Hard Cider

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JBroida

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This may be blasphemy to some, but recently i've had a craving for good hard cider... maybe its because summer is coming soon... who knows.

Anyways, i've always liked woodchuck, hornsby's, and strongbow and i even used to brew my own (which i am honestly considering doing again). Anyways, i was just wondering if any of you guys out there like cider and what your favorites are. The beer thread got me thinking about it and its clear to me that some of you are even crazier than i am when it comes to these things ;)

So who's into cider and what are some of your favorites?
 
Normandy ciders are my favorite. they tend to be quite dry, though.
 
Interesting variation. I have no clue about the ciders in the US. I grew up in a village where everybody made their own variation of apple cider (Apfelwein - apple wine in German, slightly stronger than the French Cidres) in their basement because most people had at least one apple tree. I remember that there was a guy coming around with a mobile press in season, so you could have your own apples pressed to juice and then start your bottles. When he retired, there were a few larger presses in the villages around us where you just brought your apples and traded them for cases of apple wine or apple juice. Not the same thing, unfortunately, as using your own apples because depending on the apple varieties, they all tasted slightly different. For us as teens that was the cheapest alcoholic beverage we could get (legal drinking age is 16). The familiy of a friend had a huge orchard and made at least 100 gallons per season, we had to work hard over the winter to go through that ;) O.k., not helpful, but the question stirred up old memories...

Stefan
 
Waupoos is probably the best cider made in Ontario.
 
Another cider fan, though I've only had the three you mentioned Jon.

-AJ
 
I never got into ciders although I managed to use a Snakebite for hair of the dog purposes often while stationed in England.
 
I make my own, on a good apple year 10 to 15 gallons, but the Normandy and Spanish Basque versions are better. Wish I had more real cider apple trees. The French ones I planted have never produced that well. Maybe someday.
 
I used to brew my own as well. I suggest you start again! I've just started my first batch of mead since that's something else I like. At the moment I'm enjoying a Cyser (mead made using cider rather than water).

As to other commercial ciders to try:;

- Cider Jack (if you like them more on the sweet side)
- HardCore Crisp Cider (light, crisp, great on a summer night)
- Ace Pear Cider (ok, not Apple, but really good)
- Woodpecker (along the line of Strongbow, but a hair less dry)
- Woodchuck Granny Smith (tart, bright, and tasty)

-d
 
yeah... i think the brew my own is calling to me pretty strong right now

i've had the ace pear cider and woodchuck granny smith before now that i think about it... those were pretty damn tasty. I think i need to go and "taste test" a few before i start brewing my own again ;)
 
I think Venice is getting to you already Jon. :EDance2:

J/K, I've had some good ones. I generally stay away though as most are too sweet.

I'm currently on a Russian Imperial Stout kick, so that's pretty far from hard cider. I'm cyclic though :rofl:

I say make you own, esp. if you already know how. I really enjoy making my own beer nowadays. It's like anything I guess, it tastes better mixed with a sense of accomplishment.
 
Cider is like drinking cool-aid. Too easy to gun down 2-3 real quick before settling in to a more reasonable pace. I seem to remember having, uhm, a few on New Years Eve a few years back :oops:

I like Woodchuck (regular and Granny Smith), but have never tried a brand I did not down like it was gatoraid
 
Cider is like drinking cool-aid. Too easy to gun down 2-3 real quick before settling in to a more reasonable pace. I seem to remember having, uhm, a few on New Years Eve a few years back :oops:

I like Woodchuck (regular and Granny Smith), but have never tried a brand I did not down like it was gatoraid

sounds like you need to try some drier ciders. i personally want to try some of Frank Naish's cider, from Somerset (or any other Somerset cider, really), but i've never found it locally, even at places that have large selections of everything else.
 
ok guys... i am going to pick up some ciders tonight to "taste test" before i start brewing my own again...
woodchuck dark & dry and woodchuck granny smith

i wanted to try ace but they were sold out

i also have 3 kinds of raw apple juice to taste... should be an interesting night ;)
 
heh, i'm drinking a Woodchuck Granny Smith right now. best cider within a 5 minute walk of my apartment. sounds like you're going to have fun, Jon. :)
 
i also was considering pear cider, but that will have to wait until tomorrow or sunday ;)
 
good call, i've seen people get pretty soused on perry, and it's never fun ;)
 
ok so call me stupid i guess....does hard cider taste like apple cider?.....just with an alchoholic percentage?.....or does it tatse like a cider beer?.....and how do u make your own?......ryan
 
when i said cider beer maybe i said the wrong term....i was recently in scotland and they had what they called cider beers....it tasted like a sweet type of beer.....mild fruity taste....nothing like apple cider.....it might be called something else here though.....

thanks jon....so u got a recipe...i love apple cider and would love to make some home brew.....i have an orchard by me that makes great cider.....ryan
 
when i said cider beer maybe i said the wrong term....i was recently in scotland and they had what they called cider beers....it tasted like a sweet type of beer.....mild fruity taste....nothing like apple cider.....it might be called something else here though.....

thanks jon....so u got a recipe...i love apple cider and would love to make some home brew.....i have an orchard by me that makes great cider.....ryan


i've got some recipes kicking around here somewhere, but there are a ton online. The biggest things that make a difference in my experience are the kind of apples and the type of yeast. Find good apples and a good yeast that works in the conditions you have and you're golden. The rest is just playing around with it a bit to tweak. In college, i used to use different types of champagne yeast and that worked well.
 
Your local home brew store will fix you up real quick like. They will also have diffferent strains of yeast on hand and should be able to provide suggestions to suite your particular target product. Some yeast will create a more dry product, some may be more/less acidic, etc.
There's a small initial investment, but then you're rockin and rollin.
It's actually quite easy to do. Bottling is a PITA though.
 
Are you guys enablers, or what? After reading this thread, I found myself picking up a six-pack of Woodchuck Granny Smith, and now the five bottles are in my fridge. Uhm, make that four...
 
so easy to drink, no?

I picked up some Ace Perry cider (pear/apple mix) too... i'm going to try it tonight
 
local home brew store?....do people actually have those?...where the heck do u guys live!....ryan
 
i have 2 inside of 30 miles trip
but there is a little irish pub that has mangers SP? and a 1/2 and 1/2 blackvelvetine is jsut killer

i remember as a kid drinking cider that might have been a bit past normal life and mom wandered whay we were all being soo good but boy if it was let tooo long the vinegar was a bit much
 

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