Many American consumers have no idea what hard cider is or even that it exists! We want our cider drinkers to be educated in this field so next time you're at a party, you can say to your fellow partiers, "It's a little known fact..." (credit Cliff Claven.)

What is Hard Cider? | History of Hard Cider | Interesting Facts

The History of Hard Cider
There’s little evidence to support our belief that Jesus turned water into cider at the marriage feat at Cana. But let’s face it, after all that wine, wouldn’t the guests be craving something a little special? We also have a flight of fancy that cider was the beverage of choice at the last supper.

The fact is that apples had been growing on the Nile Delta for about 1500 years before the Son Of God got his invitation to the wedding. And with the Egyptians predilection for fermenting anything that grew, it seems likely that the Pharaohs and common folk alike drank a brew made from fermented apple juice. We do know that in Christ’s time, the Hebrews drank ‘Shekar’, a brew made by combining apples with fermented juice. And although records are sketchy, it’s clear that just about every region of pre-Christian Europe had made an apple-based alcoholic drink.

Certainly by the time the Romans hit the shores of Britain they found the men and women folk of Kent enjoying a refreshing apple beverage that had some of the heady effects of wine. Apple growing and cider-making had been introduced to the island by the Druids. Julius Caesar was said to have wholeheartedly embraced this alternative to vinum, probably realizing that the conquered Britons would be less likely to revolt if they had a patriotic drink to enjoy. Perhaps Boadicea didn’t get her fair ration.

In the 9th century, The Emperor Charlemagne, Head of the Holy Roman Empire, insisted that ‘those skilled at the making of ‘Pomacium’ live and practice their craft on his lands.

The Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066 brought new blood and new ideas to cider-making. The Normans introduced many apple types to Britain, including the Pearmain and the Costard. The Pearmain was particularly valued for cider-making.

The introduction of the press in 1the 13th century revolutionized cider-making by allowing large quantities of juice to be extracted rapidly. Between farm and monastery production soared and by the 14th century cider sales in British inns rivaled those of ale, beer and wine. In the 16th and 17th centuries cider production continued to increase and by the middle of the 17th Century, cider had become the drink of choice for the larger population of Britain. Every farm had a cider orchard and a press. And it became customary to pay part of a farm laborer's wages in cider. A typical allowance would be 3-4 pints per day, increased to 6-8 pints in August, during haymaking. Remember that these were Imperial pints of 20 fluid ounces. Sadly this practice was outlawed in 1887 which led to a drop in consumption.

Canals meant that locally produced cider could be enjoyed further a field. By the end of the 18th century the shire of Worcestershire alone exported 1.2 million imperial gallons of cider. The golden age of the apple was upon us.

Meanwhile back in the new, new world, the early English settlers brought with them what they loved best, and that included seeds to plant apple trees for cider. During the colonial period, hard cider was one of America’s most popular beverages. Consumption increased steadily during the eighteenth century, but cider eventually became the victim of convenience when lager-style beers introduced by German immigrants became more popular due mainly to their rapid fermentation and their ability to arrive on the dinner table faster than cider. Prohibition put the final nails in the coffin and little cider has been seen in this country since then.

Now the good news. Cider is enjoying a resurgence, the like of which we haven’t seen since the micro-brewery revolution of the early 1980’s. We are confident that cider will soon take its rightful place again as ‘Everyman’s’ drink. Its versatility and modest alcohol content make it the perfect everyday imbibe. At Fox Barrel we are proud to be spearheading this revolution.