Ciders...
 

Since moving to England, I've tried to find something to drink on social occasions. I don't like beer, wine is so-so, and I never got a taste for hard alcohol. I tried some cider a few months ago, and found it quite good. I prefer Strongbow and Magner's, but Bullmer's isn't bad either.

Any Cider (Cyder) fans out there?

Oh yes!

And if those are the only ciders you have had so far, be reassured you've only scratched the surface.

There are some pretty grim ones available (Diamond White is a particularly foul example) but hunt around a bit and you can uncover some corkers. The drinks section in Waitrose makes a fine start.

I like:
Sheppy's Apple Cider
Westons Cider (Special Vintage)

I've had beautiful ciders in the North of France which I never noted the names of.

Similarly, in Asturias and the Basque region of Spain there are some magical ciders there, the best are 'flat' and require an escanciador like this or like this to 'aerate' it. Even the 'champagne styles' are nice, I like Champañera de Villaviciosa and even have a fondness for El Gaitero (perhaps, Spain's most popular cider)

Welcome to Europe! Your cider journey has only barely begun.

Magners is my personal favorite!

I don't like Blackthorn at all. There was one I bought at M&S foods that wasn't good either. There was another one I had at Brown's restaurant that was served only in a bottle. It was also very good. At 5% alcohol, a liter of the stuff will get you a-buzzin. :p

When I was in Dublin I was looking for a cheap 6 pack of cider to take to a friends.. picked up Druid Cider which was (what I assume) the bud of ciders.. it was cheap and did the trick!

Love Apple Ciders! ^

I like mine with blackcurrent... called a snakebite, if I'm not mistaken.

I had a very good French one that was extremely dry in a restaurant in London a couple years ago. It wouldnt have been good on its own but it went wonderfully with food.

I'm afraid you are - snakebite is a mixture of cider and lager beer much favoured by greasy-haired bikers and ladies with tight jeans and loose morals.:D

Snakebites are also more commonly these days cider with a shot of blackcurrent in them, generally the cider is the cheapest available and smells absolutley disgusting and tastes about the same. I think the half lager half cider option is illegal isn't it?

I like Bulmers, but I am a huge fan of Kopperberg Swedish cider, you can get it in some Tesco's and Waitrose and some pubs have it. If you see it order the pear you won't look back;)

I thought Bulmer's and Magner's were the same thing?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magners

We had the pleasure of having quite a few Bulmer's during our last trip to Ireland, unfortunately it appears to be nearly impossible to find any Bulmer's/Magner's in the US, and especially here in Georgia.

There are some pretty grim ones available (Diamond White is a particularly foul example) but hunt around a bit and you can uncover some corkers. The drinks section in Waitrose makes a fine start.


Ahh...Diamond White! Reminds me of the summer of '92 when I was 16 and spent 3 weeks in England visiting relatives. It was my first time in pubs, and I mostly drank Diamond White (Ice, I think?) and shandy's as I hadn't developed a taste for beer yet.

liking blended cider is like saying that Bells is a good whisky!
There are plenty of decent ciders but I dont think Bulmers or strongbow are in that category, try Thatchers single varietal ciders, this year there is Katy, Coxs and Dabinett which are all good

I used to drink cider as my cheap student drink, having drunk diamond white and diamond blush at school :o

Had my first cider in years the other week, and was pleasantly surprised at how non-artificial it tasted. Pear cider is a definite yum too :)

I had a pear cider in a bar somewhere outside of Anaheim years ago that was tot fabu! ^ I'm a fan of apple cider, as well.

Cider fans: If you're ever in Paris, you should go to Pomze for dinner. Pomze is a restaurant that is sponsored to some extent by apple growers. All of the items on its menu feature apples in some way) and it has an extensive list of apple ciders (and Calvados, too). You can order a 3-course prix fixe meal for about 35 euros, together with a flight of 3 ciders matched to each course, for about 12 euros. The waiter comes by and explains where the apples come from and why the cider has been chosen to match the dish. I love apples, and so we had to try this restaurant out when we lived in Paris. I expected it to be a bit gimmicky, but in fact the restaurant is quite modern and innovative, without being gimmicky at all. You can also buy various ciders served in the restaurant in a small shop on the premises.

Drooool...

That sounds so good!

A friend of a friend in White Salmon, WA makes some great ones, unpasteurized... mmm! Its the best way to go!

It could be...I'm still a cider newbie. :)

Just wait until you graduate to Iced Ciders. :D

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Magners is Bulmers everywhere outside of Ireland. In the UK there is another cider called Bulmers which is made by a different company (Scottish and Newcastle) and has a superior taste (IMHO), I think the issue goes back to feuding brothers....or something similar.

Check with your local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale); many are fans of fine cider as well and the organization will celebrate National Cider and Perry Month in October.

I attended the 2006 Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) put on by CAMRA at Earls Court, where there were about 100 artisanal ciders being poured. Sadly, you've just missed the 2008 GBBF .

SCRUMPY rules! :D

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If you`re back here in North America and are missing British cider, check out http://www.merridalecider.com/ on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Yes, they do have scrumpy too.

Agree Bulmers is fantastic! I first got into Bulmers when I was living in Dublin. My local Pub in Sydney has it on tap ;).

When ever I get to the UK I always order Cider as it tastes better over their than in Aus. Also Mercury Cider from Tasmania is not a bad drop.

As for Pear flavor Kopperberg its not a bad drop at all ;)

Im in Cambridge and asked a barman I know (yea I come here too much) and who normally suggests ales to me to suggest again a cider. He said he had some good English and French ones. The first one he suggested was Bulmers. It was quite nice. Ill try some more tomorrow. A bit jet lagged now.

I almost didn't make it home after three Scrumpy Jack's one night.

Rock Bottom Brewery carries Woodchuck, which is very smooth. It has less carbonation that UK ciders. Tastes just like apple juice. :p

Three Scrumpy Jacks and you're legless ?
It's what we give the kids over here to drink until they're old enough for a proper drink.
Lightweight - or are you really a woman ? :D

:D:D:D

I really miss my Hunter's Gold or Hunter's Dry with a slice of lemon. I would even drink Savannah with a slice of lemon. Strongbow is drinkable.
I'm stuck with some nasty brand here, Hornsby. I picked up their amber draft and it just lacks that bittersweet, apple taste. Tastes like not quite beer.

I do agree with the poster about pear cider. That's pretty good.

Oh yeah, the Okanagan (sp?) valley produces some good ciders too ^

Kopperberg's Pear Cider is great. Always one of the first things I buy to have as my pre-dinner drink when I visit the in-laws in the summers. I wish I could find palatable ciders here in local liquor stores.

The snakebite at one of my local watering holes is half cider and half Guinness. Makes for a nice summer drink.

Best ciders are from eric bordelet
 

Eric Bordelet

Eric Bordelet, former sommelier at the three-star restaurant Arpège, may be the ultimate example of how a wine-based approach to cider rules the roost in France. Many sommeliers aspire to eventually become winemakers; encouraged by the late renowned Loire Valley winemaker Didier Dagueneau, Bordelet turned his sommelier’s eye instead on the ciders of his native Normandy. All of the trappings of classical winemaking make their way into his ciders: old trees, low yields, and terroir all mean as much in the orchard as they do in the vineyard. He produces ciders at three levels of sweetness, all with a light mousse and apple, floral, and spicy notes. However, the highpoints of his portfolio are the “reserve” cuvées Sydre Argelette and Poiré Granite; the latter is made from 300-year-old pear trees. The Argelette is crisp and elegant, with an aroma and flavor of poached apples leavened by citrus and spice. The Poiré Granite is very Champagne-like and dry; the pear aromas are subtly balanced by citrus, flowers, and earth, and the finish is long and complex.

I love this thread! A couple of years ago, we spent a few weeks in Normandy, and had amazing ciders. Our favorite producer was probably Domaine Duclos-Fougeray (76440 Saint-Michel-d'Halescourt), an artisanal producer with several Medailles d'Or to their credit. Both the apple and pear ciders were terrific, and they also make an excellent calvados. Unfortunately, we can't get their produce here in the States. Here, we do enjoy the Bordelet ciders which are pretty easy to find, at least in the Bay Area.

A really excellent cider here in the States is JK Scrumpy. It's an organic cider made entirely on a single family orchard in Michigan. Normally I prefer drier booze, but this is somewhere in the middle between sweet and dry. It has more complexity than, say, a Woodchuck or Strongbow, but not as much as the great Normandy ciders. You can find it in Chicago at Binnys or Whole Foods for aout $6 per 22 oz bottle.

Else, Strongbow is my go-to mass market cider. I love Strongbow!

Woodchuck is what I drank in college before I acquired a taste for beer. Tried one recently. Gross!

A while back I tried Bulmer's Woodpecker Cider at a wine bar in New York City - very very good! ^

I developed a taste for Kopparberg Pear whilst in Dublin this year, but I can't find it anywhere in the states. :( Does anyone know of a place on the web that will ship??

Looks like you can have it delivered worldwide by this British place:

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/p...11203&curr=usd

I also found some discussion board chatter saying a couple bars in NYC have it.

I'm not a beer drinker either, but enjoyed quite a bit of cider when i was in Ireland a couple months ago.

I've made it a point to keep some in my fridge ever since.

I think my last round was Wyders Pear

I'm actually going to be in NYC the weekend of the 20th. Now I have a mission. :)

(And I'll have to just keep trying lots of bars until I find it. ;) )