Cider
Real Cider & Perry in Leicestershire & Rutland
Traditional Cider & Perry…
…What is it?
...Where can I find it?
Traditional cider and perry is as far removed from
the widely available keg versions as real ale is from keg and smoothflow
beer. The very best ciders will be made from freshly pressed, locally
grown, apples. Traditionally these will usually be specific bittersweet
cider apples in the West Country, or culinary and dessert apples in
Kent/Anglia etc. Similarly, perry is made from a range of perry pears
grown mostly in the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and
Gloucestershire. The juice will not be diluted or adulterated with sugars
or syrups and fermentation will often result from naturally occurring
yeasts on equipment or in the cider house. After a slow fermentation
through the winter the resulting cider or perry will usually be quite
dry. If you wish to try cider or perry in this, it’s most unadulterated
form, you would usually have to visit the farm itself, though beer and
cider festivals, and increasingly rarely pubs, may be easier to visit for
many.
In practice most cider and perry differs from this
form in one way or another. Cultured yeasts may be added for a more
consistent product, sulphur has been used for centuries in wine and cider
making and is often desirable for a clean fermentation and stable end
product. Most bottled ciders are pasteurised, again for stability, and
sweeteners may be employed to add sweetness without setting off an
undesirable re-fermentation. Many of these products are of a very high
quality and are an essential outlet for small-scale producers to sell
their product.
There are a number of processes that have little to
do with the needs of selling a quality product. Most cider is made from
concentrated apple juice, much of which is imported from abroad. The use
of sugars and syrups to boost the alcohol levels, and heavy dilution
contribute little to the flavour of the resulting beverage. Filtration,
carbonation and chilling are considered essential in mass-produced
ciders, yet these processes only serve to strip out or mask any flavour
still remaining. Needless to say, CAMRA do not recommend ciders and
perrys that have been processed in this way.
A strict definition for real cider and perry is more
difficult to pin down than for real ale. CAMRA believe that, as with real
ale, the flavour should be the primary consideration in a ‘real’ product,
but it would be hard to see how real cider and perry could survive in the
marketplace if too rigid a definition were applied. The ciders and perrys
available at CAMRA beer festivals or recommended in guides are always
selected with flavour and quality in mind.
…Where can I find
it?
Traditional cider and perry has not been widely
available in Leicestershire since Everards stopped supplying their houses
with Bulmers Traditional cider in the 80’s and the short-lived
experiment with Bulmers Old Hazy cider around a decade ago. Despite this,
there have always been a few outlets for real cider in the county if you
know where to look.
The popularity of the cider bar at Leicester CAMRA’s
annual beer festival shows there is a demand for traditional cider and
perry locally and I feel sure there is room for more Leicestershire pubs
to offer an alternative to the ubiquitous national keg ciders which grace
practically every bar-top.
For a list of pubs in Leicestershire that offer a
traditional cider and/or perry click
here. Outlets for real cider come and go, so if travelling it may be
advisable to ring ahead and check these details are correct.
This list is regularly updated. If you know of an outlet for traditional cider or perry in Leicestershire or Rutland that is not on this list, please send details to
the webmaster (details on Committee page).
And don’t forget, for the widest range of traditional cider and perry
in Leicestershire, be sure to visit the Leicester Beer Festival.
Click for
Cider & Perry News.
Leicester
CAMRA Beer Festival 2007 - click for
Cider Bar Report
and Cider List.
Visiting
Cider Festivals.
This page last updated: June 3, 2008
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