As a wine lover, what do you think about hard cider?

Just a wee little poll to gauge public opinion on the world of hard apple (and pear) cider...

The reason I come at this topic is that last year, I pretty much discovered the world of hard cider, quite by chance. We had a really cold and wet vintage in Ontario. Normally I make wine every single year ... but last year due to the nature of the summer, I was not very confident about the quality of the available grapes. On a regular visit to some of the local apple orchards, I noticed that the apples looked wonderful: big, very juicy and clean. I thought: why not try something different - hard cider?

I made a few batches, using nothing but the fresh juice of many varieties (the main one was Golden Russet - highly recommended), and Champagne yeast. All the batches were made in a sparkling style - my first ever sparkling "wine" if you will. I was extremely pleased with the quality and just how easy it was to make really tasty hard cider at home. Not long after, I began thinking about how this historic, noble beverage, is just crawling along today ... certainly it's nowhere nearly as popular as it once was in the history of North America.

All in all, it's a very fresh and enjoyable tipple; I find it remarkably similar to sparkling wine, with the main differences being the raw material - apples - and the alcohol level, which hovers between that of beer and wine. There are so many different apple varieties - dedicated cider varieties / heritage apples, but also certain "mainline" varieties that work: Russets, Northern Spy, etc. - that this is a drink with infinite potential for diversity; it could certainly have a place in the agriculture and culinary culture of our continent. Yet another underdog...

A few cideries exist in Ontario - just a few. Waupoos makes a couple of nice ones, and there's one more up near Georgian Bay - Peeler Cider. The commercial versions are off-dry. My homemade sparkling ciders were all bone-dry, with moderate acidity (acidity is easily balanced by choosing varieties and blending before fermentation). One batch was even nicely tannic, since I used some astringent ("bittersweet") crabapples in the blend. The need for chaptalization is zero: even in a cold and rainy vintage, the ciders all came out with between 7% and 8% alcohol. Not too bad...

In Ontario, we have zero access to quality ciders from England, Normandy and Brittany. I did manage to get a Normandy cider while on a visit to Michigan. It was truly a funky, stinky cider that, to my mind, showed great kinship with complex, funky wines in a similar stylistic vein.

If anything, I see a kinship between sparkling grape wine and sparkling hard cider.

I can very much enjoy hard cider, that in either its French or American versions and I can enjoy it at 8-10% alcohol content of 30-40% alcohol content. As to sparkling cider, indeed every other year at Vinoble in Jerez (a professional event for sweet wines and sweet fruit wines), I have indeed tasted several of the Canadian versions and enjoyed those thoroughly.

As to apple brandy - indeed Calvados is one of the three great brandies of the world (the other two being Cognac and Armagnac).

Best
Rogov

...I made a few batches, using nothing but the fresh juice of many varieties (the main one was Golden Russet - highly recommended), and Champagne yeast...

I have a friend who makes it and he recommends Empire and Cortland apples and your favorite yeast - EC-1118.

I have a friend who makes it and he recommends Empire and Cortland apples and your favorite yeast - EC-1118.

Interestingly, I've read that Cortland alone might not work - it won't clear, or it may produce off aromas. I didn't try it for that reason - though this year I might blend in a bit to see how it works. Empire - didn't think of that one.

It is indeed my favourite yeast - dryness guaranteed every time!

It’s funny that you bring this up now. My nephew who will be turning 23 this year began to show a great deal of interest in learning about fermentation last year. He got a hold of a commercial juicer. So far I helped him out with (1) 5 gal batches of hard cider, (1) 5 gal batch of black cherry, and (2) 5 gal batches of lemonade “skeeter pee” (hard lemonade). I guess the popularity of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice among the “young” people make these very popular. To me personally, they make great “markers” to aid in evaluating a wine (they’re way to easy to drink).

Salute

Hi Paul,

I don't often do these polls on the DG, but I wanted to stop by and say how much I and others have missed you during your absence. I hope this post signifies your return.

[James Roscoe]

I like hard cider, but it is its own thing. I much prefer the French versions, be they Norman or Quebec.

Hard Apple cider has never had much of an appeal to me but I do like Calvados especially the ones that have extra age on them.

[James Roscoe]

Lou is Calvados not hard cider? I prefer it to the general crap you get here in the US. I have had some good Canadian Hard Cider. It is generally drier (is that the correct term?) than the stuff that is popular with the twenty-something crowd.

Lou is Calvados not hard cider? I prefer it to the general crap you get here in the US. I have had some good Canadian Hard Cider. It is generally drier (is that the correct term?) than the stuff that is popular with the twenty-something crowd.

I was under the impression that Calvados was made with the same process as Cognac, etc. Hard cider is made in a simpler way. I may be wrong, Paul or Hoke could go into details.

Occasionally enjoy a cold cider on a hot day. Usually get the local Ace Cider. I like their pear cider.

I love Norman cider and perry and I agree with Rogov that Calvados is one of the three great spirits. There is a range of delicious up-market cider and perry produced by Éric Bordelet from just outside Normandy which are exported, I think.

I was under the impression that Calvados was made with the same process as Cognac, etc. Hard cider is made in a simpler way. I may be wrong, Paul or Hoke could go into details.

Lou, Hi....

Hard cider is made in a manner similar to wine - that is to say fermented. Calvados, indeed like Cognac and other grape brandies, is made by converting grapes into wine but this then undergoes the process of distillation.

Best
Rogov

Like everything, the good stuff is divine and most stuff is crap.