Chorleywood Cider Club, an offshoot of CW Community Orchard, was launched by an enthusiastic group in 2013. Practicalities of the craft were challenging at first but several years on the Club has enough members who bring different things to the apple table, from a substantial supply of fruit to supplement those grown in the Orchard, to a space to press apples and brew and store the cider. We caught up with the Club on a cider tasting evening in The Rising Sun, Berkhamsted where they were sampling some British cider to select for selling at Chorleywood Christmas Festival.
So what’s so good about the Cider Club?
“ It’s a team thing. Some pick the apples, some grunch into small pieces and others press” says Club Chairman Dick Mander, “After the brew ferments it has to be decided whether it is to be clear or cloudy, fizzy or still. Then comes the best part!”
“The Club is like a cross between the Archers, Country File and the Vicar of Dibley“ smiles Marie Page.
Husband Steve enjoys the artisan experience. “There’s something nice about drinking cider when you know where it started and you are involved with the process all the way. It’s similar to drinking regional wines in France.”
“Cider is an honest country drink” agrees Michael Campbell, “ I like the way you can pull an apple down and six months later enjoy it!”
While the group are discussing the pleasure of the brews, Dick is busy lining up different ciders …Medium Scrumpy, Parson’s Choice, Show me the Honey, Gillow, Janet’s Jungle Juice, Dry Scrumpy, Rum Cask, Whisky Cask, Hedge Layer, Pookhill, Apples and Pears.. the list goes on.
The ciders, most made locally by Millwhites using juice from Somerset apples, are fermented and matured in oak barrels ( “no sulphites”) in Bourne End.
Choosing favourites is tricky – more varieties are brought from the bar to the table and finally the general concensus is that the drier the better. That narrows it down to eight then. Best try them again.
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