Cider Myths Unwrapped

Strange though it may seem, there are people who have yet to fully embrace the joys of cider. Many base their reluctance on common misconceptions about this fabulous apple nectar. We thought it was time to put a few things straight.

Is Cider Always Sweet?

Sadly, many people’s first, and often last, experience of cider is a can or two of a cheap, mass produced drink. These drinks may be hardly acquainted with apples and are often packed full of additives that create a sickly sweet beverage. They don’t bear much resemblance to a lovingly created cider that has been crafted from the juice of fermented cider apples. An authentic cider can range from dry to sweet, depending on the apple varieties used and fermentation techniques. Just like wine, different ciders will appeal to different people at different times. We provide a scale for all our ciders which highlights where they sit on the spectrum. Unsurprisingly, Devon Dry features on the dry end and on the sweeter end you’ll find our fruit ciders like Cherry. Devon Red sits slap bang in the middle, which is probably why it is our most popular cider.

Is Cider Just “Apple Beer”?

Another common misconception is that cider is simply beer made with apples but it is actually much more comparable to wine. Unlike brewing beer, which can be a fairly rapid process involving boiling malted grains and hops, creating cider relies on painstakingly fermenting and ageing the juice of a variety of cider apples. Just as fermenting particular grapes in a particular ways produces a range of wines for all tastes and occasions, the same can be achieved with cider. Methods used include second fermentations, vat-ageing and icing. These provide you with a huge choice of ciders including bubbly alternatives like Katja, oak-aged vintage ciders like The General and fortified wine challengers like Ice Cider, the perfect cheese board companion. Thus you can enjoy a flight of ciders to accompany a meal, just like you would select particular wines to pair with contrasting courses.

Is Cider Just for the Summer?

If you asked us what we would like to drink on a hot day, we would, of course, tell you that you can not beat a cold refreshing pint of cider and it is true to say that the British population tends to agree. Our sales peak in the summer months as our fabulous cider features at barbecues and al fresco gatherings across the country but, like us, the cider converts know that there’s a cider for every season. Even if you don’t fancy a cold pint, you can enjoy a rich vintage cider such as Sandford Reserve which will warm you with its intricate flavours of peach, oak and sherry wine. If you are really feeling the winter chill then try a mulled cider recipe, infused with warming spices like cinnamon and cloves. It’s also the perfect drink for bonfire night parties and festive gatherings.

Is Non-Alcoholic Cider Just Apple Juice?

Recently our non-alcoholic cider, Red Zero, appeared on TV with Alan Titchmarsh and Ben Fogle. Ben questioned the whole idea of non-alcoholic cider. “Isn’t that just apple juice?”, he said. Gasps of horror echoed around the cider works at that point but drinks expert, Tom Surgey, went on to explain the pains we go to to make Red Zero and when the guests got to taste it they really could not believe that it wasn’t alcoholic cider. They knew that it definitely wasn’t ‘just apple juice’ and that is because we spent years of trial and error before settling on the most expensive but most authentic way to create fantastic non-alcoholic cider. We start by fermenting cider apple juice to produce delicious cider and then we remove the alcohol using reverse osmosis, so you get all the flavour and none of the hangover.

Hopefully, we’ve cleared up a few cider misapprehensions but if you have any other myths that you would like to debunk please let us know. In the meantime, if we have inspired you to try something new, visit our online shop and treat yourself to a selection of fabulous authentic cider.