Greetings!

Greetings new readers! Welcome to The Cider Press, the blog dedicated to exposing everyone

to the wonderful world of hard ciders. In our first post, Hawke and I will be introducing ourselves, recounting some history of hard cider, and be explaining a bit about how this tantalizing drink is made. We are shooting to keep to a bi-weekly schedule of reviewing all your favorite hard ciders, and hopefully exposing you to some new and unique tastes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

First off, who are these people?

Bailey grew up on her grandparent's apple orchard in the Midwest region of the U.S. She was very lucky to spend her early summers in the midst of blossoming apple trees, and late summers harvesting and pressing the fruit for cider of the non-alcoholic (but still very delicious) variety. If asked to pick something that would sum up the fond memories of her childhood, Bailey would say “the sweet and tangy smell of rotting apples.” Bailey discovered hard cider at the later age of 23 when she moved to a big city. She has been spreading the news to others ever since.

Hawke also grew up in the Midwest, although a little further west than Bailey. His interests have always culminated more in the food portion of sustenance, but recently was introduced to hard cider via Bailey. After the very first sip, his eyes lit up with excitement and wonder. Hawke, who usually lives by the unspoken foodie rule of “try everything at least once,” immediately expressed his desire to seek out all of the different varieties of hard cider and conquer them through gustation.

Where did this stuff come from?

The roots of hard cider date all the way back to the Eighteenth century in Europe, where it was as prevalent as beer is today. According to lore, it wasn't uncommon for Englishmen or even early settlers to drink it with breakfast. Sadly, when German immigrants brought beer with them to the U.S sometime after the Civil War era, the making of hard cider slipped into the shadows. Beer was cheaper to produce and the ingredients grew in a much more rapidly. However, it has made a comeback in the last few generations. It is now mass produced in several countries around the world, each with their own twists and distinct flavors.

How is hard cider made?

The process can be complicated depending on many factors, so this is basically an abbreviated version for those of you who are curious. First of all, the finest apples are picked and crushed into a gooey, sticky substance called pomace. Then the pomace is placed onto a “press” which basically relies on lots of weight to squeeze the juice out. Making hard cider from this juice then requires allowing the natural yeast present to turn the sugar into alcohol. This process must take place without the presence air, otherwise your batch of medal winning cider could turn into a batch of apple cider vinegar, which is not as pleasant to drink. The final result also depends on the length of storage, which can be anywhere from 8 months to 6 years. The preferred container for storage is a wooden barrel, which is very useful for adding desired flavors and being a bit flexible to allow for the various gasses released during fermentation. It is imperative that the concoction not be moved or disturbed for the duration of storage. If this happens, the sediment at the bottom will combine with the mixture and turn the final product cloudy. This is an art that takes attention to detail and lots of patience!