Cider – is it time to rethink the traditional British beverage?

Over the long Jubilee Bank holiday weekend, while others were enjoying a quintessential glass of Pimm’s and a slice of Victoria sponge cake, I tasted a different kind of heritage delight.

I was lucky enough to attend a cider and cheese tasting event at Hawkes Brewery, located in London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile. Hawkes partnered with Neal’s Yard Dairy for the event, and although I had never been much of a cider drinker, my hopes were high. I was not disappointed

The event was held in an ambiently-lit private area in their warehouse-turned taproom. A single, long table was adorned with fairy lights and candles, and each place was set with a generous cheeseboard. With roughly a dozen attendees, the event was far more intimate than I had expected, which meant that I was able to talk more extensively with the hosts and other guests.

There were six courses of cheese each paired with a cider, and a representative from both Hawkes and Neal’s Yard talked us through each course.

Colette, Hawkes’ in-house pommelier (a sommelier whose expertise lies within the realm of cider) painted a picture of cider that was akin to fine wine. The cider that we were drinking came in 750ml bottles and was diverse in flavour. It ranged from tannic and resonant of marmalade, to champagne-like and dry.

Image: Hawkes

Gemma, the representative from Neal’s Yard Dairy, talked us through the cheese pairings that she had thoughtfully chosen for each cider. She told us how it had been very different pairing the cheese to ciders compared to wines.

Unlike making wine, cider-brewing is something that the British are world leaders in, and this meant that the artisan ciders originated in the same places as the cheeses were made. It seemed apt to be sampling these quintessentially British products amidst the Jubilee celebrations, and the prospect of sourcing luxury beverages locally is always an attractive one.

Sampling cider after cider, I could hardly believe that I had been unaware of just how different ciders could taste and how elegant those flavours could be. The nuanced tasting notes could be affected by factors such as the location of the breweries, fermentation times, and the temperature that the ciders are processed at.

I left the event with a whole new perspective on cider. I had previously thought of it as nothing more than a homogenous tangier-tasting alternative to beer. Now I felt excited by Colette and other brewers who were passionately championing a fresh, elevated image for the drink.

Its appeal is multi-faceted – its carefully-crafted flavours are elegant and varied, while its Britishness makes it sustainable as well as patriotic. Compared to wine it also has a much lower ABV, which may very well be the future, with more health-conscious millennials and gen-zs turning their backs on heavy drinking.

Perhaps it’s time that cider had an image makeover.