Its almost " Cider " season again

[Uncle Spielberg]

After a long stressful day in the office yesterday I drove home in the glorious sunshine and decided to declare " The Cider Season " open.

Glorious scenes were to be had at the Glover abode when the can of chilled Blackthorn was ceremoniusly open and poured out.

Oh joy after the season finished at the end of September 2003.

A pint ( or 5 ) of cold cider after a day at the office in the summer cannot be beaten.

I declare the Cider season 2004 26/4/04 - 30/9/04 to be open.

Anyone care to join me ?.

 

[fatboy]

I am getting increasingly frustrated with the amount of drinking establishments that are switching from Blackthorn to Strongbow.

Only two of my regular watering holes still serve Blackthorn and I am even resorting to drinking lager at the moment.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Where's Sonic the Hedgehog aka Apples when you need him?

 

[Yorkie]

I like Strongbow, it's my favourite drink.

 

[Hungry Joe.]

I had a nice bottle of Organic Cider from Tesco the other day. I'd bought it to cook my pork loin in (ooh-err) but got all thirsty and summery and drank it instead. Very nice.

 

[somerset]

Strongbow is the ladies cider tipple, sweet and sickly.

Down here in the West Country, it's Blackthorn or local scrumpy............ you certainly can't go wrong on a summers day with a pint or two of 'thorn'.

Cider me up landlord....

 

[Willow]

Is it true that there aren't actually any apples in Strongbow or Blackthorn?

 

[Yorkie]

Strongbow is the ladies cider tipple, sweet and sickly.

Well, that's alright then.

Scrumpy tastes like rotten socks (or rather how they smell)

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

i love cheap Tesco value cider

mmmm

 

[Easy 10]

Can't beat a bit of genuine West Country scrumpy. Had a couple on a midweek trip to Exeter a few years back (won 3-2). There was rusty chains and toenails at the bottom of the glass and EVERYTHING.

Marvellous.

 

[Bozza]

My local sells 3 (count 'em) different local scrumpies straight from the cask. It really is quite marvellous stuff. I've even taken to having a dash of orange with it. Sounds strange I know, but when in Somerset...

I have to confess that for me, cider season is a 365 day a year thing for me these days.

 

[Bozza]

I also agree - when it comes to the mass produced stuff - it has to be the 'thorn over the 'bow any day.

 

[Marc]

dont do cider but it is not officially PIMM's season as the adverts have started again, Pimm's O'Clock down Waves (La Cala, Southwick) for me!

aahh the good old british passtime of spending hours on a messageboard whilst at work and quickly changing the screen when the boss enters the room....anyway 4 of you, 1 of me, I make that Pimms O'Clock!

 

[Seagull's Return]

The Thatcher's in the Evening Star's pretty good, and if you're in Sidewinder the bottles of organic Weston's do the business, too. Ooo- aaaaaar... Oi loves zoider, Oi does.

But not as much as Sonic the Hedgehog does, the orchard despoiler. Bloke's a maniac.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The Thatcher's in the Evening Star's pretty good, and if you're in Sidewinder the bottles of organic Weston's do the business, too. Ooo- aaaaaar... Oi loves zoider, Oi does.

But not as much as Sonic the Hedgehog does, the orchard despoiler. Bloke's a maniac.

He has got to drinking his bottles of Merrydown from the plastic bags on the train now, what next?

Also that Thatchers was lethal, used to have a variable proof on it.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Ahhhhh... Thatchers.

The only worthwhile product that family has ever come up with.

Living next door, as I do, to Middle Farm (home of the pretentiously, but accurately, named "National Collection of Cider and Perry"), I am spoilt for choice.

They normally have over 200 different ciders in stock. Samples of most of them can be tasted free of charge before purchase.

Marvellous scenes.

 

[Seagull's Return]

MmmmmmmmmMiddle Farm... was there yesterday, as it happens (and frankly it happens all too frequently), stocking up on the good stuff. National treasure, that place. In the good old days of youth, vitality and adolescent spots, we would wander over the fields to the cider farm (as it was known, for obvious reasons), buy/taste enough cheap scrumpy to drink ourselves mental, then spend hours too pissed to find our way home. Well, it kept us off the streets.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Exhibition Cider from The Coronation Tap in Bristol.

unbeatble stuff.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

... adolescent spots ...

From the Middle Farm website:-

The history of cider is, perhaps understandably, somewhat vague, though what does seem clear is that it is of Celtic origin, and has been made in these islands for at least 2000 years.

The Romans brought to it their knowledge of winemaking, while the Normans and later Henry VIII added particular varieties of apples, and by the 17th Century cider was the staple drink of the English, and its production a matter for national debate. Writing in 1676 in his Treatise of Cider, John Worlidge commented that the "constant use of this liquor...hath been found by long experience to avail much to health and long life; preserving the Drinker's of it in their full strength and vigour even to very old age".

Rents and tithes have been paid in cider; workers have been paid in cider; it has been used to cure anything from acne to arthritis...but above all else, it has been drunk and enjoyed by generation upon generation of English men and women.

 

[Scotty Mac]

scrumpy jack rules