Looking to learn more about cider? Then you are in the right place!
What is Cider?
Cider is the fermented juice of pome fruit. Once the juice is pressed, yeast will turn the sugar in the juice into alcohol and CO2. Given that there are yeasts on the fruit (and in your cider cellar, or anywhere really), the juice will spontaneously begin to ferment after pressing (as long as it is not pasteurized). In this way, you produce a “wild-fermented” or “spontaneously-fermented” cider. Some producers will also add sulfites to kill off the “wild” yeasts, and add a specific strain of yeast in order to have added control over the flavor development. In this way, it is produced in a way similar to wine. There is no brewing involved, as would be the case in beer production.
Cider history
When the Romans invaded Britain in around 55 BC, Strabo noted in his Geographica, that people were making drinks from apples and pears, likely early forms of cider and perry. Pliny describes fermented drinks made from apples and pears in his Naturalis Historia, calling them “vinum ex malis,” or “wine from apples.” The people of northern Spain were also making sidra already in this time period.
Types of Cider
Each region has developed its own tradition of cider-making, with varying characteristics. Some places, such as Austria, traditionally mix apples and pears to create Most, which is kept still. Other regions, such as northern France (Normandy and Brittany) and the UK traditionally use apples with significant tannin. In France, the cider (cidre) is sparkling, while in the UK it can be sparkling or still. Spanish sidra leans heavily into acidic apples and allows for the production of a small amount of acetic acid. It is still but served with a long pour in order to aerate it prior to drinking.