Every now and then, consensus dictates that a certain drink becomes flavour of the month, or gets a total reinvention. Negronis recently became a big hit in London – in fact, a whole bar dedicated entirely to the short but punchy classic launched last year – as did their close relatives (the Mezcal Negroni, the White Negroni and who could forget the Emma D’arcy-influenced Negroni Sbagliato craze). For a while now it’s been all about natural wines, which are characterised by little to no sulphates, funkier notes and more ethical production practices. If you need to find somewhere serving natural wine in London, just close your eyes and point to any spot on the map.
Now, it seems that next in the sequence is cider. It’s been around forever, with the first recorded evidence of cider dating back to 55 BCE when Julius Caesar found native Celts fermenting crabapples during the first Roman invasion of Britain. And it’s been around even longer than sparkling wine, cider makers were using the same methods as Champagne producers at a time when bubbles in booze were considered imperfections caused by evil spirits or the phases of the moon.
Cider’s obviously come a long way since then, and it’s starting to evolve once again. Producers are slowing things down, becoming more biodynamic in their approach, and, given the popularity of low-intervention wines, reminding us that they were pét nat-ing long before pét nat became a household name.
So, given this renewed interest in the ancient bev, here’s a roundup of the best ciders currently on the market (with a few perries thrown in there for good measure). There’s no Strongbow Dark Fruits here – and there’s certainly no 2L bottles of Frosty Jack’s – if that’s what you’re after, we can point you in the direction of a good offy.
Poiré de Normandie, Le Père Jules
From apple cider, Calvados, Pommeau de Normandie and pear cider institution, Le Père Jules, this Poiré is bright and zesty with a clean pear flavour. Made with 100% pear juice (per France’s Perry laws), there’s absolutely nothing added to this bottle – not even water.
Lancombe Rising, West Milton Cider Co
West Milton Cider Co makes their cider using the ancient ‘keeving’ method, in which much of the natural yeasts and nutrients are removed before fermentation, yielding a naturally sweet, sparkling cider. No added sulphates, no added chemicals, tonnes of flavour.
Donny, Wingfield Cider
A collaboration between Jamie Allen (of Four Legs and The Plimsoll) and farm shop group Nourished Communities, Donny is a sparkling dry cider made with a blend of Cox, Braeburn and Dabinett apples. This one’s a limited edition, so grab it while you can.
Cidre Breton, Kerisac
Arguably one of the best ciders on the market, Cidre Breton hails from Brittany (hence the name) and boasts a full flavour with hints of almond. It’s also a bargain at just £7 per litre. C’est si bon!
Soif!, Les Funambules
Thirsty? Have a glass of Soif! from vigneron legacies Les Funambules. This low ABV, all natural bottle is a blend of grapes, apples and water. Not quite a cider, not quite a piquette, not quite a pét nat – Soif! is a radiant mixture of all three.
Sidre Brut, Eric Bordelet
Made in southern Normandy, this is a classic dry cider made with 20 varieties of apple, each of which is pressed individually. The remarkably well-balanced result is the perfect partner to a charcuterie board.
Discovery, Kentish Pip
Another cider that verges on the pét nat, this single variety from Kentish Pip has been fermented using the pétillant naturel method. Discovery is a dry cider with soft notes of apple and lots of those naturel bubbles.
Pet Nat Cider, Tillingham
Tillingham’s primarily a winery, so this cider marked a bit of a departure from their norm when grapes were in short supply in 2021. This is a complex one (a blend of Yarlington Mill and Chisel, among others), with notes of mandarin, honeysuckle and turmeric.