April brought our annual Cider meeting, hosted this year by Dr. Pivo (Steve Victor) and his lovely wife Sue at their house in New Haven.
We made some changes this year. No blind judging, for one thing. Everyone who brought things to share made a short presentation first and then we discussed our impressions. Huge success. We will definitely be offering this option in future meetings.
“Cider” usually connotes fermented apple juice, perhaps with some additives. We certainly had some of that. But we also had a number of other apple-derived entries: cyser (apple mead), calvados (apple brandy), and applejack (freeze-distilled cider). Some were homebrew and some were commercial. Some were fresh and some had been aged for years. In short, we were able to same an enormous range of apple-y drinks.
A particular standout was the hosts’ black currant cider. Fizzy, sweet-tart, and immensely refreshing, it came with stories of bottles blowing up during pasteurization. There were even pictures of Pivo’s protective gear. I will post if he will share copies.
Overall, a wonderful tour through the cider universe.