off but the second lady which was the nasty one stated "leave now, this is personal property" and drove off.

The nasty lady should be fired....

I wish I would have inquired about her name but doesn't matter in the end, we will never visit this business in the future as there are way too many better wineries/cideries in Ohio. Now that I'm close to retirement and starting a YouTube channel about travel/history/wineries/distilleries/breweries/etc... I will be sure to add experience from my last visit to...

Second attempt at review:

1. the " no samples" policy needs to be changed, at least charge a small price for a sample so customers can try a cider or wine before committing to an $8 beverage.

Not all the cider or wine is made equal, some are decent, some are ok, some are bad in my opinion, so being able to sample would be awesome without purchasing a small $7 flight of 4... nobody is asking for free alcohol hand outs, we just want to try something before a full commitment. The staff generally are nice but they seem annoyed when asking for a sample... its common practice in "specialty drink" establishments so that needs to change before star can be added.

2. staff is generally happy although they seem low- energy at times, I guess it just depends who you talk to

3. location and building are great, its new and the view out the side is very nice! See photos

4. food trucks can be there to accommodate foods, but call to check if a food truck will be there, its not an every day thing mostly like a friday/Saturday thing

5. the ciders recently have taken a turn for the worse. Long gone are the days of a light- crisp-apply-bubbled-fizzy drink. They tend to be less alive, more combinations of flavors and absolutely flat. Two or three bubbles in a glass, not refreshing for a hot summer day, but it might cool off a hipster in the shade of a nearby apple tree.

6. the establishment offers other services as well, including a bakery and fruit stall with other homestead-like provisions within their daytime store. Fruit gathering is also available if you prefer to labor in the heat of the day to collect fruit for purchase. It can be an excellent hour or two for family time and is a memorable moment for most folk.

7. sunsets are better than average being on the hill and southern facing.

8. definitely worth a visit, some times my visits are 4.5 star while other times they are 1.5 star, so a solid 3 star review is fair. If they change a couple things with the menu/policy it would be a solid 4+...

I have had the pleasure of visiting Bent Ladder a few times over the past month. Each time has been different, yet enjoyable. I appreciate that I can come and read a book, strike up a conversation, engage in a friendly board game, or enjoy the live music that occurs on the weekend. Now, let’s discuss the wines & cider. I like that there is a variety of drink options, as I am enjoying something new each time I visit. My favorite is their La Crescent. A bottle accompanied me home and was enjoyed with spicy dinner and was the perfect pairing. The food selection is on par with what I would expect from a winery. They offer palate cleansing options which will allow you to fully experience the flavors of the wine & cider. The fresh made hummus is my favorite. As for what some other reviews have mentioned about not being able to bring in your own food, I am not sure that it makes sense to bring in different cuisines inside. It messes with the overall atmosphere. Additionally, they allow you to bring your own food to enjoy outdoors, which is pretty on point with some of the finer wineries I have visited. Overall, the views, the wines, the cider, the hummus and truly much more are worth the drive out into the country....