Although cider is popular among beer lovers as an alcoholic beverage,.
Cider is not a beer
Technically speaking, cider is not a beer.
Beer is an alcoholic beverage fermented on a malt basis with the addition of hops to add flavor. The corresponding cider is an alcoholic beverage made primarily from fermented apple juice.
In contrast, cider is often mixed with mead.
As for alcoholic cider, the term cider is commonly used. In North America, people also call it hard cider. We know that cider is definitely not the only drink made from apples. For example, our common apple cider vinegar is not an alcoholic beverage. Therefore, drinks made from non-alcoholic apples are often referred to as soft cider (as opposed to hard cider), or some people call it cider or sweet cider.
Brewing Ingredients
Naturally, apples are needed to make cider. However, the apples used to make cider are not the same as the apples we normally eat, they are usually not suitable for eating directly. These apples are usually small and have a bitter and sweet taste. Sometimes different apples are used in cider making to balance the tannins, acidity, sweetness and aromas of the wine.
The yeast of choice is usually the same yeast strain used to make red wines and champagnes. In this respect, cider is also very similar to wine.
Cider Styles
Today, most popular industrial fermented ciders contain sugar, malic acid, sulfites, and natural or artificial colors. Compared to beer, cider is less carbonated, so you won’t see as much foam as beer when poured into a glass. While industrial ciders naturally tend to be consistent in aroma and flavor, cider variation is concentrated in small-scale artisanal brewing and varies considerably from region to region.
English ciders are very dry, with pronounced fruit and tannin flavors and a little sparkling. The Normandy style of winemaking is sweeter, frothier and more complex. In general, ciders from other places have sweetness and vary in flavor, but the two most important styles are the two above. For example, North America has a great English cider, and Quebec, Canada has a great Normandy style.
Some cold facts about cider
Sometimes cider is as valuable as gold
From the 17th century to the 19th century, the British real estate industry. Cider was part of the pay for workers, so real estate owners who could produce good cider could attract even the best labor. It was not until 1887 that a trucking amendment was enacted, prohibiting cider as part of the incentive. (Saison was once a way for farmers to pay their employees.)
2. Cider can also be aged
Carefully made cider can be aged for a long time by continuing to ferment slowly in the bottle. At this point, the cider will become dry over time. This also means that cider aged at more than 6% ABV is a good choice. However, it should be noted that most commercially mass-produced ciders cannot be aged because they are packaged aseptically and there is no live yeast in the wine.
3. Barrel Aged Cider
One of the key factors in making high-end cider is the aging of the barrels. Dewey Winery has invested in a range of red wine barrels, American oak barrels, French oak barrels and bourbon barrels. They will age the cider in each barrel and finally blend the aged cider in a different barrel. It’s kind of like the Utopia of beer making.
Cider is usually served at room temperature
Unlike beer, chilled cider may not give the best flavor. In fact, the most recommended method is to wait until the cider is tapped out of the barrel and then drink it straight away. But it would be interesting to explore experimental drinking at different temperatures.
Hops are now involved in making cider
Some American cider makers are now adding hops to their ciders to add a different flavor profile.
Hoppy Cider
6. Cider and Cocktails
The high acidity of cider makes it a very suitable cocktail. For example, a Swedish model known as mal, RT spirits is difficult to accept if served alone, but when paired with a high acidity cider, the acidity can soften the discomfort caused by the bitterness, making it a very unique cocktail.
Spain is the place where most cider is drunk
Cider is very popular in Spain, especially in the Basque region of Asturias, where the average consumption of cider is higher than anywhere else in the world.
One way the local Basque people like to drink cider
In addition to apples, pears can also be used to make wine
Using the same yeast and technique, pears are used instead of apples to make Perry, and pears are sometimes mixed with apples to make cider.
