Cider!

[Cecil]

Truthfully my drink is Guinness most of the time.

[Pleater]

Take scrumpy, draught cider - and all such variable drinks seriously - I used to go caving in the Mendips and many an unwary newcomer spent the weekend totally incapacitated by just a few pints or the stuff they had downed as though it was lemonade.

One memorable incident was descending a 45 ft chimney close to the entrance to a system and finding that one of the first group down had collapsed. There was some talk of leaving him and hopefully he would have recovered by the time we got back, but having taken his pulse and feeling his temperature it was obvious that he was in a dangerous condition and ought to be got out before he stiffened up and could not go round the corners.

After a lot of effort, scraped off skin and use of ropes he was pulled up the last vertical portion by his ankles and he threw up mightily - luckily there was somewhere to hose it off close by, but I have never seen anyone who looked so dead. I spent the rest of the day forcing him to drink warm water with the right amount of salt and sugar in it for rapid rehydration and threatening to break the legs of anyone willing to take him to the pub.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Llama]

There's a new cider company in my area called Virtue Cider, started by the previous brewmaster(the son of the founder) of Goose Island Brewing in Chicago, who left when it was bought by AB-InBev. He's got a really small operation right now in Michigan, distributing only to the Chicagoland area - but everything I've had from there has been amazing. It really tastes like fresh apples, and not just vaguely apple-like.

Crispin cider is another one that has been gaining popularity lately. Some of their ciders are pretty run-of-the-mill, but they have some that are barrel-aged and others that are fermented with different yeast strains (Trappist and Irish stout yeat are the two that I've had). They were bought by Miller-Coors last year, so I'm not sure of they'll stay as innovative. Hope so.

[lesley]

Here on Vancouver Island, BC (the best island in the Pacific Ocean!) we have Merridale Cidery. They do a wonderful range of ciders from an extra strong and dry to a sparkling dessert cider. If you ever get to the Island its a great place to go for an afternoon of sitting in the sunshine, overlooking the orchards, and sampling all of the ciders along with local fare. Someone definately needs to be the designated driver though as the ciders are a lot stronger than you'd think a glass of fermented apple juice would be!

[Grizzly]

I will be on Vancouver island in late May, any recommendations along the road from Victoria to Ucluelet would be great, although second thoughts I will be driving darn it!!!!

[Macman]

I almost always prefer ale to cider, but my wife and I will crack a bottle with a summer brunch or lunch once in a while. We are fortunate to have a local cidery that make a good range of products, and it's a nice place to sit outside for a bite and a glass. We usually end up bringing a few bottles home.http://www.seacider.ca/ciders/

Edit: Lesley, our posts crossed! I was thinking of Merridale Cidery as well, but Sea Cidery is closer to us. Have you been there?

Grizzly, both cideries are waiting for your visit!

[Blupiper]

Wasn't cider popular in the Middle Ages?

Yes, cider was popular in the Middle Ages, right up through the Colonial Period here in the States. Ale, too. Water was not always safe to drink, but the fermentation and other actions in producing these drinks helped to make them safe to consume. Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) here in the States was planting seeds for trees not for eating apples, but for cider apples. A local brewpub had a cider that had been hopped--it was lovely: palest green, tart and brut. Never got the name of it and now it's off the menu. Oh, well. For a tasty perry, try Kopparberg 45. I've only been able to find it when I was in Scotland. My wife really liked it. Dry, like champagne, with a pear finish. Served in a pint over ice. I wonder if the discussion about scrumpy is the inspiration of the song "Johnny Jump-up:"

Oh never, oh never, oh never again

If I live to a hundred or a hundred and ten

I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up

After drinking a pint of the Johnny Jump Up

JMB

[Spc. Scott]

I brew mine, I live on the east side of the mountains from California's "Apple Hill" so I can get gallons of just squeezed juice, un-anythinged. 5 gallon Carboy, a bit of sugar and yeast.....3 weeks later in the bottle and give it a week or so. Nice, sweet, slightly cloudy and perfect.

Same here. I get the cider from one of a few local orchards. 1/4 cup of brown sugar per gal dissolved in water and pitched in. Cote de Blanc wine yeast and you're off! I like mine dry so I let it ferment out until the cider goes clear as apple juice. I use campden for the first 3 days to kill any wild yeasts before anything else is added. Have three gal going atm. Sitting in secondary and aging...should be ready to bottle at any time now.

Edit: Thought I should add that I do carb mine when bottling and have stevia to back sweeten if necessary. I haven't had to use any apple extract yet but have it on hand just in case. Every harvest varies a bit, ya know! It's a fun little project for anyone to try. Very easy.

[Southpaw]

If you like ciders, you must try Crispins Bird on a Wire— a cider aged in rye whiskey barrels

[TheOfficialBren]

Oic. Thank you for the info, Blupiper.