Making Cider

Cider apples are optimally harvested when ripe to ensure all sugars are available for fermentation and that the full spectrum of flavours are available.

When apples arrive from the orchards, they will be graded, washed and sorted. They are then milled and pressed to maximise juice extraction.

The naturally sugar-rich apple juice is placed into fermentation vessels. The action of wild, or cultured & introduced yeasts, will convert all of the sugar present in the juice into alcohol.

This is the cider maker’s dark art. Knowing which ciders to blend together is crucial to ensure the right balance of flavours and aromas, dependent upon the type of cider they wish to achieve.

Some traditional ciders are drunk hazy or cloudy, but the majority of products will be filtered to remove any yeast sediment, leaving a bright cider.

Cider can be packaged in many different ways: still or sparkling, on draught or from a can or bottle, in a pint glass or even drunk from a wine flute.