Today, dear readers, I consider the issue of cider. It seems appropriate, as we stagger to the end of a glorious heat wave, to turn our thoughts to this most thirst-quenching of drinks. For the past few years, of course, cider has been quite the drink du jour, but with some excellent brands have emerged some real duds, and the marketing hype associated with some of the more prominent labels has been overpowering in the extreme.
It was, I suppose, Magners which revitalised the market which had previously been dominated by Strongbow and Dry Blackthorn (or, at the less salubrious end, Diamond White and Frosty Jack's), and in pure marketing terms I have to doff my cap to the C&C Group, the owners of Magners, for presenting an image of carefree sunny days in dappled apple orchards, allied to an easygoing Irish charm. The gimmick of serving it over ice was a clever one, and placed it firmly in the summer drink category. I confess that Magners is never more than a faute de mieux choice, if I am locked into a cider mood, and I find it a bit bland and tasteless. I don't have it with ice, either, as it should be cold anyway from the bottle or the tap, and the ice just leaves you with watery detritus at the end of the glass.
With the undoubted success of Magners, the venerable English company H.P. Bulmer fought back by marketing Bulmer's as a very similar product, also aimed at the served-over-ice aficionados. (Confusingly, Magners is sold in Ireland as Bulmer's; it is the same product, with almost-identical labels.) Bulmer's has also diversified, launching pear cider and No 17 cider, with the addition of crushed red berries and lime. I don't much care for these either, though the red apple edition which Bulmer's produced for a while was a toothsome novelty.
Then, of course, we have the Scandinavian invasion, in cider as in gloomy detective drama, with Rekorderlig and Kopparberg leading the charge. These two have played heavily on the different flavours available. I was for a time much taken by Rekorderlig (apparently to be pronounced Re-kor-DER-lig), and drank vats of the stuff, but I find it rather too sweet now. In small doses, the winter special, with vanilla and cinnamon, is very tasty (I have yet to try it warmed or mulled, but if 2012/13 is a cold winter, I can see possibilities), and the strawberry and lime edition is refreshing under the right circumstances. Both Rekorderlig and Kopparberg peddle pear ciders as well, but I cannot abide pears - a story for another day...
For real quality - and strength - however, the experienced cider drinker must adhere to traditional values. The two great names I am thinking of here are Westons and Thatchers, from the cider heartlands of Herefordshire and Somerset respectively. Both have excellent ranges, and, availability notwithstanding, make it unnecessary to look anywhere else. Westons Medium Dry is a deliciously crisp and tasty drink, and comes in at a decent 6.5% abv. The Vintage is a bulkier mouthful, at 8.2%, but has a wonderfully sweet and apply flavour, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Then there are the still scrumpies, including the mighty Old Rosie, which, apart from their many other virtues, are available in 20-litre boxes, if you have the storage space.
In the Somerset corner, Thatcher Katy Single Variety is a truly lovely drink, light and dry and refreshing, of which a very attractive rose version is available. Thatchers Gold is a smooth and easy-drinking tipple, only 4.8% abc for those who fight shy of the heftier ciders. Like Westons, they produce a vintage (7.4%) which is a complex and bitter-sweet swallow, worth pairing with food.
I do not deny it. I am a cider fan. Many of you may be too. It is certainly true that the options available to cider-drinkers are so much wider than ten or fifteen years ago, when a can of Woodpecker was a titan in the cider landscape. My only plea is to look beyond the big commercial hitters. Go for strength in depth. The wide ranges produced by the apple growers of Herefordshire and the West Country are a paradise of earthly delights. If the summer returns - it certainly seems to be fading at the moment - go to your local off-licence, dig through the shelves and fridges, and stock up on some fine and refreshing drinks. You won't regret it. Until the morning after.
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