IN-CIDER SERIES : INTRODUCTION TO CIDER Dan Daugherty co-founder & cidermaker, St. Vrain Cidery
Overview Introductions Topics For This Session: 1. What is Cider? A Brief History of Apples and Cider 2. Cidermaking Approaches Cider Styles Tastings (Interspersed) 3. Upcoming Sessions
WHAT IS CIDER? The Short Answer: Fermented Apple Juice
Cider Terms You May Have Heard:
The Basics Cider Is (for purposes of this presentation): The fermented juice of apples and/or pears Fermented pears can be either cider or perry Cider can also include juice made from concentrate Additional ingredients may be included (co-fermented or added later) An often confusing term in the U.S. Hard Cider is: A U.S. term for fermented cider A product of Prohibition and U.S. tax laws Not a term you hear much outside of the U.S. when referencing fermented apple juice (it s generally called cider )
A Growing Market At a 15% annual growth rate, cider will be equivalent to 2% of the beer market in 2020 (from a Cidercon 2016 presentation) About 30 million cases $1 billion in cider sales in 2015 (source) Cider is still very small relative to the beer market, but growing fast
Craft Beer Volume (source: Brewers Association) Cider 2015: $1 billion 30 million cases (approx. 70 million gallons)
The Basic Process Basic Cidermaking Process: 1. Grow apples 2. Harvest apples 3. Grind apples 4. Press apples into juice 5. Ferment juice (naturally or with cultivated yeast) 6. Maturation barrels, tanks, totes, etc 7. Packaging bottles, cans, kegs 8. Serving -- bottles, cans, draft
The Basic Process
A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY OF APPLES AND CIDER To Your Glass Via The Silk Road
Member of Rosaceae family Apple Overview Malus Pumila / Malus Domestica: The Domesticated Apple Descended from Malus Sieversii, (Kazakhstan origin) Transported west on the Silk Road Requires a temperate climate (won t fruit without enough cold winter days) Extremely variable and diverse by nature but less so by human cultivation 1,000 s of varieties, but the industry is dominated by a few dozen Doesn t grow true to seed Clonally/vegetatively propagated Extremely well-integrated into Western culture, with innumerable historical, folk, biblical, and mythological references
The Apple A Brief History (from Cider: Hard And Sweet, by Ben Watson) M. Domestica (M. Pumila) originated from M. Sieversii M. Domestica is relatively recent in its introduction to the west Wild crab apples preceeded it. M. Sylvestris European Crab M. Orientalis Caucasus region North American crabs 8000-3500 B.C.E. apples depicted in Paleolithic cave paintings 6500 B.C.E. remains of apples in human settlements
The Apple A Brief History Romans brought orcharding techniques and introduced apple varieties to what is now Western Europe Northern Spain (Asturius and The Basque) likely has the oldest European apple growing tradition 1600 s started M. Domestica came to America with European colonists By various chance, seedlings in America became today s heirloom varieties 1775, one out of 10 farms in New England operated a cider mill
The Apple A Brief History Most seedlings are virtually inedibly tart and/or tannic, but good for cider 1919 Prohibition - Many farmers ripped out their cider tree orchards Poor quality, adulterated cider also hastened cider s decline 1899-55 million gallons 1919-13 million gallons (when Prohibition was enacted)
The Apple A Brief History First written reference: 55 B.C.E., Romans invaded what is now Britain and noticed native Celts fermenting native crab apples (a different species that is wider-spread than M. Pumila) 1371 Normandy - Cider had caught up with wine in sales 17 th century, Golden Age Of Apples in England Significant orchard plantings in Western and Southern England and great interest in cider varieties
The Apple A Brief History 1767 Massachusetts One report stated that the per capita average of cider consumption in Massachusetts was 1.14 barrels per person per year (35 gallons) Present Day U.S. 20 gal of beer per person per year
The U.S. Apple Industry U.S. Apple Industry Stats (from the U.S. Apple Association): 7,500 major producers growing 240 million bushels $4 billion annual crop Top 15 varieties account for 90% of production Top Varieties: Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Rome, Cripps Pink/Pink Lady, Empire Very few cider-specific apples are available commercially in the U.S. Primarily grown in intensive plantings dwarf trees close together
Complicating Factors 1. U.S. Excise Tax Law Cider is a wine under U.S. tax law More complex than beer (ABV, carbonation limits) Under 7% ABV, cider has a special excise tax (lower) At or Above 7% ABV, taxed as table wine (about 4x) Above certain CO 2 limits, cider is considered champagne (3x as much as table wine)
Wine Excise and Tax Rates (source: Tax And Trade Bureau)
VS. Beer Tax Rates ($.22/gal if you re under 60k barrels, regardless of CO 2 or ABV)
Complicating Factors 2. Historical Refrigeration All juice naturally fermented itself before refrigeration (or pasteurization), as yeast is naturally present on the fruit 1 st refrigerated rail car patent in the U.S. was in 1867 Prohibition Resulted in the re-branding of apple juice ( sweet cider ) as cider Resulted in the loss of cider orchards in the U.S.
CIDERMAKING APPROACHES The Old, The New, And The Odd
Apple Contents An apple contains: 80% water (varies with irrigation practices and weather conditions) 10% carbohydrate Sugars (primarily simple sugar fructose, with some glucose) Fiber/cellulose 4% vitamins/minerals 6% of: Organic acids (primarily malic acid) Pectin Polyphenols flavonoids and, to a varying degree, tannins Very small amounts of proteins
Cider Flavors And Aromas Balance between elements is often a priority Common flavor elements: 1. Tartness derived from the acidity of the apples and other ingredients (e.g., tart cherry, berries) 2. Sweetness residual or added sugar post-fermentation 3. Tannin-derived astringency & bitterness Astringency - Mouthfeel perception of dryness (e.g., undiluted black tea) Bitterness - From tannins in the fruit, from storage in oak, or from added ingredients (e.g., blueberry, black currant, powdered tannin) 4. Aromatics often fruity or floral; sometimes earthy; others possible
Apples Used In Cidermaking In reality, can be any apple Ideally, includes apples not commonly grown on a large scale Ideally, a blend of: Sharps (high acid, low tannin) e.g., Granny Smith, Newtown Pippin Sweets (low acid, low tannin) e.g., most dessert varieties Bittersweets (high tannin, low acid) rare in the U.S. Bittersharps (high tannin, high acid) rare in the U.S. Sugar levels vary within these categories i.e., a sharp can have high sugar content
Cider Apple Categories (Source: Andrew Lea) Category % Acid (TA) % Tannin Sharp >0.45 % <0.2 % Bittersharp >0.45 % >0.2 % Bittersweet <0.45 % >0.2 % Sweet <0.45 % <0.2 %
Example Blend Ratio (source: Cider: Making, Using, & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider) Juice Type Percent of Juice Total Astringent [tannic] 5-20% Neutral Base 30-60% Tart 10-20% Aromatic 10-20%
Cider Apple Examples (source: ciderschool (Dan s site); various) Variety Type Acidity Sugar Content Tannin Notes Kingston Black English Bittersharp high (5.8 g/l) medium (SG 1.061) high (1.9 g/l) Slightly smoky and brandy-like Bramley's Seedling English Cooking high (>10 g/l) low (SG 1.040) low (<.5 g/l) Very tart Cortland American Heirloom high (7.3 g/l) medium (SG 1.059) low Aromatic (McIntosh variant) Porter's Perfection English Bittersharp very high (15 g/l) high (SG 1.060) medium Apples often fuse together Somerset Redstreak English Bittersweet Low (1.9 g/l) Medium (SG 1.060) high (3.5 g/l) Striped appearance
Cidermaking Variations Regional differences can be very large Process, ingredients, and serving approaches We ll focus on the U.S. today Using Jeff Alworth s Three Schools Of American Cider in Cider Made Simple: 1. The Traditionalists 2. The Modernists 3. The Experimentalists
1. Traditionalists Orchard-focused Great Wine Is Made In The Vineyard Blending for balance Not highly specific / variety-by-variety Minimal intervention with the fermentation Often wild-fermented with the native yeast on the fruit Few or no additives Products often resemble English and/or French traditional styles Examples: EZ Orchards (Salem, OR)
2. Modernists Process-oriented Control fermentation conditions Use cultivated yeast Use SO 2 Fruit-centric flavor profiles Neutral, white wine yeasts Targeted blends of specific apples Produces more modern and designed flavor-wise vs. a traditional cider Examples: Farnum Hill (Lebanon, NH)
3. Experimentalists Diverse products with diverse products to match Flavor is the goal Tradition isn t necessarily ignored but isn t the priority Frequent use of non-traditional ingredients Spices, hops, tropical fruits, spirit barrel aging Examples: Reverend Nat s Hard Cider (Portland, OR)
CIDER STYLES Diverse Approaches To A Diverse Fruit
Dimensions Of Variance Cider can vary substantially along many lines, such as: 1. Acidity / tartness 2. Sweetness (zero residual sugars quite sweet) 3. Alcohol content (between 5-8% with typical apples) 4. Non-apple ingredients 5. Storage / maturation (barrels, steel, other inert containers) 6. Carbonation (completely still to naturally sparkling, or force-carbonated) 7. Refrigeration (both in storage and serving) Categories generally based on regional and stylistic variances in ingredients and technique
Systems Of Categorization Can vary The systems with fairly wide acceptance in the U.S. are: Brew Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Great Lakes INTernational Cider And Perry competition (GLINTCAP) This presentation uses primarily these GLINTCAP categories Standard Styles Specialty Styles
GLINTCAP Standard Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) New World Cider Modern Made with common dessert-fruit varieties Examples: Stem Ciders Malice (CO), Old Mine Handlebar (CO) Heritage Made with cider-oriented apples Example: Stem Ciders Le Chene (CO) English Cider Made with bittersweet and bittersharp apples, often quite dry Often undergoes Malolactic fermentation (conversion of malic lactic acid) Example: Oliver s Traditional Dry (UK)
GLINTCAP Standard Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) French Cider Made with bittersweet and bittersharp apples Often sweeter than English ciders Sometimes via arrested fermentation (keeving) Often naturally sparkling via bottle conditioning Example: Etienne Dupont (Normandy, France) Spanish Cider Made with sharp or semi-sharp apples Uncarbonated, wild-fermented, sometimes acetic Example: Snow Capped Sidra (CO)
GLINTCAP Standard Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) New World Perry Fermented from dessert/culinary pears like Bartlett Low tannin Moderate sweetness (never completely dry as pears contain sorbitol) Near-example (since it s mostly apple): CO Cider Company s Pearsnickity Traditional Perry Fermented from tannic perry pears Example: Æppeltreow Orchard Oriole Perry (WI), Oliver s Classic Perry (UK)
GLINTCAP Specialty Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) New England Cider Made with Heirloom / sharp apples Fortified with raisins, molasses, or maple syrup High ABV, often oaked Fruit Cider Low-tannin/New World Modern cider (usually) with fruit juices added May be tannic from the added fruit Example: Snow Capped Sour Cherry (CO) Apple Wine Cider with added sugar to achieve higher alcohol
GLINTCAP Specialty Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) Hopped/Herbal Cider Cider with added botanicals Example: Stem Ciders Remedy (CO) Spiced Cider Cider with added spices (e.g., apple pie spice ) Example: Climb Hard Cider Chai Spiced (CO) Wood-Aged Cider And Perry Wood-aged ciders in which the wood character is substantial Example: Stem Ciders Le Chene (CO)
GLINTCAP Specialty Category (source: GLINTCAP Style Guidelines Standard) Specialty Cider & Perry Open-ended category for ciders Examples: Summit Hard Ciders Blueberry Lavender (CO), Summit Hard Ciders Hopricot (CO) Unlimited Cider & Perry Catch-all for cider and perry that don t fit other categories Mead GLINTCAP is only concerned about Cyser (Fermented mead and honey with a substantial honey component Example: Moonlight Meadery Kurt s Apple Pie (NH)
Recap of What You ve Tasted Today: 1. New World Cider Stem Ciders Malice (Denver) 2. New World Cider Old Mine Handlebar (Erie) 3. New World Modern St. Vrain Cidery Corting the Atomic (Longmont) 4. New World Heritage Cider Stem Ciders Le Chene (Denver) 5. English Cider Colorado Cider Co Ol Stumpy (Denver) 6. Spanish Cider Snow Capped Cider Sidra (Cedaredge) 7. Fruit Cider Summit Hard Cider Sour Cherry (Fort Collins) 8. Specialty Cider & Perry Summit Hard Cider Hopricot (Fort Collins) 9. Specialty Cider & Perry Snow Capped Cider 6130 (Cedaredge)
UPCOMING SESSIONS Tangents In Apple Geekery
Future Session Ideas Apple/Cider History A Deep Dive Cider Regions A Deep Dive Cidermaking session home cidermaking Cidermaking workshop commercial cidermaking Cider / Food pairing dinners Other ideas? Let me know: dan@stvraincidery.com
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REFERENCES & RESOURCES Down The Rabbit Hole
Book Recommendations (from www.cidersage.com/books ; these are Dan s affiliate links) Cider, Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions, and Making Your Own, by Ben Watson. Ben Watson is a food writer and a key figure in the Slow Food movement. An extensive review can be found here on Ciderguide. Amazon link. Cider Made Simple, by Jeff Alworth. A cider primer with an emphasis on cider regions England, Normandy, Northern Spain, and Quebec as well as discussion of the American cider renaissance and the different cidermaking approaches (Traditionalist, Modernist, and Experimentalist) therein. Amazon link. World s Best Ciders by Pete Brown and Bill Bradshaw. An epic tome which surveys the major cider styles and regions of the world. Covers 500 unique cider examples, complete with tasting notes and outstanding photography by Bill Bradshaw of iamcider.. Quite the ambitious project I admire the, uh, sacrifice it took to sample all of these ciders, and I m now the proud owner of an autographed copy as Bradshaw was in attendance at Cidercon 2016. Amazon link.
Book Recommendations (from www.cidersage.com/books ; these are Dan s affiliate links) Apple: A Global History, by Erika Janik. An excellent, concise history of the apple, from its ancient origins in the Tian Shan mountains to its representation in myths, its spread around the world, and the impact of modern agriculture, globalization, and grocery store systems on its cultivation. Part of the Edible Series, each dedicated to a specific type of food with a similar historical and cultural emphasis. If the apple book is any indicator, this is a worthwhile series to explore. Amazon link. The Botany of Desire: A Plant s-eye View of the World, by Michael Pollan. A fascinating account of the reciprocal relationship between human desires and the plants that interact with them. Includes a large section on The Apple, to include its co-evolution with humanity and the legacy of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) in the U.S. Amazon link. Audible Link.
Other Recommendations Cider Periodicals Cidercraft (print/online) Cider Culture (online) Websites Cidersage -- general cider info with a CO focus -- event coverage, cider reviews, cider and mead miscellany. Ciderschool -- how-to content (cidermaking/orcharding) and cidery startup topics Along Came A Cider cider reviews, event reviews, cider news
Q & A(pple)
IN-CIDER SERIES : INTRODUCTION TO CIDER THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING! Dan@StVrainCidery.com