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Cider: The Definitive Story (well, more or less).
I would like to introduce our audience to the wonderful cyder making skills of my dear old pal for over 30 years, Kevin Minchew, of Minchew's Real
Cyder & Perry, in Gloucestershire, UK. But, before I do that, let's take a look at what cider actually is, including a little bit of history (for us
historians, there has to be some history somewhere in the mix !). So, now for something completely different !
"Dronning Maud Land is a place where everything's free,
cider and whiskey, the penguins and me..."
-Nick Kelly
Cider -- or Cyder in ye olde English -- is a magical, refreshing drink. It's essentially juice that's pressed from apples or pears that's used for
drinking, either before fermentation (sweet cider -- the stuff that's served in plastic gallon containers; generally looks like elephant urine), or after
fermentation (what they call in the U.S Hard Cider; the best known examples in the United States being Woodchuck, and Hornsby Ciders). This
article deals with the fermented cider.
As a teenager, I would nip round with me mates to the local pub by my folks house, where we would order a pint of the very finest Scrumpy Cider.
This was cider made in-house. The official title was Scrumpy: the locals called it gut-rot I remember it being a "still" cider (non-carbonated), pale
orange in colour and it looked as if a tin of London fog had been tipped in it. There were also "particles" floating around the liquid. For many years,
the local rumour was that the cider was fermented with dead rats. Well, I hope that had nothing to do with the aforementioned particles ! It also
tasted absolutely vile, although to look trendy, we persisted with it for a good couple of years.
Let's go back a few centuries -- Before the Christian era, the various peoples of Europe had succeeded in producing drinks more or less similar to
cider from a variety of fruit. A bloke by the name of Stabon, a Greek geographer, described the abundance of apple and pear trees in Gaul
(modern day France), and mentioned a liquid called Phitarra which was made by boiling pieces of apples in water with honey. At the end of the 4th
century, St.Gerome actually mentioned perry (Piracium) and seems to be the first ye ancient author to introduce the word into the Latin language.
In the same vein, he came up with Sicera, giving Cider (in English) or Sidre and Cidre (in French).
Moving to the Rhineland, the great Germanic King, Charlemagne, in the 9th century, ordered that the skilled brewers (the Sicetores) be kept on his
estates to prepare ale, "pomme" (pomacium), perry and generally all liquors liable to be used as drinks. Thus, Charlemagne kept all the alcohol for
himself.
Although apple orchards were established in England by the Romans there appears to be no evidence of cider making until the Norman Conquest
(that's when the Frogs invaded England in AD1066). Cider production was established in Europe some time before that.
Regarding pear cider (Perry), the earliest reference to the use of pears for making a fermented drink was by Pliny (we're unsure if this is Pliny the
Elder or the Younger -- both were authors and philosophers in ancient Rome) who said that the Falernian variety of pear, being very juicy, was
used for making wine. Palladius, the 5th century Irish apostle, and apparently an expert on agriculture, gave instruction on how to make perry, then
called Castomoniale. During the centuries following the collapse of the Roman empire, perry making was well established in France, but like apple
cider, it took the Norman Conquest to bring perry to England's green pastures.
In the 13th century, an event was to mark the history of cider: The invention of the cider press, and Bob's your uncle, cider production was well and
truly on its way. Monasteries were quick to take advantage of the cider press (there's a surprise), and in medieval times, most manor houses in the
main apple growing counties, including Kent, Somerset and Hampshire had their own cider presses and made their own cider.
"I were brought up on cider,
And I be a hundred and two,
But still that be 'nuthin when you come to think,
Me father and mother be still in the pink,
And they were brought up on cider,
Of the rare old Tavistock brew,
And me Granfer drinks quarts,
For he's one of the sports,
That were brought up on cider too"
-Devonshire cider drinking song.
Returning to Perries, it must be said that the varieties have a special charm of their own. There are over 100 perry pear varieties in
Gloucestershire alone, covered by over 200 names. The names are often vivid with respect to the perry they produce. Some of the most colourful
examples being: Merrylegs; Drunkers (excellent choice of name); Mumblehead; Devildrink and Lumberskull. The current world record holder for the
longest name for a pear variety is A drop of that which hangs over the wall. I kid ye not !
In the 17th century, cider production in England reached it's peak before making its decline due to major agricultural changes. At the same time,
greater attention was made to the multitude of apple and pear varieties used to make cider and to its quality. However, by the 19th century there
was a loss of much of the art of cider making which had been developed in the 17th and 18th centuries. Happily, within the last 100 years the
popularity of apple cider drinking has regained momentum (and nothing to do with gut-rot) -- this coincided with the factory-led mass production of
cider. Interest in cider took a dip in the 1970's (probably because of gut-rot), but magnificently made a dramatic comeback in the 1990's mainly due
to a dedicated handful of artisans who brought back the principles and tradition of craft cider making.
This brings me quite nicely to Minchew's Real Cyder & Perry.
"Apples be red,
Nuts be brown,
Petticoats up,
Trousers down"
-Old Sussex harvesting folk song.
Kevin Minchew is what we in the business call a "top bloke". He begun his business in 1993 and has single-handedly (although I hasten to add, his
girlfriend of many years, Hilary, does help him from time to time) turned the craft cyder and perry business up on its head. He is a total purist, and
has such won award after award, including the highly prestigious CAMRA Supreme Champion Perry of the Year award in 2002 for his Blakeney
Red. More recently, in 2007, one of Kevin's perries was featured on the TV show Masterchef, where chef Mark Hix used the perry in a desert made
for President Chirac of France.
This is taken from Kevin's website....We are committed to producing the highest quality Cyders and Perries through natural methods, without the
aid of artificial assistance, additives or chemicals. All fruit is hand-picked, hand-washed, milled in an old-fashioned scratter and pressed on an old
stone slab, which has run with the juice of apples and pears for over a century, and then allowed to ferment naturally in oak barrels. Only when
fermentation has naturally ceased and is judged to be mature, is it then bottled; which accounts for its unique characteristics and the many awards
we have won.
We are situated in the lower Severn valley, between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills, and all our fruit is sourced within this fertile area. Several
varietal Cyders and Perries are produced, along with some distinctive blends. We only use traditional varieties, including:
Dabinett, Foxwelp, Kingston Black, Redstreak, Tremletts Bittersweet, Sheep's Snout, Stoke Red, Rienne Des Hative and Yarlington Mill.
Blakeney Red, Butt, Gin, Barnet, Red Horse, Moorcroft / Malvern Hills, Red Longdon, White Longdon, Oldfield, Rock and several varieties
of Huffcap.
In March of 2003, my dear wife Debby, and myself attended a Cyder and Perry Symposium organised by Kevin, held in the clubhouse at Bredon
Cricket Club, in Worcestershire. The plan was for everyone to taste 12 cyders and perries, with a rather handy cheese plate to cleanse the palate
and help maintain civil order. As Kevin described it: "A cultured tasting of a variety of cyders and perries with light bites". In the end, Kevin
presented for our tasting perusal 18 cyders and perries. I swear the lady sitting next to Debby had to be carried out ! Kevin asked us to review his
offerings -- for some reason, I wasn't able to comply with his wish, but Debby was; and for your viewing pleasure, here it is (taken from my journal at
that time):
Debby's Assessment of the Cyder & Perry Symposium held at Bredon Cricket Club on March 29th 2003.
The first seven cyders are "still" cyders, i.e. not carbonated
1). Isabel's Orchard (Cyder) -- Sweetish; are you sure this is alcoholic ?!
2). Yarlington Mill (Cyder) -- Small finish, but not all that distinct.
3). Major (Cyder) -- A bit more bite than above. I like this one -- nice golden colour, rather like whiskey.
4). Foxwhelp (Cyder) -- Bottled in 1993. Tart, acidic, makes you pucker ! It stimulates the saliva glands.
5). Reine Deshatives (Cyder) -- The most wine-like so far and worth being savoured.
6) Medaille D'or (Cyder) -- Bottled in 1998. Dry and Deliberate; a little abrasive, not really my taste.
7). Yarlington Mill & Sweet Coppin (Cyder) -- Tasty, soft blend. Nice compliment to one another.
8). Dabinett (Cyder) -- The first sparkling cyder; slightly sweet, smooth and delicious. As pure as wine if not for the fizz.
9). Yarlington Mill & Stoke Red (Cyder) -- Yarlington Mill seems to blend well with others. Sparkling and cheeky !
10). Thorn (Perry) -- Single variety, bottled in 1999. Champagne fizz with a buzz to follow. Classy. I'm becoming quite flushed at this point.
11). Thorn, with Brandy (Cyder/Perry) -- 6.5% ABV. Are you sure Brandy is the apple and not the spirit ? This is thick like a liquor or dark spirit.
Slightly tart finish. I keep anticipating a warming finish, perhaps due to the thick consistency.
12). Hendre Huffcap (Perry) Produced by Heck's Cyder & Perry (CAMRA Bronze Medal winner 2002) -- Fizzy; not Kev's, but it is delightful. Sweet,
fruity, easy and very drinkable.
13). Blakeney Red ("still" Perry) -- CAMRA Supreme Champion Perry 2002. Similar to Huffcap but not quite as sweet. A little sweet to begin with,
with a dryish finish. A perfect balance.
14). Hedgehog ("still" Perry) -- I think I like the "still" perries better, probably because they’re closer to wine. This one isn't sweet either; I like that.
15). Dumbleton Huffcap ("still" Perry) -- Mellow, yet not terribly demanding. Pleasant though and thoroughly drinkable.
16). Rode (Perry) -- Sweetish, with a little snag on the way down.
17). Gin (Perry) -- Sweet beginnings; very dry finish.
18). Malvern Hills (sparkling Perry) -- Last, but never least, the crème de la crème; the piece de la resistance. The most champagne-like with a
kick and a half to it. Fruity, dry, very carbonated. I still prefer the "still" perries, though for impact, this one leads the pack.
And there we have it. Hopefully, this article will stimulate your interest in cider and perries. The New Holland Brewery in Michigan had a raspberry
cider on-tap when we were there in May 2007, which Debby thought was absolutely delicious. In the UK though, you'll be finding the craft cider
makers producing the traditional apple cider and perries, which is really how it should be.
Cheers !
The House in the Tree pub, in Staverton, Gloucestershire. A well
known Cider pub, it usually features four draught ciders (Bulmers Traditional,
Thatchers Dry, Black Rat, and Westons Herefordshire Country Perry)
Article addendum added 8/10/2007...
Following the horrendous floods which completely cut off our home town of Tewkesbury, the future King Charles III and
Camilla came to visit the flood victims. In classic fashion, Kevin and Muffin (his Jack Russell) talked their way through
Charles entourage, and were able to chat with Charles and Camilla. The Prince recognised Kevin and said "Mr.Minchew,
the cider man !" Kevin also presented the Prince with a bottle of Stinking Bishop perry. Fame at last -- we knew Kevin had
it in him !
The Valley Bar, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. In October 2007 it was proclaimed CAMRA National Cider and Perry pub
of the year. It features 6 ciders and perries.
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| Kevin Minchew and ye cyder press |
