Leicester CAMRA Cider Bar 2016

As the hungry snail-bearing Thrush awakens mighty Smaug in his mountain kingdom, so too does Susan Kite rouse this sleepy blog from slumber with the gentle tap-tap-tapping of the 2016 Leicester CAMRA Cider & Perry list.

Real cider-drinking Elves and Dwarves everywhere may rejoice, for once again the wizard of Middleton can (as if by magic) break the joyous news a full month ahead of Durin's Day.....

Enough of this Hobitty nonsense, here's the list, subject as ever to minor change. Rumours that the cider bar has been renamed the Prancing Pony this year are of course entirely unfounded, though not impossible:

Leicestershire and East Midlands

Bottle Kicking Leicestershire

Scrummage 6.5%

Rambler 6%

Charnwood Leicestershire

Appley ‘Ave Another 5.6%

Disco Cox 5.6%

Cocky Fox 5.5%

Farmer Fear Leicestershire

Medium 5.5%

Dry 5.5%

Fynsburys Rutland

Cider

Gladstone Leicestershire

101 dry cider

Rockingham Forest Northamptonshire

Dabinett cider 6.6%

Saxby’s Northamptonshire

Medium 5.4%

Limited Edition 6.5%

Skidbrooke Lincolnshire

Medium cider

Others

Apple County Monmouthshire

Medium dry cider

Barkers Worcestershire

perry?

Berriews Powys

organic cider

Biddenden Kent

Cider 8.3%

Broome Farm Herefordshire

Perry 5.5%

Burrow Hill Somerset

Medium cider 6%

Cadogan Gloucestershire

perry 5.5%

Green valley Devon

vintage dry 8.3%

Greys Devon

medium cider 6%

Gwatkin Herefordshire

Farmhouse perry 7%

Golden Valley perry

Gwynt y Ddraig Glamorgan

Two Trees perry 4.5%

Heron valley Devon

cider 6%

Hunts Devon

Mary Maude’s medium cider 6%

Marshwood Vale Dorset

Yarlington Mill cider

Millwhites Somerset

Rum cask cider

Nempnett Somerset

Somerset Redstreak cider 6%

Norburys Worcestershire

Medium sweet cider 7%

Olivers Herefordshire

medium cider

perry

2 perry ?

Rich’s Somerset

Legbender cider 6%

Seacider  Sussex

Medium cider 4.6%

Hardcore 7.3%

Ty Gwyn Monmouthshire

Brown’s Apple cider 6.5%

Ventons Devon

whiskey cask cider

Westcroft Somerset

Janet’s Jungle Juice 6.5%

Worley’s Somerset

Cider

Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival 2015

Like the gridlock and panic of an English snow-flurry, the arrival of the Leicester CAMRA Beer & Cider festival is something we can both rely on, and sneak time off work for, every year without fail. For this we give thanks to the hard working organising committee, and small platoon of willing volunteers which make this annual jamboree run so smoothly, punctually, and most important of all, fragrantly.

It's all reassuringly similar to successful festivals of the past, details of which can be gleaned from the flyer reproduced here. Over there. On the right.

Top cider and perry enthusiast Susan has assembled a collection of fruit-based drinks any medium-sized rock festival would be proud of, including many sourced so close to Leicestershire, they could quite accurately be described as being from... well, Leicestershire. Surrounding counties are well represented too, with only poor old Warwickshire absent. And Staffordshire.

Exclusive early access to the cider and perry list is something I've come to rely on. Lord-knows I've got little else to blog about on here these days. And in time-honoured fashion, I've not hesitated in breaking the trust Susan has placed in me, by sharing everything I know with you the reader. So here it is, the 2015 Cider & Perry list, as usual, subject to change without notice or excuse.

UPDATE: Susan has 'finessed' the cider list, the latest version uploaded here. Some notable changes, including the sad loss of early-season Torkard which is so early-season it may still technically be apple juice!

Cider and perry 2015

Bottle Kicking, Hallaton, Leicestershire

Dry cider

Rambler medium cider 6%

Charnwood Cider, Leicestershire

Pure Charnwood medium Cider 5.6%

Apply Ave Another medium cider 5%

Disco Cox medium cider 5.6%

Gold medium cider 5.6%

Farmer Fear, Leics

Thirsty Farmer medium

Farmhouse strong medium

Jollydale, Lincs

Medium cider

Rockingham Forest, Northants

Home Orchard medium dry cider 7.4%

Malvern Hills medium perry 8.4%

Three Cats, Morley, Derbyshire

Medium sweet cider

Abrahall, Shropshire

Dry cider

Crackling Rosie perry

Barkers, Worcestershire

Medium dry cider

Cadogan, Gloucestershire

Medium cider  

Medium perry

Chant, Somerset

Singing cider

Chucklehead, Devon

Medium cider

Double Vision, kent

Sweet cider

Sweet perry

Green Valley, Devon

Medium Cider 6.8%

Grey’s Devon

Medium cider

Gwatkin, Herefords

Yarlington Mill cider

Farmhouse medium perry

Hecks, somerset

Port wine of Glastonbury

Blakeney Red perry

Heron Valley, Devon

Medium cider

Marshwood Vale, Dorset

Sweet cider

Olivers, herefordshire

Shezam  cider 6%

Medium perry 6%

Orchard, Gloucestershire

Medium cider

Ross, Herefordshire

Medium cider

Perry

Tricky, Somerset

Medium cider

Sweet cider

Ventons, Devon

Whisky cask cider

Westcroft, Somerset

Janet’s Jungle Juice

Winkleigh Cider co, Devon

Sam’s sweet

Sam’s dry

Worley’s, Somerset

Farmhouse medium cider

Green Horse Perry - Orchard to Glass

Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, 12th - 15th March. Other perries, ciders and beers also available.

Ciderhouse News - March 2014

March is traditionally the month when cidermakers get all twitchy and restless ahead of the new cider-selling season. Signs of Spring in the garden signal the return of migratory cider drinkers, heralded by the cheep and chirp of e-mail requests for our new-season ciders and perries. Cider twitchers need wait only a few days more for the official start of the Spring cider season. March 12th to be precise, because that's the opening afternoon of the 2014 Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival, a festival renowned for it's ciders and perries. And beers.

News just in of a few micro-changes to the cider bar listing, so here they are:

In: Ross Perry, Wilcox Cider

Out: Barbourne Perry, Swallowfield Cider

Shaken All About: Green Valley Rum Cask is now Farmhouse Medium, the Gwatkin cider is a single variety Stoke Red, and the Once Upon a Tree cider is their Tumpy Ground.

In other news, our 2012 Rockingham Forest Sloe Gin was awarded 'Null Points' in the Great Easton Sloe Gin (& others) competition. The competition, a revival of long-standing village event, was held at the recently revived and re-opened Sun Inn. The judges had a tough job, with something like 30 entries to sip their way through, including the 'other' class which was won by a very moreish Marmalade concoction which we're definitely going to try ourselves. A bottle of our new season Rockingham Forest Slider was also available for tasting, which if we're honest was a good deal better than our Sloe Gin! Must try harder next year.

...and finally. Here's a recipe that's as easy to make as opening a Dairylea Cheese Triangle and spreading it on a piece of white-sliced.

Take 1 Juicy fridge-ripened Camembert, make a few gouges on the surface and insert thin slivers of garlic. Pour on some cider, we used some delicious Dunkertons Breakwell's Seedling, or if feeling particularly indulgent, Cider Brandy. Pop the lid on and bake until gooey and dippable. Crusty bread for dipping is all that's required.

Leicester Beer Festival 2014 - The Cider & Perry List

East Midlands/Local Producers:

Bottle Kicking Hallaton leicestershire

Scrummage 6.5%

Scrambler    7%

Charnwood Cider Bradgate Leicestershire 

vintage dry 6%

medium    6.6%

Farmer Fear Mountsorrel Leicestershire

Thirsty Farmer dry 5.5%

Thirsty Farmer medium 5.5%

Rockingham Forest Middleton Northamptonshire

Green horse perry 4.5%

Red Kite Cider 7.9%

Torkard Hucknall Nottinghamshire

Floppy Tabs cider  7%   

...and The Rest:

Abrahall Bishop’s Frome Herefordshire

dry cider 6.5%

Barbourne  Worcester,Worcestershire

cider 6.3%

perry 6.5%

Barkers Hallow, Worcestershire

cider tbc

Brimblecombe Dunsford Devon

cider  6%

Cadogan Awre Gloucestershire

cider

perry

Green Valley Clyst St George Devon

rum cask cider 8.4%

Gwatkin Abbey Dore Herefordshire

cider 7.5%

perry 7.5%

Gwynt y Ddraig Pontypridd Glamorgan

Black Dragon medium cider 7.2%

Dog Dancer medium dry cider  6.5%

Pyder 6%

Two Trees perry 4.5 %

Hecks Street Somerset

cider tbc

SV cider tbc

perry tbc

Old Monty Montgomery Powys

cider tbc

Oliver’s Ocle Pychard Herefordshire

medium cider 6.5%

perry 6.5%

Once Upon a Tree Ledbury Herefordshire

cider 6%

Orchard’s Brockweir Gloucestershire

cider 6.5%

Ostlers  Barnstaple Devon

cider 6%

Sarah’s Ledbury Herefordshire

cider 6%

Swallowfield Ross on Wye herefordshire

Wonky Donky cider 6%

Tricky Taunton Somerset

cider 6.5%

Westcroft Burnham on sea Somerset

Janet’s Jungle juice 6%

Wilkins Wedmore Somerset

cider 6%

Yarde Stoke Gabriel Devon

cider 6%

Cider in Leicester - A Pub Guide (Revised 2014 Edition)

Even though no license fee is required for viewing this blog (as if we could actually charge for this rubbish!), we still feel duty bound to deliver the occasional public service broadcast. It's been a while since we fulfilled this weighty obligation, March 2010 to be precise.

So with literally thousands of thirsty customers flocking into the city for the annual Leicester CAMRA Beer Festival (half a dozen of which are known to occasionally read this blog), I felt it was high time I revisited my magnum opus, the reasonably well-received Cider in Leicester - A Pub Guide. So here it is.

This list is probably best used in conjunction with a few halves at the superb Leicester Beer Festival Cider Bar, and is best viewed using the 'entirely-free-to-download' Leicester Real Ale Trail glossy leaflet add-on-with-map doohickey.

Please note:  This is not a campaigning blog and I therefore make no judgement on the quality of any of the ciders mentioned, some of which will inevitably not meet everyones criteria with regard to being 'real' or 'traditional'. Also note that this list represents my own knowledge of the current cider scene in Leicester, broadly encompassing an easily walkable area from the beer festival site up to the rail station. If I've inadvertently omitted any pubs, or the information has in any way become inaccurate or obsolete subsequently, I apologise in advance. I'd had a bit to drink you see...

• Ale Wagon, Rutland St/Charles St, LE1 1RE - Traditional corner local close to the rail station. Wide range of ales, and a house cider from a large Somerset producer

• Barley Mow, Granby St, LE1 6FB - Recent Everards Brewery refurbishment close to the rail station. Guest cider(s) from Everards range*

• Black Horse, Foxon St/Braunstone Gt, LE3 5LT - Lovely interior to this two room Everards Brewery pub, which received a sensitive refurbishment quite recently. Guest cider from Everards range*, though usually this is Westons Old Rosie

• Criterion Freehouse, 44 Millstone Lane, LE1 5JN (0116 2625418) - Pioneering Leicester ale and cider house, with the added bonus of regular live music, beer and cider festivals, fabulous pizza, and all-round city-centre grooviness. Occasional outlet for our own cider or perry (hopefully the case during the festival weekend), but always something interesting on the dedicated guest cider handpump, plus usually another draught cider or perry from the cellar.

• The Globe, Silver St, LE1 5EU - Everards Brewery ale house in the very centre of town, now featuring a couple of guest ciders from the brewery range*

• High Cross, High St, LE1 4JB - The only Wetherspoon in the city centre which regularly features real cider. Usually two available, often GwyntY-Ddraig or Westons, but occasionally something more unusual

• King Richard III, Highcross St, LE1 4NN - One of Leicesters great unspoilt locals, close to the Highcross shopping disaster. Everards ales, and a guest cider from the brewery range*

• Kings Head, King St, LE1 6RL - A proper local in the town, and a rare outlet for Black Country Ales in addition to numerous guest beers. Guest ciders from larger regional producers such as Gwynt-Y-Ddraig or Sandford Orchards

• Polar Bear, Oxford St, LE1 5XW - Recently improved beer range at this 'Scream' pub included a Westons Cider on a recent visit

• Rutland & Derby, Millstone La, LE1 5JN - Smartly refurbished with a strong emphasis on food. Guest cider from the Everards Brewery range*

• Salmon, Butt La, LE1 4QA - Smart but traditional ale house near the main bus station.Popular with both beer enthusiasts and rugby fans. Usually two guest ciders from the cellar, often from regionals such as Gwynt-Y-Ddraig, or occasionally smaller local producers including Charnwood

• Sir Robert Peel, Jarrom St, LE2 7DD - Recently refurbished Everards ale house, close to the rugby and football grounds. Two guest ciders, often from smaller producers, including those from the brewery range*

• Swan & Rushes, Oxford St/Infirmary Sq, LE1 5WR - Home of Leicesters original Cider & Cheese Festival, the Swan is a noted beer enthusiasts venue close to the rugby and football grounds. The guest cider was from Orchard Pig when I visited recently, bottled Thirsty Farmer Cider also available

• The Tudor, Tudor Rd, LE3 5HT - Another recent Everards Brewery refurbishment, sensitively done and retaining the two-room traditional layout of this backstreet local. A guest cider from the brewery range is usually available*

• The Western, Western Rd, LE3 0GA - Steamin' Billy pub which usually features a couple of draught ciders. Bottles of local Thirsty Farmer Cider are also available

* = Everards supply a range of ciders to their estate, including regional and national brands from Hogan's and Westons for example, as well as some local Leicestershire producers such as Bottle Kicking and Thirsty Farmer.