They were often too bitter! This reminds me of the apple trees that we used to have on our allotment back in Amsterdam. You could never just eat them from the tree, but they always had to be processed into for example apple sauce … or cider, apparently!
Missed opportunity! So what people used to do was squeeze the juice out of the apples and then let it ferment into alcohol. It even seems that the pharaohs in ancient Egypt already hung around in apple trees at BC. Smart guys! In any case, it is known that the Romans certainly came into contact with cider around 55 BC when they entered the ports of the British Isles.
A big difference between the cider that is made in various countries around the world, is the way of alcoholic fermentation.
With the British, Irish and French , the drink becomes bubbly by binding fermenting carbon dioxide to wine or adding carbonic acid to the wine in the more industrially produced wines. There they drank small bits of cider as a kind of shot, because if you waited too long, the carbon dioxide was gone and the cider became too bitter.
There is also a difference in the type of drinking glasses used in the various countries for drinking cider. In France, you often get a kind of flat bowl to drink from and in some places you even get an earthenware cup! The glasses are all quite wide, so the cider can mix well with the oxygen, which make it easier for the aromas to release. Instead of apples, pears are also used for some ciders. This is personally my favorite! There are also various types of ciders available with other fruits, such as berries, elderflower, lime or passion fruit.
This is not for everyone though, because they can be pretty sweet. If you like to eat apple sauce with your food very common in The Netherlands , then imagine how drinking cider with the same type of food will also works really well. With a nice piece of meat especially pork , with fish, stews or even a barbecue, you name it, it will go well with cider!
Furthermore, cider tastes good with cheese, fruit pies, or just a handful of peanuts in the pub. I had a quick look at calories in ciders, and this is what I found for some of the bigger brands, such as types of cider UK, Ireland and Scandinavia:.
Here are few cider festivals, cider events and beer festivals including cider makers not to miss:. I thought there were only two Dutch cider brands, but after a bit of research I found a lot more cider types from my home country, yeah!
I have not been able to try them myself yet, but here you can find more information:. There can be a bit of confusion about the cider Bulmers, because there are actually two brands. I only discovered this recently and it blew my mind! Bulmer from Hereford, England, which makes its own Bulmers cider and also Strongbow cider. The cider is then moved into a new vat to eliminate all of the built-up yeast, a process known as racking. The fermentation process then creates carbon dioxide with the remaining sugars.
At this point, it is up to the cidery whether they want to exhaust the fermentation process for a still cider, or they can choose to bottle it at a designated time to allow for some natural carbonation.
Typically, most cideries will enable the cider to become completely dry, where they then go back and add their own sugars to sweeten it. In order to enjoy it to the absolute most, hard cider is best served in a chilled glass. Similar to white wine, hard cider should be served at roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition, a large bowl-like glass with a stem is preferred, such as a wine glass, so you can fully enjoy the enticing aromas and flavors the hard cider has to offer. Not only this, but the stem prevents your hands from warming up the cider. Hard cider is also great paired with food, such as chicken, pork, and salad. Nothing pairs better with your favorite fall activities than a refreshingly cool glass of hard cider.
However, you may feel overwhelmed in choosing one to start with. There are many hard ciders brands to choose from, each containing their own unique aromas and flavors. To help you choose, here are our narrowed-down favorites that you can try to kick off the fall season:. These are just a handful of the hard ciders currency available on the market.
Whichever you decide to choose, always be sure to drink responsibly. Sipping on a cool and crisp glass of hard cider is an excellent way to welcome the Fall season. If you would like to try all of the different types of hard cider, we highly recommend checking out a Cider of the Month Club!
Madeline is a passionate Environmental, Health, and Lifestyle Writer dedicated to educating and inspiring the public to take action and leave Earth a better place than when we found it.
Follow Madeline on Instagram , or connect online through her website. Skip to content. Not sure where to start? Available in select stores. Made from a custom blend of fresh-pressed apples and without artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, it can't get much better than this.
This Pacific Northwest-based cidery makes four ciders year round, including this dry hard cider, plus seasonal specialties. In the fall, you can find Pumpkin Spice cider, with Oaked Maple following it in winter. Cider doesn't always mean apple. Crispin makes a Pacific Pear cider that's bright and fresh with a bit of a woody taste.
This crisp, refreshing cider is good for sipping on its own or with a meal, and has notes of pineapple, honey, and tart apple. Also available at foggyridgecider. Downeast makes plenty of great seasonal ciders, but their original will always be a favorite.
In production since the s , this basic apple cider has a solid and long-standing! Lemon and ginger add tart spice, and the Game-of-Thrones -esque bottle is also seriously badass. Nektar's other ciders have equally double-take-inducing names, like Zombie Killer and Death Unicorn.
Eve's double ferments and bottles all their ciders by hand, so you know this is truly artisanal. Available at evescidery. Redd's Apple Ale is a lower-carbonated cider, which makes sipping it lightly all the more enjoyable. San Juan Island, Washington. You're going to want to try cider from a state known for their juicy, delicious apples. Available at westcottbaycider.
Listen: The Angry Orchard classic cider isn't anything game-changing, but it's a light and crisp crowd-pleaser you always want to have around.
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