Rethink Cider — that is what Jane Peyton, the UK’s first accredited pommelier (cider sommelier) is asking of drinkers in her new book.
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“Minimal intervention cider from freshly-pressed juice (as opposed to highly-processed mass-market sugary cider, made from a minimum of apple juice concentrate) is sunlight in a glass, the liquid expression of the orchard’s soul,” says Jane.
“Of all alcoholic drinks, cider is the most misunderstood, so with this book, The Philosophy of Cider, I aim to change that and encourage people to rethink cider.”
As Jane outlines in her book, minimal intervention fresh juice cider is a gift from nature. She extols its diversity from ultra-dry, to super-sweet ice cider (superb as a dessert cider); single variety or a blend; tannic and acidic wine-like cider to light and easy-drinking; cider drunk young to cider aged for months in oak barrels.
She also celebrates its ability to pair with food, from casual to fine dining. As proof, she matches the real menu of a Buckingham Palace state banquet for the French pesident with cider instead of wine. She also reminds readers that English cider was the original purposely sparkled drink, decades before wine makers in the Champagne region did the same with still wine.
She makes the argument that people who care about whole food and drink, slow food, local cultural traditions, and the environment, have many reasons to drink real cider, and not just because it is delicious! By drinking real cider they:
- Support biodiversity and ecosystems in apple orchards.
- Save heritage apple varieties.
- Support the rural economy.
- Taste the terroir of where the apples were grown.
- Maintain the centuries-old skills of artisan cider making.
- Support traditional cultural cider activities.
The Philosophy of Cider also covers history and takes readers on an apple journey, from its origin in central Asia to today into millions of bottles of cider around the world.
The book is packed with numerous facts. Captain William Bligh, for instance, of the Mutiny on the Bounty infamy, planted Australia’s first apple tree (the mutiny happened later on the same voyage). And mariners, including the crew on Captain Cook’s ships, consumed cider to prevent ccurvy (before citrus was recognised as an effective prophylactic).
Jane says: “Cider fascinates me so much I studied to become an accredited pommelier and by doing so entered a parallel universe known as Ciderland, a rural realm where nature rules, life is slow, and time is dictated by the growing season. Ciderland is a glorious place to be!”
The Philosophy of Cider is published by British Library Publishing at £10. Signed copies are available here.
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