Cider Hard & Sweet by Ben Watson

Title: Cider Hard & Sweet
Author: Ben Watson
Year: 1999 updated 2009, 2013
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 208
Price new: £6.02 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
The back of the book says it quite nicely, informative, easy to read.

On the back of the book it says:
Drinking fresh or "sweet" cider is an annual fall tradition, it's taste reminiscent of crisp sunny days, bright foliage and ripe fruits. Currently, alcoholic or "hard" cider  is enjoying a popularity hasn't seen in 150 years. Today hard cider is readily available as a lighter alternative to grape wines or a refreshing alternative to beer. Many cider lovers don't realize, though, that this elegantly simple beverage is incredibly easy to make, and that producing excellent home made cider, both hard and sweet, is well within reach of any enthusiast.
In this richly informative and entertaining book, Ben Watson explores the cultural and historical roots of cider. He introduces us to it's different styles--including draft, farmhouse, French, New England, and sparkling--as well as apple wine and related products like apple juice and cider vinegar, and gives complete instructions for how to make them yourself at home with minimal time and equipment. This updated full-colour edition also provides:
detailed information on advanced techniques like barrel fermentation;
a chapter devoted to perry, or pear cider;
recipes for cooking with cider;
a celebration and description of Calvados (apple brandy), pommeau, ice cider, and Spanish sidra; and
advice on the best varieties of apples for cider.
Cider, Hard and Sweet teaches the reader how to recognize good cider and encourages us to make the leap from buying it to making the genuine article at home. A fascinating cultural document as well as a how-to-book, it will appeal to anyone who appreciates good food and drink.

BEN WATSON is a writer, editor, food and farm activist, and the author of several books, including Acts of God: The Old Farmers Almanac Unpredictable Guide to Weather and Natural Disasters and Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables. He is also coauthor of Passport to Gardening and The Slow Food Guide to New York City. Watson lives in New Hampshire.

Farmhouse Cider & Scrumpy

Title: Farmhouse Cider & Scrumpy

Author: Bob Bunker

Title: Farmhouse Cider & Scrumpy

Author: Bob Bunker

Year: 1999

Format: Booklet

Page Count: 32

Price used: £0.01 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)

Briefly covering history, production and a couple of drink recipes.

On the back of the book it says:

"Small scale cider making on local farms has been  part of life in the south west for centuries. This bewitching art has been passed down from one generation to the next, each aspiring to create their own special liqor - distinctive blend of specially selected apples and their juices which thrills and delights the drinkers palate.

The love of making and savouring traditional cider is as strong as ever. Using only natural ingredients and simple fermentation techniques, and adding a few secrets of their own, local cider makers are keeping alive the true spirit of the West Country. This book shows how they achieve their well deserved success."

Cider - The Forgotten Miracle

Title: Cider - The Forgotten Miracle

Author: James Crowden

Year: 1999

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 120

Price used: £0.08 (Amazon)"

*accurate at the time of posting

Description:

History, anecdotes and poems on cider and a description of working at Burrow Hill Cider.

On the back of the book it says:

"Cider: the forgotten miracle is a witty, energetic unforgettable investigation into the history of farm house cider. A fresh assessment of ancient traditions that have not only influenced the landscape for the better, but produced excellent cider into the bargain. Cider that in the past rivalled French wines and can still  do so today. Not surprisingly these myths, superstitions and anecdotes, revolves around farms and farmers, their families and their orchards. This fascinating story, set against the backdrop of 17th and 18th Century England, is told by the poet James Crowden with humour and clarity. It involves not only vivid description of working at burrow Hill Cider Farm during the autumn, but also charts the early days of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company."

Cider's Story Rough and Smooth by Mark Foot

Title: Cider's Story Rough and Smooth
Author: Mark Foot
Year: 1999
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 144
Price used: £8.75 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Ciders history told through the stories of various producers and characters as told by a real enthusiast. A Good read.

On the back of the book it says:
"The wide ranging and affectionate account of Ciders history - through generations of good cheer, and from necessity at times, defiant progress. The book reflects on some of the age-old drink's most influential figures, while introducing the reader to a host of great rural characters. It takes us down country lanes as into the computerised factories. Above all, it is a human story - about village people and the drink they have made for centuries."

The Sheppy's an everyday tale of ciderfolk

Title: The Sheppy's an everyday tale of ciderfolk

Author: David J. Hinton

Year: 2000

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 134

Price new:  £7.99 (Amazon)*

Price used:  £0.01 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)

A history of the Sheppy family and their cidermaking going back over 200 years with plenty of photographs.

On the back of the book it says:

"Sheppy. The name is synonymous with good quality cider throughout Somerset and beyond. This revealing book brings to life the Sheppy family over the past 200 years. It traces the ups and downs of the family fortunes from their beginnings at Iwood, Conglesbury to Three Bridges Farm near Taunton.

Lavishly illustrated with photographs, 'The Sheppys' tells the story of a disastrous fire, how a record-breaking trout came to be 'fried' in as Gun Shop, the world-famous Model Maid and how gold Medal winning cider was imbibed by two Prime Ministers.

A fascinating book which should be enjoyed together with a glass of Sheppy's cider."

CAMRA's Good Cider Guide 2000

Title: CAMRA's Good Cider Guide
Author: David Matthews
Year: 2000
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 396
Price used: £0.01(Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
CAMRA's guide to producers and outlets in 2000 with over 100 pages of additional articles, 'a snip at the used price' Dave Matthews (then a teacher) took a year off work to prepare this book, He later went on to become a cidermaker and a founder of The Welsh Perry and Cidermakers Association.

On the back of the book it says:
"One of the great drinking experiences of the world is natural cider, made from traditional apple varieties. It is deliciously mellow, aromatic and intoxicating. Equally exquisite is the fragrance and flavour of perry, a wonderful drink made from pears.
CAMRA's Good Cider Guide, edited by Dave Matthews, brings you the information you need to find and enjoy these fine drinks, and is fully illustrated with photographs and cider labels throughout.
Guide to Producers and Outlets
The guide is organised into counties with each county section containing a map, listings of all cider producers, a selection of cider outlets, and information about other places of cider interest.
Features Articles about Cider and Perry
Meet the cider and perry makers of Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset, the Pays d'Auge in France and Asturias in Spain and the Pacific North west in America. Travel around Britain's four remaining classic Cider Houses, try some recipes from Susie Dunkerton, Chef at the Cider House Restaurant, and take a look at cider on the internet.
Learn about the history of cider (both in Britain and the US) and how apple and pear varieties influence the taste of cider and perry. Try making your own with our pocket guide to fruit, harvesting juicing and fermentation."

Blame It On The Cider by Roger Evans

Title: Blame It On The Cider

Author: Roger Evans

Year: 2002

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 126

Price new: £7.95 (Amazon)*

Price used: £0.01 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)

A book of funny cider related stories from Somerset.

On the back of the book it says:

"Somerset was once a county filled with cider orchards. They could be found everywhere, even in the years just after the war.

Local writer Roger Evans was born, brought up and still lives in Somerset. He remembers the happy-go-lucky times when children were free to roam and the orchards played host to jenny wrens, robins, blue tits and grazing pigs, cattle and sheep. With his friends, he would go scrumping and once in a while, cider tasting - mostly from the stores kept in forbidden territory - neighbours' garages and barns.

In  this funny, nostalgic book, brimming with anecdotes and amusing incidents, all attributed to the effects of drinking cider, Roger takes the reader on a journey round the county and finds a hilarious or chaotic story to tell wherever he goes.

One evening in Bridgewater a local man, much the worse for wear after several pints of strong cider, was forcibly ejected from the Blue Boar in the Penel Orlieu area. Unhappily for him, this coincided with the passing of a police officer on a bicycle. They collided noisily and fell together in a heap onto the road. The law was not amused and action was demanded. The man was dragged some 50 yards to the Duke of Monmouth pub in the High Street. There the officer proceeded with an arrest, advising the drunk that the reason was for knocking him off his bike outside the Duke of Monmouth. 'That's not true !" Shouted the drunk. 'It's a bloody lie, it was outside the Blue Boar.' 'Can you spell Orlieu ?' Asked the officer. 'Course I bloody can't' retorted the drunk. 'Well I can spell High Street.' Replied the officer and continued with his arrest."

Ciderlore: Cider in the Three Counties by Fiona Mac

Title: Ciderlore: Cider in the Three Counties

Author: Fiona Mac

Year: 2003

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 224

Price used: £5.99 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)

History, science and folklore of cider in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

On the back of the book it says:

"This is anything but a dry book ! It tackles the subject of cider and perry in the three counties of Hereford, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in a slightly unusual way, in that the art of cider making from selecting varieties of fruit, planting and growing trees to the packaging and marketing of the completed product, is woven into the history and stories of cider makers from 1900 to the present day. There is both art and science in cider making, an activity which is done injustice through the persistence of scrumpy, however jovial an image that may conjure up. Yet scrumpy is covered too, as are the aspects of folklore and tales of the effect of cider drinking , along with descriptions of the cider houses that have and still do exist in the Three Counties.

Various tensions are apparent- between cider makers, cider drinkers and cider campaigners, and within the ranks of cider makers themselves. Whilst producers want to co-operate at one level to promote cider and perry as generic drinks, they are also in competition with one another and reluctant to share information that they perceive as family or trade secrets.

The information is presented in a number of themed chapters, which also detail the history of the national cider making names within the three counties, as well as those whose produce will only normally be found at source, or at best within a few miles of the cider press.

At the end is a section which lists the current established cider producers and cider houses mentioned in the text, whether they are open to visits and where products can be found. Accompanying this is a brief description of various organisations, grants, planting schemes and local festivals mentioned, with a contact point.

Fiona Mac is an accomplished story teller and collector of local tales, customs and folklore, living in Herefordshire, who has collected the stories and information in this book through conversations with the cider drinkers and cider makers of the Three Counties. She is a national campaigner for CAMRA (The Campaign For Real Ale) who defends the preservation of small  scale cider and perry making through her in-depth knowledge of cider and perry as a vibrant living tradition.

CAMRA's Good Cider Guide 2005

Title: CAMRA's Good Cider Guide
Author: Emma Lloyd  (Editor)
Year: 2005
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 256
Price used: £0.01 (Amazon)*
*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
A less than complete listing of cider producers and outlets in 2005 with over 30 pages of additional articles from Dave Matthews, Tom Oliver and others. Well worth the low used price for the articles alone.

On the back of the book it says:
"The all new CAMRA's GOOD CIDER GUIDE, now in it's 5th edition, features more than 700 traditional cider producers and outlets in the UK and is an indispensable volume for all cider enthusiasts, whether new to the scene or long-standing fans.
Good cider is a long-established traditional drink, but much of the cold fizzy products we are used to seeing are far from the real thing. The popularity of real cider is permanently rising, as more and more people discover how deliciously mellow, aromatic and intoxicating the flavours of naturally produced cider can be. CAMRA's GOOD CIDER GUIDE offers a county-by-county directory of UK cider producers and outlets and provides unique, in-depth knowledge for the cider consumer.
In addition, various writers, cider enthusiasts, drinkers and experts alike come together to provide feature articles on production techniques, orchards, the history of cider, cooking with cider recipes and regional specialisations, from Normandy in France to the celebrated orchards of the Asturias in Northern Spain."

Somerset Cider Folklore & Customs by Jon Dathen

Title: Somerset Cider Folklore & Customs
Author: Jon Dathen
Year: 2006
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 122
Price new: £8.95 (Amazon)*

*accurate at the time of posting

Description: (TLDR)
Lots of amusing and sometimes hard to believe stories relating to orchards, apples and cider in Somerset 

On the back of the book it says:
"In the western counties of England, and in Somerset in particular, cider was, and for many still is, an integral part of the rural way of life. Over the centuries, folklore and customs have become entwined with the growing of apple, trees, the harvesting of fruit, and the production and consumption of cider. Some of these beliefs and practises are practical, a method of fermentation or a saying recording the best time to plant a tree. Others belong to the realm of magic and pagan belief, these include the propitiation of orchard spirits, ceremonies to ensure a robust harvest, and the many little 'somethings', done 'just for luck'. A richly absorbing apple anthology, superbly researched and altogether different form what the reader might expect. Here is preserved the history and all the fun and seriousness of the folklore and customs connected to  cider - from wassailing to apple games and Toad Swimming, its makers and drinkers, throughout the county of Somerset, in the past and the eternal present"