"hard cider" news and stories

Hot chocolate, eggnog and even gingerbread lattes are all wonderful winter options, but there isn't anything quite like apple cider to warm you up. The smell of apples and spice really is the scent of the season. Cider, Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions, and Making Your Own is a great reference for all things cider-related. It has a detailed history of cider and cider-making, as well as information about the types of apples that make the best cider and exactly how to do it yourself. The author is very enthusiastic about his subject and is an engaging writer, so a casual reader will get a good overview while someone who is really intent on studying the subject will take away a good deal of knowledge. Sweet cider and fermented "hard" cider are covered in depth, but one feature that seems to be unique to this book is the chapter spent on Tasting and Evaluating Cider, which provides some insights into quality that you won't find anywhere else.

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The growing thirst for hard cider may prove to be the saving grace for Britain's apple orchards, which have lost two-thirds of their trees since the 1970s. Cider's newfound popularity has been linked to Irish maker Magners, which has helped the drink shed its downscale image.

Magners is doing such a robust business that the company has begun to purchase British apples. And they're not the only cider maker driving the resurgence of the country's apple orchards. Thanks to a hot summer and cider's association with organic foods demand is up across the board. Last month sales of the refreshing libation leaped 51 percent. How about them apples!?

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Apple cider vinegar is a by-product of fermented apple (hard) cider, once one of the most popular and widely available alcoholic drinks in the US. Vinegar was used for preserving foods and was common in most households, where its sweet/tart flavor found a variety of other uses in sauces and dressings. Cooks Illustrated noticed that most people tend to reach for the store brand of cider vinegar - which does not get the same amount of shelf space as trendier balsamic vinegar does - and conducted a taste test in this month's issue to see if the brand made a difference.

The vinegars were tasted plain, in barbecue sauce, in pan sauce and in a vinaigrette. Tasters tended to prefer the vinegars with a sweeter, almost honeyed taste. The top two brands were Maille Apple Cider Vinegar and Spectrum Naturals Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (unfiltered), but even very common and inexpensive brands like White House and Heinz were found to be acceptable. So while there is a difference between brands, it probably won't make or break your dish.

And as a general tip, apple ciders with little apple bits still floating in them (unfiltered vinegars) tend to be a bit sweeter, with a bit more of an apple flavor than ones that are completely clear.