It's hard to tell who should be writing about cider. There are certainly more publications and articles about wine, and far more writers. I have to admit to not reading all that much wine literature, but I do scan the magazines enough to know that hard cider is very rarely a focus. I have read a cider article or two in the beer mags, but they seem afraid to do much more than a quick story.The biggest reason for all this is surely the lack of cider quality and diversity. There are a few good commercial examples of cider, but they don't seem to be terribly popular. It is hard to say why. I would guess a new drinker takes down a few Woodchucks and wonders why they would ever drink another cider. Given the fact that most hard ciders have the flavor and sugar content of a green Jolly Ranchers, this is easy to understand.
Look for a cider with nothing but apples and yeast and I think you will have a different opinion. We were recently asked by a local cider maker to ferment some delicious juice. It was the first time I had cider with nothing but apples and I am sold. You can drink them all night. No stomach ache or diabetic shock. Just great apples.
Make it your goal as a guzzler this fall to find some great ciders. They are out there and they are worth the hunt.
2 comments:
What yeast did you use? Any cider-specific tips to get great results?
We used wine yeast. There is also cider yeast available at homebrew shops which we have used before. Additionally, champagne yeast is often used. Our experience has been that wine yeast eases up faster than the champagne.
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