The Statutory Instrument can be viewed from the Office of Public Sector Information site at

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/pdf/uksi_20101914_en.pdf

Cider

2. In section 1 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 (the alcoholic liquors dutiable under that Act), in subsection (6) (definition of “cider”)(b), for the words after “section 55B(1) below,” substitute— “cider (or perry)—
(a) which is of a strength exceeding 1.2 per cent but less than 8.5 per cent,
(b) which is obtained from the fermentation of apple or pear juice, without the addition at any time of—
(i) anyalcoholicliquor,or (ii) any liquor or substance which   communicates colour or flavour,
other than such as the Commissioners may allow as appearing to them to be necessary to make cider (or perry),
(c) the pre-fermentation mixture for which satisfies the pre-fermentation juice requirement, and
(d) which satisfies the final product juice requirement. For the purposes of this subsection—
(i) “the pre-fermentation mixture” for cider (or perry) means the mixture of juice and other ingredients in which the fermentation from which the cider (or perry) is obtained takes place, as that mixture exists immediately before the fermentation process commences,
(ii) if the cider (or perry) consists of a blend of two or more liquors constituting cider (or perry), references in this subsection to the pre-fermentation mixture are to the pre-fermentation mixtures for each of those liquors taken as a whole,
(iii) the pre-fermentation mixture for the cider (or perry) satisfies the pre- fermentation juice requirement if the volume of apple or pear juice of a gravity(a) of at least 1033 degrees included in the mixture is a volume not less than 35 per cent of the volume of the pre-fermentation mixture,
(iv) the cider (or perry) satisfies the final product juice requirement if the aggregate of the volume of apple or pear juice of a gravity of at least 1033 degrees included in the pre-fermentation mixture and the volume of any such apple or pear juice added after fermentation commences is a volume not less than 35 per cent of the volume of the cider (or perry), and
(v) the volume of any juice, the pre-fermentation mixture and the cider (or perry) is to be computed as at 20°C.”.

I don’t really care whether the exact interpretation of this means that Industrial cider makers can get away with making cider at only 35% juice content, or maybe even quite a bit less than that. The very idea of condoning such low juice industrial concoctions as genuine cider and perry for the purposes of profiting from the considerable tax advantages compared with other acoholic drinks is to be condemned.

Accepting the definition of cider with only 35% juice content can only be a setback for the real cider making movement, and anybody supporting it is deliberately conniving with big industrial cider makers to continue to deceive cider drinkers into believing the big brand ciders advertising lies.

About seven years ago, there was a prolonged and open discussion in the craft cider community to arrive at a definition of real cider which came out with the following:

Real cider is the product of fermenting fresh apple juice.

The amount of apple juice which went into the final product must be between 85 and 100% and should be clearly stated on the container it is sold in or dispensed from.

No artificial sweeteners, flavourings or colourings are permitted.

( For real perry substitute pear juice ) ukcider 30/11/2003

The new government definition of cider at 35% juice for tax purposes will permanently legitimise the practice of creating low quality, low juice drink concoctions in which most of the alcohol is derived from corn syrup, and then selling it with the image of unsullied natural orchard scenes.

The big question many real cider makers and drinkers will be asking is why is this legislation being supported by the NACM and their apologists within the craft cider movement?

Helford Creek Cyder

Originally uploaded by AndyRob

I bought this bottle of Helford Creek Cyder in the Costcutter shop at Carnon Downs in Cornwall on the way between Truro and Falmouth. At £3.99 I didn’t know whether to expect a good quality craft cider or a bit of a touristy rip-off but the credentials on the label seemed sound and there wasn’t any other decent cider available in the shop, unless you like cans of Rattler or Merrydown. The label didn’t give too much away:

Helford Creek Cyder
Sparkling Medium

6.5% vol

Situated in the heart of Cornwall, near the Helford River, on a small 18th century farm.
Helford Creek produce delicious apple juice and cider traditionally matured in oak barrels

Produced in Cornwall on the Lizard peninsula.

Mudgeon Vean
St Martin
Helston
Cornwall TR12 6DB
Tel: 01326231341 01326231933

The cider was good quality, nice and clean tasting with a high juice content I think, but definitely some water added. Not a high proportion of westcountry cider apples, more subtle than that in the new wine style cider with some eating apple varieties included I would suspect. It tasted more interesting once the initial fizz had died down the cider was allowed to warm up a bit. You don’t want to drink it straight from the fridge, not that it ever gets that boiling hot in Cornwall anyway.

Compares well with a bottle of Tillington Hills cider from the Coop, if you can ever find any.

An interesting touch is the wine like stamp on the back label, which reminds one of a rioja label Denominacion de Origen Calificada. It’s a badge which implies approval by Cornwall County Council, my old employers no less and says:

Made in Cornwall

Cornwall County Council Approved Origin Scheme

Made in Cornwall - Approved Origin Scheme - CCC

So there.

So all I want to establish at this point really, is the fact that cider and perry have a lot more in common with wine than they do with beer.

Wine and cider are made from pressed fruit juice which is left to ferment and mature slowly. They are not made from a selection of recipes which always produce an identical product  year in year out like beer, which is created from chemically neutralised and adjusted water with added malt sugars and hops flavourings.

Each craft cider or perry maker develops their own blend of fruit and either natural or selected yeast fauna. The vintage  will vary from year to year almost as much as the terroir from one cider producing area to another.

The problem is that industrial cider is seen as little more than an alternative brand of lager beer, but this has nothing to do with the full juice craft cider which we promote at ukcider. And the role of cider and perry within the real ale organisations will always be a minority role, and that has proved to be much more of a restriction that it has an opportunity. Real cider and perry need a campaigning organisation of our own, not one tied to the interests of the lucrative beer festival organisers, which will always attract overwhelmingly beer drinkers.

In the meanwhile we would do well to explain , explain and explain again that cider has much more in common with other fruit wines than it does with beer.  You need to understand that in order to produce quality craft cider, and to appreciate it too. To that end we  would do well to read, learn and associate a lot more with our European counterparts with small vineyards who produce craft grape wines than with the beer drinkers.

Longstanding cider making guru on UKCider Andrew Lea who once worked at Long Ashton Cider Research station has a new book out, called simply “Craft Cider Making“.

Andrew dispenses valuable cider wisdom to beginners and experts alike on the ukcider mailing list discussion group from how to make cider to dealing with emergencies.

The new book is out on the shelves at discerning bookshops, and available now via amazon.co.uk below

A book on Craft Cider Making by Andrew Lea ? “That one’s got to be a must!”

ukcider is a community of 500+ people appreciative of craft cider and
perry. We claim amongst our midst a substantial minority of members
who are actively involved in the production of real cider and perry on
a small scale, and maintain the definitive online guide to good cider
outlets and cider making advice.

I’m writing to you today on behalf of ukcider to endorse the letter
which one of our members, Roy Bailey has recently sent in regarding
the 7,000 litre exemption as adopted below:

“We understand that the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) is in support
of the EU’s proposal to get rid of the 70 hectolitres duty exemption on
cider and perry.

We believe that this would be a grave mistake of the part of the NACM,
and would be disastrous as far as craft cider makers are concerned,
leading to many of them ceasing production.

The present exemption is a valuable concession which has enabled a large
number of small cider makers to start up in recent years, unbedevilled
with the paperwork and expense attendant on paying duty. They have been
able to produce interesting and distinctive products, making use of
fruit that might otherwise go to waste, and sell their cider and perry
at a competitive price. Like the micro-brewers, they have been
instrumental in introducing new tastes and flavours which the larger
commercial producers fight shy of.

Instead of being confined to the West Country and East Anglia, cider
making is now carried on in the majority of the counties of England and
Wales, and even in Scotland.

Furthermore, many of these craft producers have sought out and rescued
rare and threatened varieties of apples and pears, grafting them and
planting new orchards which add diversity to the countryside and to the
national stock of fruit.

The brewing industry has only recently been able to enjoy a concession
similar to cider’s duty exemption in the form of Progressive Beer Duty.
This has enabled new breweries to start up, and existing ones to either
invest in new equipment or maintain competitive prices.

Rather than abolish the 70 hl concession, it should be retained and
amended so that duty is only paid on the excess over that limit when it
occurs, rather than on the whole of the production as at present. The
current arrangement penalises those producers who wish to produce
between 70 and about 140 hl per annum.

If the NACM goes ahead with its support of this EU proposal (and once
again this is a case of the EU sticking its nose into something that is
not its business) then it will only provide more ammunition for those
who believe that the NACM exists only to further the interests of the
big commercial producers, rather than of cider makers in general.

Regards,

Andy Roberts

ukcider convenor
http://ukcider.co.uk