Cider - best served ice cold and on a hot summers day theres nothing better then sitting in a beer garden with a pint. From the moment the first drop cascades in to the glass, to the last drop left I find cider extremely refreshing, tasty and compliments any food I choose to eat. The bubbles rise to the top and burst releasing a spray of the amble liquid which tickles my nose talking of which - the smell mmmmm, the smell is so inviting, I have usually drunk a 1/4 of a pint before moving from the bar, well wouldnt want to waste any - as most pubs serve to the top of the glass. Yes cider can be gassey, but it doesnt blow me up like lager. I find lager is like having a 5 course meal in a glass. Cider is rather easy to drink, goes down like pop. I can understand it been the favourate of teenagers on street corners as their first introduction to alcohol. Cider is a typlically British drink - so where and how did strongbow start.
A PLOTTED HISTORY
Strongbow is brewed by Bulmers, which also brews Scrumpy Jack and Woodpecker ciders too. Bulmers was founded in 1887 in Hereford, England by Percy Bulmer.At the time Percy was 20 years old and the son of a local clergyman. It was his mother's advice to make a career out of food or drink which start the Bulmer empiry.
Percy's father had an orchard and by borrowing an old stone press from the farmer next door, Percy made his first drop of cider. Percy was later joined by his elder brother Fred - who was originally offered a teaching post to tutor the children of the King of Siam.A lady by the name of Anna(King and I) succeeded Fred And as the old saying goes the rest is history.
The brothers bought an 8 acres piece of land using a loan from their father and built a cider making mill. Cider making in those early days was a hit or miss affair, the fermentation was achieved by using the wild yeast in apples. More often than not, the cider turned sour. Fred enlistered the help of an old collage friend Dr Herbert Durham. In the 1890's, Dr Durham isolated the wild yeast and created the first pure cider yeast culture. This would ensure all future fermentations were consistent. It was the start of todays commercial cider making. In 1911, Bulmers was awarded the Royal Warrant as Cider Maker to her Majesty, the Queen. Percy made just 4000 gallons that first year
A PERFECT PINT OF CIDER - should be clean and fruity. You should expect a clean, appley taste with no unpleasant after flavours. If the cider is too acidic you will feel it sharp at the back of your throat. The colour should be light to golden straw.
HOW DOES BULMERS CREATE THE PERFECT PINT EVERY TIME - well after carefully selecting the apples ready for pressing, yeast and sugar are added which starts fermentation and malic acid will establish the right balance. Once fermentation is completed the cider is ''RACKED'' and moved to another vat - for a lengthy period of maturation which will give the cider its full bodied flavour. Filteration will give the cider its colour. Bulmer then blends its ciders to create the various tastes for Scrumpy Jack, Woodpecker and of course Strongbow. It is a myth that cider is better to be left to mature, it is best to drink straight away - and I agree.
IN THE PUB - Depending on how an individual pub keeps its cellars may affect the taste Strongbow. If the landlord is good and cleans his lines regularly and keeps his cellars cool, a good pint of strongbow will be served. I have to admit I have taken a few pints back due to the drink been too acidic.
CIDER WILL ROT YOUR STOMACH LINING - Cider contains antioxidants which promote and protect against diseases, such as those types which can lead to cancer and cardiovascular problems, so drinking in moderation is ok. I can remember my mother saying if I drank too much cider I would rot my stomach, well im still here stomach in tact after almost 21 years.
Bulmers makes 65% of the five million hectolitres of cider sold annually in the UK. They use around 80,000 tonnes of apples a year. The mill in Hereford is capable of pressing 1,800 tonnes a day. Bulmers ciders are now sold worldwide as far as the USA and the Far East.
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