Cider!

[TheOfficialBren]

What do you guys think of cider? I have had Blackthorn and several others and really enjoy them. What say the rabble?
What is some of the history of this beverage and do any of you enjoy it?

[Grizzly]

Bren I am from cider country which is traditionally the West Country of the UK , from Herefordshire to Devon. There are many different types of cider from sweet to dry, blackthorn is mass produced but many of the local ciders are much better. These are made from the fermented juice of pressed apples. In northern France the juice is distilled which produces an apple brandy called Calvados.

[Jock Scot]

I know exactly the areas that Simon is talking about. In Gloucestershire in the Severn Vale where the cider orchards were, a cider ration of a quart a day was part of a farm workers wages. I well remember making cider for the farm and if my memory serves me correctly we used to make over a thousand gallons a year for the farm staff and did so well into the 1960's. In Herefordshire cider was made for the Royal Navy as a scurvy preventative, as lime juice were not always available to them. Quite often the cider was transported by trough(barge and pronounced trow--like toe) down the river Wye to the Severn estuary where the Royal Navy took possession of it. Cider that was made from pears was called perry and was not as common and was regarded as the very best of the best.

[usonian]

If you ask for cider here in New England you are likely to get a glass of unfiltered apple juice. "Hard" (fermented) cider is a bit of a niche beverage... there are a few brands with a fairly wide distribution (Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, Hornsby's) but they're all filtered and too carbonated for my taste buds. The best widely-distributed cider I've found in the US is JK's Scrumpy Cider - it's unfiltered and not fizzy (I believe that's what 'scrumpy' means) and absolutely delicious.

[TheOfficialBren]

I've had Hornsby's and a couple of pear ciders. Good stuff!!

What are some more popular brands that might be available in the US?

Thank you for your insights, chaps.

[NorseCelt]

I've had Hornsby's and a couple of pear ciders. Good stuff!!

What are some more popular brands that might be available in the US?

Thank you for your insights, chaps.

My sister's a big fan of Woodchuck. It's made in the Vermont, therefore also available in most states.

[Piipriker]

I love it.

In Frankfurt and other areas of Hesse it's called (translated) apple wine (Apfelwein or Äppler for short) and is the "national" beverage in Hesse. In my home state Saarland it's called Viez (from latin vice vinum).
They are much drier than cidre and mostly not so fruity as cidre. The fruityness is what I like in cidre, you get to taste more of the apple.

The apples used for Äppler are from old trees and the fruit is not intended for eating (because they are too sour).

[Jock Scot]

Yes indeed! I could never (still cant) understand how something as sour and dry tasting as a cider apple could produce something that was pleasantly drinkable. The problem with cider without chemicals in it was that the yeast never died and as the level dropped in the barrel the more oxygen was available for the yeast to start working again and often the cider was undrinkable for a while and sometimes it was quite a bit sweeter, rarely the same from week to week.

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

If you ask for cider here in New England you are likely to get a glass of unfiltered apple juice. "Hard" (fermented) cider is a bit of a niche beverage... there are a few brands with a fairly wide distribution (Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, Hornsby's) but they're all filtered and too carbonated for my taste buds. The best widely-distributed cider I've found in the US is JK's Scrumpy Cider - it's unfiltered and not fizzy (I believe that's what 'scrumpy' means) and absolutely delicious.

Harpoon in Boston makes a pretty good one. It's my impression it isn't filtered, but am not sure.