The Good Cider Life
If craft beer has been going through a revolution, then it would be safe to say that craft cider is currently going through a renaissance. The renewed interest in cider appears to be changing its culture and craft cider makers are no longer only found in the traditional cider making regions of the south and the west country but can also be discovered right across the country. Quietly and imperceptibly craft cider making has been spreading across the country for a few years now and more crucially, attracting new drinkers and social media followers. The Discover Cider and Cider is Wine Campaigns, Re-Think Cider Facebook Page and Twitter site have all played a part in raising awareness among drinkers of the diversity and varying methods used in producing craft cider and increased comparisons with the production of wine.
Yes, cider is not only moving up a class, but also up a glass, with many drinkers now preferring to drink craft cider from a wine glass, choosing to ditch the tradition pint glass for the refinery of the wine glass, where cider belongs. The use of a wine glass allows the cider to breathe and release the aromas, which in turn enhances the flavour profile and the whole drinking experience. Cider production shares many of the same principles as wine production, but does not yet, share the same recognition, but that is beginning to change.
For the last six years Brennan’s Cider has quietly been growing its roots in Liverpool. The three Brennan brothers, Karl, Chris and Craig would love to boast of a history and heritage of orchards and acres with rolling hills as far as the eye can see, but they are rather more coastal with ebbing tides and golden sunsets, looking out over the Irish Sea. They started their cider production journey in Craig’s garage in Crosby, but after almost four years they had outgrown it and are now based at Alt Cottage, a disused farm building on Altcar Training Camp, Hightown, which has now been given a new lease of life as a Cider House.
Brennan’s Cider use traditional craft cider methods to produce small, handcrafted batches of dry cider, made predominantly from locally sourced culinary and dessert apples donated by the local community or picked growing wild by the brothers themselves. These apples produce an acid led cider that is naturally carbonated with citrus overtones. They also use cider apple varieties sourced locally and from Herefordshire, to blend with the locally sourced fruit to create a cider that is more tannin led with a richer taste.
Alt Cottage is their staple cider, it is made from a blend of locally sourced culinary and dessert apples and is named after their Cider House. Their other ranges are, Merseycider, a blend of local apples with the addition of wild crab apples, Old Chapel, local apples blended with locally sourced perry pears, Blackhill, a blend of locally sourced apples and Harry Masters cider apples and Forty Nine, a blend of cider apples from Herefordshire.
In 2020 the brothers expanded their range and introduced their first still cider called Fós, which is a blend of locally sourced apples and Dabinett cider apples, it is released in a 750ml sharing bottle format that has been well received in the local craft cider community. The last season 2020, also brought a larger harvest of Huffcap perry pears and Conference pears that the brothers have used to produce their first perries, Mersey Perry and Woodstock which will be released later this year. They also have some new cider batches that are fermenting and conditioning in preparation for later release.
The brothers have now expanded their cider making operation into the barn alongside their cider house and hope to increase production this season and in anticipation of this they have invested in a larger hydro press and a commercial fruit mill which they hope will enable them to achieve this goal.
Brennan’s Cider has gradually gained a strong following in the craft cider world which led the brothers to break into the commercial market in September 2020. Their cider is now available from The Cat in the Glass, a Manchester based web outlet for craft cider and beer, Carnival Brewing Company and Black Lodge Brewing in Liverpool and The Workshop and The Cheese Wheel in Waterloo.
Things are certainly moving in the right direction for Brennan’s Cider and with the continued support of local apple donors, craft cider drinkers and CAMRA they hope to go from strength to strength and continue to produce quality, locally made craft cider that everyone can enjoy.
If you would like to become an apple donor, feel free to contact Brennan’s Cider via their social media and help to keep a local cider making operation moving forward.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @Brennanscider
