Britain's Oldest Cidermaker Frank Naish

A picture of Frank Naish from Naish Cider which James Russel has used as an illustration in his Naked Guide to Cider Book

via jamesrussellontheweb.blogspot.com

We need to document all of these old cidermakers while they are still with us.

Tax on alcohol should rise by ten per cent: charity - Telegraph

Secondary legislation has already been introduced to increase the tax on cheap, strong ciders. This legislation will change the definition of cider by introducing a minimum juice content to qualify to pay duty at the cider rates. Products with low juice content are now taxed at the more appropriate made-wine rate.

via telegraph.co.uk

The government seem to have got the idea that introducing a minimum juice content will reduce the amount of cheap alcohol on sale, but medical charities are pointing out that the current tax bands are not sufficiently related to alcohol content at all and there remains some serious anomolies. A minimum juice content for cider is a good idea but at 35% this is laughable. It should be more like 85% which is the figure for real cider and anything less shouldn't really be called cider at all

Watered Down Cider Definition backed by NACM

ukcider         Watered Down Cider Definition August 27, 2010 at 12:17 PM   The new definition of cider for customs and excise purposes is to allow cider and perry to be sold as such with as little as 35% juice content, and possibly even less if the original juice is high gravity. The Statutory Instrument can be viewed from the Office of Public Sector Information site at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/pdf/uksi_20101914_en.pdf Cider 2. In section 1 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 (the alcoholic liquors dutiable under that Act), in subsection (6) (definition of “cider”)(b), for the words after “section 55B(1) below,” substitute— “cider (or perry)— (a) which is of a strength exceeding 1.2 per cent but less than 8.5 per cent, (b) which is obtained from the fermentation of apple or pear juice, without the addition at any time of— (i) anyalcoholicliquor,or (ii) any liquor or substance which   communicates colour or flavour, other than such as the Commissioners may allow as appearing to them to be necessary to make cider (or perry), (c) the pre-fermentation mixture for which satisfies the pre-fermentation juice requirement, and (d) which satisfies the final product juice requirement. For the purposes of this subsection— (i) “the pre-fermentation mixture” for cider (or perry) means the mixture of juice and other ingredients in which the fermentation from which the cider (or perry) is obtained takes place, as that mixture exists immediately before the fermentation process commences, (ii) if the cider (or perry) consists of a blend of two or more liquors constituting cider (or perry), references in this subsection to the pre-fermentation mixture are to the pre-fermentation mixtures for each of those liquors taken as a whole, (iii) the pre-fermentation mixture for the cider (or perry) satisfies the pre- fermentation juice requirement if the volume of apple or pear juice of a gravity(a) of at least 1033 degrees included in the mixture is a volume not less than 35 per cent of the volume of the pre-fermentation mixture, (iv) the cider (or perry) satisfies the final product juice requirement if the aggregate of the volume of apple or pear juice of a gravity of at least 1033 degrees included in the pre-fermentation mixture and the volume of any such apple or pear juice added after fermentation commences is a volume not less than 35 per cent of the volume of the cider (or perry), and (v) the volume of any juice, the pre-fermentation mixture and the cider (or perry) is to be computed as at 20°C.”. I don’t really care whether the exact interpretation of this means that Industrial cider makers can get away with making cider at only 35% juice content, or maybe even quite a bit less than that. The very idea of condoning such low juice industrial concoctions as genuine cider and perry for the purposes of profiting from the considerable tax advantages compared with other acoholic drinks is to be condemned. Accepting the definition of cider with only 35% juice content can only be a setback for the real cider making movement, and anybody supporting it is deliberately conniving with big industrial cider makers to continue to deceive cider drinkers into believing the big brand ciders advertising lies. About seven years ago, there was a prolonged and open discussion in the craft cider community to arrive at a definition of real cider which came out with the following: Real cider is the product of fermenting fresh apple juice. The amount of apple juice which went into the final product must be between 85 and 100% and should be clearly stated on the container it is sold in or dispensed from. No artificial sweeteners, flavourings or colourings are permitted. ( For real perry substitute pear juice ) ukcider 30/11/2003 The new government definition of cider at 35% juice for tax purposes will permanently legitimise the practice of creating low quality, low juice drink concoctions in which most of the alcohol is derived from corn syrup, and then selling it with the image of unsullied natural orchard scenes. The big question many real cider makers and drinkers will be asking is why is this legislation being supported by the NACM and their apologists within the craft cider movement? Possibly Related Cider Posts: Real Cider Cider duty increases expected in budget International Perry Festival at Malvern Autumn Show What cider makers are talking about Cider is Apple Wine

Green Goblin by Thatchers

Green Goblin
Originally uploaded by Anders Adermark

"Me and Maria tried an oak aged cider from Wychwood. I wasn't aware of that they brewed on other bases than malt."

Seems to be made by Thatchers Cider on behalf of the Hobgoblin Brewery

BBC News - Poor pear harvest in Herefordshire for perry cider

There could be less Real Perry next year if this report comes true. Tom Oliver from Oliver's Cider and Perry is experiencing smaller crops of perry pears this year, which is bad news for perry drinkers.

via bbc.co.uk Perry comes from perry pears which are smaller and more acidic than other types. Conventional pear cider comes from a sweeter variety.

I think they'll get by using the old perry pear trees in people's gardens and farms all over Herefordshire that haven't been used for perry for years.

Mad Apple Czeck Cider

I suppose it's only a matter of time before this Mad Apple Czech cider arrives in the UK and gets added to the so called Cider Festivals that some of the local pub chains organise. I bet they do a strawberry flavoured mad apple too.  

Apple Press

Apple Press




An apple press is not intended to press whole apples, but to make apple juice out of crushed, minced or grated apples. The juice form the apple press can then be fermented to make cider.

Real Cider and Perry Bar GBBF

CIDER
Originally uploaded by ca1951rr

Real Cider and Perry Bar at the GBBF

Cider on green
Perry on yellow

Old Rascal

Old Rascal
Originally uploaded by Serigrapher

Thatchers Old Rascal at the Stockport beer and cider festival.

The old rascal of legend is a fox that used to creep out of his den at night to steal cider.

Old Rascal is a fine bittersweet cider, produced from some of Somerset’s best cider apples, Dabinett and Redstreak. Aged in our oak vats, Old Rascal is made from a traditional Thatchers’ recipe.

Its popularity as a session cider is combined with all the hallmarks of a distinctive Thatchers product full of flavour and a West Country apple bite.

Packaged in lightweight 500ml bottle, Old Rascal was reintroduced in 2008. “Old Rascal has always appealed to older, more traditional drinkers. With cider now attracting a much wider audience, we feel it’s time to introduce the Old Rascal to them too!” said Thatcher.

Old Rascal has an ABV of 4.5%

Thatchers Old Rascal Scrumpy is different, that's a draught cider also made from English apples. It's matured in oak vats to produce a full bodied farmhouse cider at 6.0% vol

Addlestones Cider

Addlestones Cider - cloudy and refreshing but with a tang to the aftertaste, possibly caused by artificial sweeteners. Not a full juice real cider.

Pictures from UK Cider Flickr group

A few pictures from the UK Cider group on Flickr

Kent Cider Co

Hand Pressed Cider Oak matured, Russet Bramley

Wilcox Cider

Homemade Cider Press

Awesome Homemade Tyneside Cider Press
Originally uploaded by m99art

Homemade cider press with apple tree in the background.

Ace Pear Cider

Pear Cider
Originally uploaded by Pirate Alice

Ace Pear Cider California

Based in Sebastopol, Calif., The California Cider Company produces Ace Perry Cider that's vegan friendly and gluten-free. The company is apparently the first in California to commercially produce the premium perry.

Zambelli Mulimix apple grinder in operation

This is a Zambelli Mulimix fruit grinder. It's a 220V (european) grinder that reduces cider apples to a good workable pulp

http://www.zambellienotech.it/eng/altri_mulimix.htm

Cider Workshop

This is the time of year a lot of people seem to be very busy in the cider workshop, getting things ready or pressing cider apples already.

Some folk like use a makeshift outdoor cider workshop by erecting a large tent, gazebo or tarp, to keep the rain off. Then you can make as much mess as you like and at least it doesn't get trampled indoors so much.

There's no real need to spend a fortune on fancy equipment, nor labour for days and days making exact fit wooden racks with countersunk stainless steel screws and all that kind of nonsense either. In fact a good old basket press with an electric drill driven screw thread can get the job done in a fraction of the time, even if it isn't up to standard according to a quaint idea of tradition. The main thing is to get the apples crushed while they're in good condition, and fill up the fermentation vessels close to the top while the natural process slowly takes its time. Resist messing about with the cider, and that's just about it from the cider workshop for another year.

Cloudy Cider at Ealing Beer Festival

@llyrj tweeted a picture of the cloudy cider

Ribadeo, Galicia, Northern Spain

Ribadeo, Galicia, Northern Spain
Originally uploaded by Andyrob

It was in Ribadeo, Galicia that we saw people in a cafe drinking cider from ceramic bowls, like they do in Britanny.

Tardes de Verano cider

Tardes de Verano
Originally uploaded by Gusilú

Unas Sidras! Number one cider?

Craft Cider

Craft cider is real cider made by people who take a pride in keeping things small scale and just a little bit amateurish, which is fair enough I suppose. Craft cider making is said to be at about the same stage as craft ale brewing was 25 years ago, so that's an unfortunate situation to be in without great prospects really if you think about it. The crafty craft cider makers are going to have to up their act if they want to be taken seriously as small business owners with a duty to provide a consistent quality product, in the form of pleasant and drinkable real full juice cider and perry, not some quaintly eccentric and accident prone concoction that come out of somebody's airing cupboard.

Three Cats Cider

Three Cats Cider from Morley, Derbyshire






Three Cats Cider

Three Cats Cider, Morley, Derbyshire