The History of Cider
Apple growing was introduced into Britain by the Druids. Improved varieties
were brought in by the Romans and later too by the Normans, greatly to the
benefit of cidermaking. By the middle of the 17th Century cider had become the
drink of the people and entered its heyday. There were extensive plantings of
apple trees and every farm would have a cider orchard and a press. Indeed it
became the tradition to pay part of a farm labourer's wages in cider. A typical
allowance would be 3-4 pints per day, increased to 6-8 pints in August,
during haymaking! The outlawing of this practice in 1887, together with
profound changes in farming, led to a decline in consumption. During the 20th
century, with the advent of mass-production and the movement of population away
from farms and into the towns, larger commercial cidermaking developed. Happily
today both large and small scale cidermaking is enjoying a revival, to the
extent that thirsty throats consumed over 100 million gallons in 1994, compared
with under 25 million gallons in the late sixties.
A Map and List of Members of SW of England Cidermakers' Assoc.
The Making of Cider
About Cider Home Page