Drink more cider! That, in addition to drinking more Madeira, is my resolution for 2010. I mention these very different drinks in the same breath because successive generations of Americans drank a good deal of both, yet today both have sunk into obscurity. Thomas Jefferson enjoyed apple cider, and drank his fair share of Madeira (in the mid-19th century when someone offered you a glass of wine, it was probably Madeira). I consider it a patriotic duty to turn people on to these wonderfully archaic, very adult drinks.
I am afraid that there are good reasons why folks, if they have even tried a cider, are turned off by it. The hard cider that we drink here in the States is mostly one-dimensional commercial dreck made from juice concentrate. However, we enjoyed loads of good strong cider in the colonial era—long before domestic wheat and barely were readily available, apple orchards flourished throughout New England and good deal of this fruit ended up in cider and applejack. Jacking refers to the process of freeze distillation, and New Englanders made crude applejack by leaving a barrel of strong cider to freeze on the porch, and then used an auger to liberate the alcoholic portion, which did not freeze. (By the way, if you attempt to do this on your own, be aware that you are breaking the law!)
Our own cider culture has tragically dwindled since the end of the 19th century. This is in part due to the seasonal nature of apple cider (when you are out, you are out until next apple season), and the arrival of successive waves of German immigrants who brought to our shores their taste for and knowledge of quick-to-ferment lager which could be produced year around. There has been something of a revival of artisanal ciders here in the States, but until we rediscover how good this old-timey drink can be, they will remain regional specialties.
Thankfully, the French have not lost their taste for this beverage, and grow more than 200 varieties of apples employed mostly for cider production and its big brother, Calvados.
Cider is a flexible food pairing beverage, and I find that it works well with simple, rustic food—steamed mussels, of course, but also herb-crusted roast chicken and cheese (Hook’s 10 year cheddar + Dupont Cidre de Normandie Brut).
Last year, we had a power failure at Lou, just before service. I was afraid we would need to close for the evening, and as my staff sat in the fading afternoon light, we lit candles, and I brought out a couple of bottles of cider as a balm for our despair. It worked—the DWP magically restored our power, and we were a much happier team after polishing off the second bottle.
This week, I am pouring a flight of French cider that illustrates just how good cider can be. Perhaps soon I will compliment this flight with an all-domestic cider flight.
Julien Frémont Cidre Brut par Nature “Les Greniers” 2008
A cider made by a family that has been in the apple business for several centuries– they still use an apple press built at the end of the 18th century. Frémont make the “Greniers” cider from organically grown apples that sweat for a month in a grenier, or attic, before pressing, so they go through a light passerillage. This is a light-bodied cider, quite dry, with a touch of bitterness on the finish.
Etienne Dupont Cidre Brut Organic
Dupont makes five different ciders, but I have only tried two of them. Of the two, the one I like the most is the organic cider, which Dupont claims can age up to five years. The ciders are vintage-dated, and the one I am pouring at my shop is from the 2007 vintage. This is a complex, aromatic, and tannic cider, and is a bit murky because it is unpasteurized and unfiltered.
Bordelet comes from an apple-growing family, but had pursued a career as a sommelier (he was the sommelier at L’Arpège) before having his life changed by Didier Dageneau. Bordelet fell hard for Dageneau’s wine, and Dageneau convinced Bordelet that he could return to the Loire and make cider. Bordelet makes four different ciders, two are from apples, and two are from pears. I am pouring my favorite Bordelet cider, which is his Poiré “Granit,” made from a pear orchard with 300-year-old pear trees. This delicate cider captures the energy and freshness of pears long after pear season is over.