To deeply appreciate the craft of cider making and to make truly great cider you need understanding of all the elements involved in the process. There is a lot of information available on the web these days, but nothing really compares with a book.
From ingredients to techniques, imagery and inspiration, here is a list of some of the best books about hard cider. (Though some of the books define the rules of cider making, you wont find anything by John Irving on list…badum-ching.)
The New Cider Maker’s Handbook
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World’s Best Ciders: Taste, Tradition, and Terroir
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Cider, Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions, and Making Your Own (Third Edition)
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Making Craft Cider: A Ciderist’s Guide (Shire Library)
Simon McKie (2011)This is a quick read, and hits most of the surface-level points about cider making. I would recommend this for a novice cider maker. For those who want to dig a little deeper, go with The New Cider Maker’s Handbook. |
Ciderland
James Crowden (2008)Ciderland chronicles cider in The West Country of England, which is famous for its wide variety of ciders. Crowden is a great tour guide through the region and through the history of cider alike. |
Cider: Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider, 3rd Edition
Lew Nichols and Annie Proulx (3rd Ed. 2003)Proulx and Nichols take you step-by-step through the cidermaking process and provide some nice starter recipes. They also hit on the various types of apple presses to how to filter, fine, rack, store your cider, and even how to maintain your own apple orchard. |
Leave a comment below and share you feedback. Let me know if you have a favorite book on cider that I may have missed.
