Not A Fan Of Cider

[super_simian]

Although I love cider I agree with this sentiment. The only similarity between cider and beer is they are both fermented drinks with similar abv. Craft cider makers actually get annoyed when lumped in with beer brewers. Cider is about fruit and processes while beer is about recipes. Cider is much closer to grape wine, remember wine is also made from fruit, so if you don't like fermented fruit drinks you don't like wine.

It comes down to a disparity in perception. To brewers, cider makers and (perhaps) wine makers, cider is essentially a fruit wine; from turbo cider through macro cider to scrumpy. But to drinkers, especially in the current domestic market, cider is more akin to beer. In colour, in ABV, in serving type, in price. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

 

[Xarb]

Plus a lot of breweries are making cider these days. Little Creatures, Monteiths, Matilda Bay, Lion Nathan etc.

 

[Spork]

Not a fan, but SWMBO likes sweet wines and we have a few apple trees getting big enough to start producing. I envisage an oversupply in a couple of years. Might have a crack @ making some then.

 

[MarkBastard]

remember wine is also made from fruit, so if you don't like fermented fruit drinks you don't like wine.

Precisely.

 

[manticle]

I like cider, the history and culture of cider and the making of cider for the same reasons I like beer.

I find beer more interesting and diverse (taste and history wise) than any other drink including cider but cider has artisanal and cultural roots, as do wine, whisky and many other fermented and distilled beverages.

I'm even interested in the history of absinthe, despite having a preference for possum wee (if given a nice glass and a choice of only those two). Hell if a pub put sima or Kvass on tap, I'd try it for the hell of it.

Some of the french stuff is way more interesting than the stuff that's popular here - more complexity and a great tradition of growing and pressing. I'd love to get hold of some proper cider apples - enough to make up a few batches of good breton style cider. I'll stick with blends of juice and apples till I move to Normandy though.

 

[Greg.L]

Plus a lot of breweries are making cider these days. Little Creatures, Monteiths, Matilda Bay, Lion Nathan etc.

They just get some concentrate, ferment, backsweeten and add a little flavouring. Same as megaswill. I suspect they mostly just contract it out and put their label on it.

 

[boingk]

The alignment with beer is ficticious at best. Its not beer, never will be, and drinking one doesn't mean you'll drink - or even like - the other.

Taking up a tap with cider is only innappropriate if the pub has a distinct lack of any beers apart from the regular New/Old/VB/Gold/Dry/Hahn Light.

Otherwise? I don't mind a cider every now and then.

- boingk

EDIT: There are brewing mags? What the hell do they have in them - that its coming up to summer so get x beer with x seasonal hop into you? That you might need refridgeration techniques to keep brewing lagers? Jesus...

 

[MarkBastard]

They just get some concentrate, ferment, backsweeten and add a little flavouring. Same as megaswill. I suspect they mostly just contract it out and put their label on it.

I know Monteiths had an interesting notice on their website saying sorry to people that one of their batches had small twigs in the bottles. They said it's because they use real fresh fruit etc. They then said if you want you can drink another brand that only uses concentrate haha. Bit of a weird 'sorry'.

I suppose I've never tried a REAL cider that's actually definitely made the 'right' way. I guess I should give that a go some time to be fair.

 

[manticle]

You may still not find it to your liking - more just a matter of seeing that there is another 'craft' or artisanal side to it and that the flavours are not all fizzy semi sweet thin fruit water.

Try a good breton cider (or better still try a few - I've had some that had bad infections so don't judge all by just one) or a good normandy cider.

 

[Greg.L]

I suppose I've never tried a REAL cider that's actually definitely made the 'right' way. I guess I should give that a go some time to be fair.

There's a cider at Dan's called Henney's. Give that a try, if you don't like it then you don't like cider.

The french actually like their cider "infected". They like the flavour of a wild MLF that's gone slightly "off".

 

[manticle]

I had one that was distinctly medicinal which I hope and assumed was not deliberate or liked. All others I've tried have been amazing experiences - complex like blue cheese, musty apples and a dank wine cellar rolled into one bottle.

 

[Phoney]

Fruit has no place in any alcoholic Beverage...............I am sure Ben Connery would agree with me


Cheers

Paul

Not even in cocktails?

 

[seamad]

Spent a bit of time in normandy and brittany and aquired a bit of a taste for cider. Big range of stlyes from rustic farmhouse ones with all manner of floaty bits to refined ones. Never had an aussie/ kiwi one yet that gets that lovely mustiness or the dry/ sweet fruit balance that the frenchies manage. I also suspect that not many aussie ones are made with real cider apples.

I dont mind seeing a cider on tap as most women seem to like cider over beer, know what i prefer to look at whilst imbibing
Cheers

 

[Greg.L]

The French use a technique called keeving to produce a naturally sweet cider, they also have rules about using cider apples. It's a world away from the stuff sold in Australia.

They have a phrase 'sous bois' for that medicinal, slightly off flavour they love. The English call it "old horse". It's not at all to my taste, must be an acquired taste.

 

[drtomc]

I must say, I'm with Manticle on this one. I'm as much interested because of the history and culture as the product itself. Same as beer. Wine, I reckon, while it has some interesting history, is shallow by comparison.

2c,
T.

 

[Silo Ted]

Plus a lot of breweries are making cider these days. Little Creatures, Monteiths, Matilda Bay, Lion Nathan etc.

Little Creatures make "Dirty Granny" right ? That's such ****, I had one last week.

And as for 5 Seeds, ******* hell, that's a headache in a bottle for me.

 

[jbowers]

No, they don't. Little creatures make Pipsqueak.

Little Creatures make "Dirty Granny" right ? That's such ****, I had one last week.

And as for 5 Seeds, ******* hell, that's a headache in a bottle for me.

 

[pk.sax]

Cider is my Lager, well... what I would drink in preference to pale fizzy lager. Good cider on the other hand... yummm It doesn't take as long as Lager does to make, well.. at least the temperature part is a lot easier to deal with... It really showcases the process if done right. Slight changes in ingredients can do so much to a well brewed cider. Honey goes really well in a cider and accelerates the time it takes to taste the honey in a fully fermented beverage (unlike beer where it disappears)... roughly speaking, of course.

Also, I like the odd wine, but don't reach out for it. So I suppose that settles that I do like fermented fruit.

 

[drsmurto]

Wondering if anyone else shares the same opinion. Probably not. Bit of a rant coming...

Okay, for starters I generally don't like fermented fruit drinks. I like some beers that have fruit in them, but that is as far as I'll go. I love sparkling apple juice, just not fermented apple juice. Dunno why.

It pisses me off that cider is becoming more popular and particularly its alignment to craft brew. I see it as more akin to champagne or something like that. I don't think it's anything like beer except perhaps in serving method.

Anyway, probably most people will disagree but surely someone agrees with me? This **** drink is taking up taps that could have beer on them. Also some megaswill pubs are starting to have for example Monteiths cider when you'd kill for a Monteiths beer in its place!

And Beer and Brewer mag is starting to get too much cider content for my liking too.

End rant.

You obviously haven't had a good cider then.

Cider apples, wild ferment. Gorgeous stuff.

About as far away from commercial cider as XXXX is from craftbeer.

Love a good cider. Love a good wine. Dislike fruit beer.

When discussing cider you have to realise there is hardly any real craft cider sold in Australia, and hardly any proper cider apple trees. The cider mostly sold is the cider equivalent of goon. Proper cider is made from proper cider apples fully ripened, not grannysmith or red delicious picked early to store well. Cider apples ripen till they fall from the tree, then they have the right flavour.

Exactly.

There are cider apples around, you just need to know who to ask.

 

[Silo Ted]

When discussing cider you have to realise there is hardly any real craft cider sold in Australia, and hardly any proper cider apple trees. The cider mostly sold is the cider equivalent of goon. Proper cider is made from proper cider apples fully ripened, not grannysmith or red delicious picked early to store well. Cider apples ripen till they fall from the tree, then they have the right flavour.

Someone shouted me one of these recently, and I was quite impressed. Typically I'm sick of commercial ciders, so it was a welcome surprise.

http://www.bilpincider.com