England, Wales, and Ireland all produce hard cider that is available in sweet, medium, and dry varieties. They tend to also differ in style regionally — and even the names may change. Bulmers Cider, as known by the Irish, is called Magners Cider outside of their country. The premium refreshing cider leads with a bright and juicy citrus flavour balanced with notes of raspberry. Reminiscent of a summery pink lemonade it is deliciously light tasting and wonderfully nostalgic. It’s the perfect tipple to enjoy as the warm weather approaches. Y Sgwâr is a modern pub situated at the centre of the historic market town of Newcastle Emlyn, found nestled within the beautiful Teifi Valley. The town offers an array of independent shops and lovely scenic riverside walks around the 13th century Norman castle ruins that overlooks the River Teifi.

In making cider, apple presses extract the juice, which is then boiled to concentrate it. At this point, the cider appears opaque since it's unfiltered, so you're noticing all the pulp and other sediments. Raw apple cider is highly perishable, but hard cider has less alcohol by volume than most wines and keeps much longer. Unlike beer, it requires no hops or malt. That being said, the shelf life on hard cider is not indefinite and should be consumed within a reasonable amount of time from the "bottled on" (or born on) date. Angry Orchard recommends drinking their cider within 12 months of bottling. How is cider made? Reverend Nat's Hard Cider in Portland, Oregon, is well-known for developing radically curious hard ciders such as Hallelujah Hopricot, a "beer, cider and wine all in one" and a Deliverance Ginger Tonic hard apple cider. If you sample his brews or ever meet him, you'll know why Nat's so revered — even though he isn't technically a reverend. It was renovated and re-opened as Y Sgwâr in October 2019. The new, industrial themed interior of the pub has retained its original features with low ceilings, oak beams and a cosy log fire to keep you warm during the colder months. There is a lovely beer garden to the rear which is perfect for warm, sunny days but also during colder times under its covered shelters with individual heaters.No discussion of hard cider is complete without mention of the United Kingdom. The hard cider traditions are deeply rooted in England. As the major producer of cider (a.k.a. 'scrumpy' in West England) in the E.U., the U.K. and has relished in its most significant hard cider renaissance in the 21st century with more diversity of cideries, products, and consumers than ever. Now comes the master's touch — blending. Each brewer has their own recipes and style that must be consistent with the prior batch. Often, they'll infuse the hard cider with natural ingredients like apricot, chocolate, cherry, honey, or whatever they imagine might whet the palates of their customers. What are the most popular brands of hard cider? Certain cider apple varieties' spitters' are grown expressively to make hard cider. Regardless of the apples used, their juice is placed in fermentation tanks along with champagne yeast. As the temperature rises, it only takes three to seven days for the apple cider to ferment into alcohol. The brewer then carefully cools the batch and filters it, removing yeast and other solids. No one wants to drink the latter. How you define cider depends on which side of the Atlantic you're on. 'Apple cider' (also referred to as 'soft cider,''sweet cider,' or just 'cider') describes the unsweetened, unfiltered, non-alcoholic juice pressed from apples. But be forewarned: When traveling outside of the U.S. or Canada, 'cider' may likely mean the fermented kind.

The world's hard cider craze is not just a trend. Much of the increased demand is because cider is both vegan-friendly, not to mention GMO and/or gluten-free, which is welcome news for drinkers with dietary restrictions or preferences. Where does hard cider come from?The distinction between 'apple cider' and 'hard cider' differs in a big way. Hard ciders are fermented and contain anywhere from 4-6% alcohol by volume. Unlike plain old 'apple cider,' any 'hard cider' is only meant for those ages 21 and up. Can cider go bad? If curious, the word 'Scrumpy' refers to the unfiltered ciders traditionally made in the West Country, originated from 'scrump,' what its residents call a withered or small apple. Strongbow, the leading producer of cider, makes a dry British Dry Cidre, but a more traditional British-style cider you may likely find to be malty and very sweet. Many of these U.K. styles have parlayed over to the United States, which in turn has put its spin on cider in a plethora of apple varieties and brewing methods. It's common before bottling for raw apple cider to be pasteurized to extend shelf life, so it needn't be refrigerated until it's been uncapped. Finding untreated cider is quite easy, though, should you ever wish to try some or make hard cider yourself from fresh-pressed cider.