I tell you what’s really wild to think about. Go back to 1950 — not that far, in the grand scheme of things, still very much within living memory — and you could furnish your dinner table with a genuine, full-juice, champagne method cider from Bulmers and a genuine, full-juice, champagne method perry from Showerings.

It’s fair to say that ‘big cider’, ‘macro cider’, ‘industrial cider’ — pick your preferred term — comes in for a fair bit of kicking within certain circles. Whilst it’s not ok to yuck anyone’s yum, and whilst many (most?) of us came to cider directly through these brands — I certainly did — it’s understandable that smaller, full-juice producers would take umbrage with being taxed by the government and viewed by consumers in the same way as a product made with lower juice, concentrates, high rates of dilution and so on and so forth.

For me, the real frustration that comes with the largest cider brands is the complete lack of interest in even attempting something more aspirational. Bulmer’s, for instance, are based in the heart of the biggest cider apple-growing region in the world, with acres upon acres of their own orchards, any number besides which are contracted to grow specifically for them, the financial might of Heineken and the space and equipment to do absolutely whatever they want … yet there is not one single brand within their portfolio that attempts to push the envelope on quality, juice content, aspiration, style, variety or anything else.

This is almost unique within the world of drinks. It isn’t that gigantic wineries don’t exist, for instance — of course they do, and many of their own efficiency measures are markedly cynical. But even these wineries will release special editions, ‘Reserves’, even single vineyard bottlings. It’s a similar story at big breweries – they’ll churn out the stuff that makes their money, naturally, but there are also small batch, limited edition-type beers from the same makers, offering interest to another sector of the market. See also big gin, big whisky, big rum — big absolutely whatever drink you like, more or less. Just not big cider.

It’s not as if there wouldn’t be a market. Every year, the cider report put together by Westons shows an increase in people interested in ‘premium cider’ – though it should be admitted that the report’s definition of ‘premium’ is generous indeed. But it doesn’t take a great deal of market research to look around and see that there is space for at least one higher-end cider from the biggest cider producers. Something that heroes apple varieties, offers higher juice content, promotes orchards and vintages and generally shows the standards that this drink is capable of hitting, without dilution, artificial sweeteners or the use of concentrates. I’m not suggesting a return to the days of over a million bottles of champagne-method cider resting in the Bulmers cellars, but for goodness’ sake, surely there’s space and market for something.

Makers like Little Pomona and especially Ross on Wye are doing incredible work to rethink what cider is capable of in the place that serves more than anywhere else in the world: the British pub. But twenty Ross on Wyes couldn’t have the same impact on the national consciousness as a single brand from the likes of Bulmers, Westons or Thatchers deciding ‘you know what, let’s go for it: let’s make and promote something, one thing, that’s really special.’

For aspirational cider to really be taken seriously, to be rethought on a national level, input from large makers with proportionately significant distribution networks will be essential. Otherwise cider will continue to be seen more or less the same as it has since breweries began buying up the big makers in the sixties: as a watered-down, fizzy macro lager facsimile that tastes vaguely of apples. 

So I was very interested to read about a new cider from Somerset’s Showerings — the family of Babycham fame, now also behind Brothers Cider and owners (in 2019, at any rate — not sure if still the case) of the second largest cider plant in the UK in their Cider Mill in Shepton Mallet — which seemed to take a distinctly more aspirational approach than the macro norm. Dubbed ‘Triple Vintage’ it was, true to its name, a blend of 2017, 2018 and 2021 cider, predominantly Dabinett and all from a single orchard seven miles from the Showerings Cider Mill.

Whilst I’m not much for press release regurgitation, that which accompanied the launch made for interesting reading, so I’ve copied most of it here:

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Showerings: A new category defining Triple Vintage cider created in the heart of Somerset 

Showerings has launched with a luxury Triple Vintage cider to complement the finest Michelin-starred dining tables. Produced in Somerset, the homeland of British cider making, Showerings is an elegantly dry, gently carbonated and deeply cultured cider that has been created using techniques requiring as much experience and attention-to-detail as those used in the creation of fine wines.

The apples (predominantly the Dabinett variety) are grown from a single award-winning orchard by an expert horticulturalist before being selected, harvested and taken to the Showerings’ cider mill, just seven miles away.

As with wine, time is one of Showerings’ most important ingredients. Triple Vintage is not hastily pressed, packaged and shipped but a considered and long-time-coming blend of three vintages. Once pressed, each batch then sits and settles for a minimum of four months, allowing the sharper edges of tannins and acidities to soften to the requisite mellow fruitfulness. For its debut launch, the youthfully light and fresh 2021 vintage has been blended with 2017 and 2018 vintages, then slowly fermented for a mature depth and character.

Creating a Triple Vintage blend, rather than a single vintage, requires cider making skills of the highest order and the ability to understand how different vintages will balance and elevate, to become greater than the sum of their parts. These are skills that the Showering Family have been perfecting for over 170 years. They even pioneered a special cool fermentation process used in Triple Vintage – a slow-moving maturation that uses both wild and house yeasts to turn the apples’ natural sugars into alcohol to create complex flavours.

Showerings is naturally golden in colour with distinctive bittersweet flavours complemented by notes of hazelnut, cedarwood, red apple and apricot.  It combines the character and complexities of the best wines with cider’s unique ability to refresh and re-invigorate and is the perfect drink for the most discerning diner.

Nick Showering, Founder said, “The ambition for Showerings is to change the perception of cider drinking and give it a long overdue and deserved place at any Michelin-starred table”.

Bob Cork, Head Cider Maker, said: “Over the last five years we have overcome many technical challenges to craft a genuine Triple Vintage Cider that is truly exceptional. We have created a new technique for blending different vintages to produce what I believe to be the most complex and refreshing cider on the market. After many years working in the cider business, I feel privileged to be part of making such a prestigious cider that has exceeded all of our expectations.”

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Much to chew on there, lots of it very interesting indeed. Some typical eye-rolly stuff admittedly — ‘the most complex and refreshing cider on the market’ … ‘category defining’ … further notes to editors, not copied here, added that it was ‘leading a new category of fine cider’; a somewhat disheartening overlooking of the broad, exciting and years-old aspirational cider scene of which you and I are aware — but amongst that is information of rare and real interest from a cidermaker of this scale.  

Count it with me. We have vintages, we have named varieties. We have discussion of maturation. We have single orchard. We have ‘a special cool fermentation process … a slow-moving maturation that uses both wild and house yeasts’. We have discussion of cider as something to go on dining tables, to serve with food. This is exciting. Cut through the rather unnecessary exceptionalism and this is genuinely positive stuff.

I’m left wanting to know a littlemore, and I emailed the very friendly people who sent me the press release with a list of questions. I was keen to learn about the fermentation process mentioned, the particular orchard used and — of course — the juice content. A few months later I’ve not heard back, but as soon as I do I shall put the information right here:

[MORE INTERESTING INFORMATION HOPEFULLY PENDING…]

But in the meantime I nonetheless have a cider with a level of detail that is being offered by no other large-scale British cidermaker, and for that — even before tasting it — Showerings is to be commended. Ciders like this are exactly what the market needs more of; a clear step up in care for orchard and ingredient and process from the macro norm, whilst still pretty affordable at just under £4 for a 375ml bottle.

What’s more, an ICC panel including two judges who are close friends of mine with impeccable palates awarded it a Gold medal shortly after the Press Release arrived in my inbox. All the more worth investigating.

As a sparring partner, I’ve lined it up with a limited release from a large(ish) cidery for which I’ve long had enormous admiration. Granted, Hogan’s aren’t ‘big’ in the same way as those already mentioned in this article. Rather they represent a middle-sized step up from the Ross on Wyes, Little Pomonas and Olivers of this world, at around half a million litres per year back in 2019. (Not entirely sure of their current total). 

But I’ve always loved the approach that Hogan’s have taken to their ciders. They’re a model for making larger quantities of higher-juice ciders that show their working, talk about process and ingredient, treat their customer as someone who loves and is interested in cider and offer a massive step up from the usual by-the-pint offerings available at pubs.

At the same time, they’ve continued to tinker with smaller-batch releases, perries, single varieties and interesting approaches. Along with makers like Sandford Orchards and Kentish Pip they show that  the cider market doesn’t have to be a monolith; that there is space to cater to a range of drinkers — or indeed offer a single drinker a range of ciders. What’s more, the always-lovely team at Hogan’s, far from living in an exclusivist vacuum, are constantly engaging with the wider cider and cidermaking community, recently visiting Ross on Wye for a collaborative project. This, friends, is the cider future that I would like to see.

Today’s bottle is one such intriguing, small-batch creation. It’s the second in their ‘Breadboard Series’ – a range which presents limited, interesting one-offs and which opened with a 2019 perry. Somewhat confusingly, my bottle is labelled as ‘Simply the Brett’, but online the same cider appears to go by the name ‘Brett Your Whistle’. Either way, it’s a 2020 blend of 80% Dabinett, 20% Browns, made with fruit harvested at Ross on Wye. It gets its name from having been deliberately fermented with brettanomyces yeast (something Hogans are particularly keen on, as we learned in this article) before bottle conditioning with a champagne yeast. At £6.60 for a 750ml  bottle from the Hogan’s website, it’s actually better value per ml than the Showerings.

Two quick caveats before I dive in. The first to do our usual admittance that both bottles I tried were sent as samples by or on behalf of the respective cideries. Secondly, regarding the Hogan’s, to admit that from a preference perspective I have mixed feelings about brett in cider, as I’ve written before. Additionally, given what I know about this particular cider, I suspect it to be from the same batch as their entry into the brilliant One Juice project I wrote up here in 2021. I wasn’t a huge fan of that particular cider – will I like this one a little more? Let’s find out.

Showerings Triple Vintage – review

How I served: Lightly chilled

Appearance: Sparkling copper

On the nose: You know, that’s not bad at all. Clearly Dabinett and indeed clearly Dabinett with some development; dried and fresh orange tones intermingling nicely with a little apricot, vanilla and sweet spices. A little closed aromatically initially (this only wants a light chill) but it shows the apple nicely, if perhaps a little simply. Good definition. Very clean. I’m genuinely impressed.

In the mouth: Again, impressed; again, very Dabinett. Juiciness, orangeyness, some dried citrus, apricot, clove, hay, leather and spice. Plump body; just off-dry, decent character and some tannins that are allowed to be tannins without becoming too astringent. Not wildly complex or life-changing; you can tell this is some way from ‘minimal intervention’. But you know what? It’s clean. It’s decent. It strongly carries the distinct characteristics of the cider apples from which it was made, and shows care and dedication to interest and quality in its process I’d happily drink it again.

In a nutshell: A huge step up from normal big-brand fare. This could be an important cider. More of this kind of thing please.

Hogan’s Breadboard Series #2: Simply the Brett – review

How I served: Lightly chilled

Appearance: Similar to Triple Vintage

On the nose: Now. My suspicion is that this is another parcel of the One Juice from Hogan’s which I reviewed here. And honestly I think that the brett influence has since increased (as brett is wont to do). This is intensely what some people might call ‘funky’. There’s a chocolate apple thing going on which is actually quite alluring, but the animal, sweaty-horse brett aspect is just not my thing I’m afraid. Some ginger and clove, but there’s also a little volatility which grows in the glass. Very leathery. A full-on cider.

In the mouth: Palate to match. Some grippy tannin, but quite a harsh twang of volatile acidity. Big flavours, with some orange and lemon freshness, more leather and a lot of spice, then that horsey, animal, slightly sweaty and very barnyard brettiness. 

In a nutshell: A totally, uncompromisingly and deliberately full-throttle, old-school farmhouse style that I know many love. It just really isn’t my thing – sorry!

Conclusions

Though I may not love the Hogan’s, I love that it exists. It is exactly what it says on the tin – the proud product of brettanomyces fermentation. The label gave me due warning, the online tasting notes attest to the horsey aspect, and so really the fact that it’s not my cup of tea is just my problem. They’ve given due caveat emptor, they’ve made an out-there style which they love, which they certainly haven’t tried to hide or disguise and I genuinely respect that. All power to them, and if you’re a fan of that style you’ll certainly be a fan of this.

I genuinely wasn’t expecting to like the Showerings as much as I did. Whilst I can’t see it ending up in my year-end list of favourites, I’m very impressed, can see why it won its medal and would take it over a ‘standard’ pub cider offering ten times out of ten. It’s the sort of cider that could represent a sea change for the national perception of the drink, and I hope we see more of it from other large companies. A big step in a better direction has been taken.