France is the world's largest producer of cider or cider. Normandy and Brittany, in northern France, are the main producing regions, producing the drink since the 6th century. Hard cider is an alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting fruit juice, usually apples. The addition of hard in its name is used to distinguish this drink from its non-alcoholic counterpart, apple cider, which is made by pressing apples to produce juice.
People have been making cider for thousands of years. It is understood that in ancient European and Asian cultures, apples were used to make a raw version of cider as early as 6500 BC. Over the years, the art of making cider has improved, although the basic principles are practically the same. Today, most ciders are produced in the UK, and several types are produced, including dry, medium and sweet ciders, as well as still and sparkling options.
As apple production grew in the 17th century, cider became a popular drink among Gentry, the upper class, which often replaced wines. By the 18th century, more efficient production led to cider being used second, using leftovers to produce a lower alcohol, 2 to 3% of cider that was cheap for the masses. White cider, almost colorless, has the same apple juice content as conventional cider, but it is more difficult to create because the cider maker has to mix several apples to create a clearer liquid. It is documented that the bishop of Bath & Wells, the city where I grew up, in the southwest of England, bought cider presses for his monastery in 1230, although I was born a few years later.
In Tasmania, there are several boutique cider makers, such as Red Sails (Middleton), Pagan Cider (Huon Valley), Dickens Cider (Tamar Valley) and Spreyton Cider (Spreyton). Cider is a natural liquid drink obtained by pressing finely ground fruit, such as apples. Another conjecture that apples were not used to make cider in other parts of the Roman Empire stems mainly from the lack of documentation to suggest otherwise. For large-scale cider production, vat ciders produced from different apple varieties can be mixed to suit the taste of the market.
Effervescence is usually achieved by injecting carbon dioxide, but traditional ciders can be left in the bottle or undergo secondary fermentation. Extending the time that cider remains in contact with yeast lees increased the concentrations of most of the minor volatile compounds present, especially fatty acids, ethyl esters and alcohols. Different types of cider are defined by their level of sweetness, and most are available still or sparkling. That said, it's quite possible that northern Spain has been drinking cider for quite a few years before traveler tales arrived in Strabo around 7BC.
But we also tried many other, less rustic artisanal ciders, so don't be afraid to try them, there are some traditional-style ciders that use more techniques modern to achieve a filtered and high quality product. Sparkling ciders can be produced using different methods, including the Champenoise method used to produce champagne. The assortment of imported ciders has grown significantly since 2000, before that, only ciders from Sweden, mainly non-alcoholic, were generally available. In addition, most cider bottles and cans can be stored upright or on their side without affecting their flavor.
