Here are some very special events that we recommend in Somerset.

Know of other events? Leave the details of the event in the comments below.

Walters Farm, Tintinhull Wassail – 7 January 2012 at 7pm

Wassail ceremony for the orchard’s old apple trees followed by music, giant hot dogs, danish pastry and cider punch. Parking at the village hall. Tickets £5 adults, children free. Please contact Anette Lorch to book before 2 Jan 2012. 01935 824868

Mid Somerset Show Wassail Evening – 12 January 2012 at 7pm

At the village green orchard at North Wootton. There will be music, noise, singing, toasting the apple trees, shooting the evil spirits plus bonfire, cider, soft drink bar and pig roast. There is no charge or booking needed for the outdoor part of the evening. Afterwards there will be entertainment in the Village Hall for members of the Society at £5 per head. This will include a ploughmans supper, apple muffins and entertainment. Members should book tickets with Bill Bartlett 01749 343091

Rich’s Cider Farm Charity Wassail – 14 January 2012 at 7.30pm

At Mill Farm, Watchfield, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 4RD. Come and join the Scrumpy & Western band the Mangledwurzels to serenade the orchards of Rich’s Cider Farm with hot mulled cider and a pig roast. Run in association with the Burnham-on-Sea Rotary Club. All profits go to charity. Tickets £9.50 available from Rich’s Cider Shop. 01278 783651 jan@richscider.co.uk

Somerset Rural Life Museum Wassail – 14 January 2012 at 7.30pm

At Abbey Farm, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury BA6 8DB. There will be music from Rapscallion, barn dance, family activities and seasonal refreshments. Tickets £8 for adults, £5 for children. Pre-booking is necessary. 01458 831197 heritagelearning@somerset.gov.uk

Kilmersdon Wassail – 21 January 2012 at 12.00 noon

At Kilmersdon Village Hall, Radstock, Bath BA3 5TD. Ploughman’s lunches will be available and the 2012 Wassail Queen will be crowned at approximately 1.15pm. The Village Band will be in attendance and the Cam Valley Morrismen. This will be followed by a procession to the Community Orchard where the ceremony will take place and then on to the Old School House for tea and apple cake. The event is FREE apart form buying a ploughman’s lunch if you want to..

For further information contact Martin Horler 01761 437372

Featuring Mike Johnson at Ross on Wye cider, and Dave Mathews from the Welsh cider society.

I think the bikers are converted! They learn about cider traditions, cider making and blending , and have at pressing local apples at Ross on Wye during the annual cider festival.

View on iPlayer (the cider fun starts – 14 minutes in).

Starring our friend Roger Wilkins

>> Watch it now

A new event happening stateside this autumn/fall – New York Cider week, October 16 – 23, 2011

 
Ask an American producer of hard cider ‘what’s your biggest obstacle?’ and the answer is likely to be: ‘consumer understanding.’

Hard cider is very misunderstood. Makers of real hard cider – craft cider makers who start with real apples – are generally small orchard-­‐based producers.

Already busy with growing apples, making cider, and getting their products to market, they must also dedicate an enormous amount of time to educating consumers, but the growing contingent of real cider enthusiasts is can replicate what was achieved by the craft beer movement.

During the first‐ever Cider Week, over 75 establishments in New York City and the Hudson Valley will prominently feature real (hard) cider. Cider enthusiasts can learn more at tastings, classes, and special events.
 
Participating restaurants include Gramercy Tavern, Marlow & Sons, PRINT, Jimmy’s No. 43, DBGB, Astor Center and Astor Wines, and 67 Wines and Spirits.
 
A complete list of participating venues and their promotions can be found at www.ciderweek.com.
 
Each location will feature cider in its own way with special cider lists, tastings, dinners, and more.

If you are going please get back to us with a review of the event, and your thoughts!

There is a plentiful supply of fruits, seeds and berries and many trees are already showing their autumn colours.

The conditions follow a record-breaking dry spring, a drought in parts of east and southern England, and a rainy and cloudy summer. As a consequence, orchards are said to be bursting with apples and pears.

Tim Wale from Tutts clump cider in West Berkshire said:

I thought last year was good, but this year its bonkers, so many apples in west Berks…!!!

Mark Shirley from Rockingham forest cider blogged this description:

Shaking down the very large crop of Yarlington Mill cider apples. Five of the seven trees are cropping heavily this year, though sadly some of the the trees have suffered as a result. The very dry conditions seem to have made the wood drier and less flexible and the very heavy crops and high winds have caused several large branches to break under the strain.

Robin Barnwell already has his cider racked off into the second set of demijons. He uses local apples near Birmingham, Midlands –  This photo shows the final racking off the lees.

Could well be ready by Xmas! I use whatever I can get my hands on. This year came from our orchard plus nice people in Rushall who let me strip their tree.

Second racking off, ready for Xmas?

Big tree cider busy with juicing the apples

A day in the life of Big Tree Cider

 Totterdown Press in Bristol at the ‘Apple Chapel’ 

Totterdown Press in full swing!

Tweet from @bigtreecider

Tweet from @uddersorchard

Finally a report from BBC Suffolk on the bumper fruit crops this year:

The article is a great insight into the dilemma of where cider lovers, cider makers and buyers see cider in the busy world of wine and beer sales.

One of the ubiquitous dilemmas facing people all round the world is where to put the cider. I’m not talking about the fridge or the pantry but about its ‘positioning’ (if that is the correct marketing jargon?) Its not beer, its not wine, its somewhere in between… somewhere… isn’t it? Well, technically, it is a wine because its fermented juice from a fruit, but its not ‘Wine’ as the world knows it.

Read the full article

Here is your chance to get noticed by a wider audience as nominations for the BBC’s Food and Farming Awards are now open.

This year it includes ‘Best Drinks Producer’ and you can even nominate yourselves!

Nominations close at midnight on 14th of August.

To enter or find out more simply go to: www.bbc.co.uk/foodawards

Recommended ones to taste

Great to see the Welsh ciders on show, representing not just West Country cider styles. I’m particularly looking forward to trying New Forest’s cider’s Kingston Black single varietal cider – a new line for them this year.

Also some new ciders from Cambridgeshire and Kent this year, cider makers over in this part of the UK use culinary apples that are more common here than true cider apples from the West country – which results in a clear, crisp and very pale cider. Some not for the faint-hearted at approx. 8% ABV!

View the full list online

Visit gbbf.camra.org.uk/ciders

On the site you can read the comments and reviews from other cider fans, and even create your own shortlist to print off and take to the event.

Hope to see you there!

I will be along for the tutored tasting session and also be helping a couple of afternoons, would love to meet you – so just ask for Jim Callender

With a beautiful chilled glass of fresh cider or perry from a hand-picked selection of cider makers across the UK.

How can I get some to my Dad?

Order it from the Buy cider store - and have it delivered by DHL courier to any UK address by this weekend.

As this is my first ever father’s day, I am just hoping my little son can be guided to make the right choice for me – cider, perry, cider or perry.. hmmm ;)

You know that tasting cider is amazing anywhere, anytime, it’s not just the drink that can make it special. The atmosphere, location, view and even the time of year can make that special drink even more memorable.

Apart from cider, and my family, traveling is one of my other passions. You’ll experience amazing new things everyday, whether that’s in your own country or further afield.

I have listed my top 3 personal favourites to get things started below.

Real Cider founder, Jim Callender at Pierre Huet's, Normandy, France

1. Hecks cider, Street, Somerset, England
Always a pleasure to travel down to the heart of Somerset and Street, great family run business, multiple awards and local apples.. say no more.

2. Domaine Dupont, Normandy, France
Every trip to this magical part of France just gets better and better. Real passionate cider makers respecting traditional techniques, but also embracing the science behind getting complex and distinctive flavours in their cidre bouche, pommeau and calvados products.

3. HPMC Kalpa Cider, Himachal Pradesh, India
After not drinking real cider for 5 months, we finally headed to the Himalayan mountains in India. We read that there was cider produced in the Shimla region of HP, but we could find it. Yes, we tracked a few dusty bottles down to a government bar. Remembering a taste like no other..

Taste ciders from all around the world

Get along to the International cider festival in August to taste ciders from around the world, all in one place.

So, over to you – where have you had your best cider or perry?