This fall is Pommel Cyder’s tenth yr of adventures in cider analysis and experiments in cidermaking. In honor of this aluminum anniversary, listed below are highlights from every of the final ten years.
2012 First Ciders Within the Rest room
I walked within the entrance door carrying 5 gallons of fresh-pressed, unpasteurized juice and gleefully advised my spouse I used to be going to make laborious cider. Involved that I used to be going to create bottle bombs, she requested that I do every thing within the downstairs lavatory. It was additionally made clear that after they exploded, I might be cleansing it up. So with three gallons of juice, I made an 18th-century-inspired cider, a clover honey cyser, and an ale yeast-fermented cider. I’m completely happy to report nothing exploded (then or ever).
Which is to say, Pommel Cyder was actually born in a toilet.
2013 The Pommel Cyder Weblog Launches
Dave Barry as soon as stated, “there’s a very nice line between ‘interest’ and ‘psychological sickness.’” It was clear, to me anyway, that cider was going to straddle that line for me. It mixed a lot of my historic pursuits, together with researching, writing, and recreating. A weblog appeared like a great way to share these efforts. In addition to, there was an opportunity that any person apart from me may discover all of this fascinating. The primary submit was revealed on September 1st, detailing a cyser that did not ferment. Fortunately, this was not a harbinger of issues to return.
2014 First Publish About Cider Historical past, Not Historic Cider
After a number of months of posts centered on recreating historic cider, I shared my first history-focused submit. The story that John Adams drank cider each morning was (and nonetheless is) usually repeated in cider circles, nevertheless it struck me as questionable. So I spent somewhat time wanting into it. As with most such tales, there was a kernel of fact there, however many retellings had blown it out of proportion. As you may think, making an attempt to appropriate this story made me in style amongst some cider storytellers.
2015 A Working Ciderist
I had been pondering that perhaps I’d, someday, maybe, wish to strive promoting cider. Though I figured it was years away, an acquaintance reached out to me in 2014 and stated he was about to launch a “analysis vineyard” centered on early wines. Would I like to return make historically-inspired cider? I stated sure and jumped proper in. I developed the juice mix, wrote and designed the labels (just like the one above), and recognized historic recipes. Our first launch got here out on the finish of the yr. Due to the vineyard, my ciders made it to bars, eating places, and all through the residing historical past world. I made cider there by 2018, after I stepped away.
2016 Final-Minute Addition to the First Pennsylvania Cider Fest
I used to be shocked when eleven days earlier than the primary annual Pennsylvania Cider Fest, I used to be invited to talk. I shortly wrote a chat, “Previous Cider in New Bottles,” centered on researching and recreating historically-inspired ciders. I had no concept if anybody could be fascinated with listening to this discuss. In any case, folks have been coming for cider, not cider historical past. Whereas it wasn’t standing room solely, there was a great crowd who have been and requested unbelievable questions. I’m honored to say that a few of these attendees stay good associates.
2017 First Time Asking “Did Prohibition Prohibit Cider?”
Temperance and Prohibition are regarded as the villains of America’s cider story. However have been they actually? I had begun researching this query, once more, as a result of it gave the impression of too good a narrative, however I didn’t actually have a plan for the analysis. Then the Northampton County Historic Society requested if I might do one thing about cider and Prohibition. I wrote “Did Prohibition Prohibit Cider?” to point out that the fact of Prohibition and cider is stranger and extra fascinating than the oft-told story.
2018 A Cider Historical past Timeline For the PA Cider Guild
I had been contributing small bits to the PA Cider Guild since 2016. Principally talks and some research. So I used to be honored after they requested me to put in writing a timeline of American and Pennsylvania cider historical past. Naturally, I took a shot on the Prohibition story within the 1920 entry.
2019 Eire and Irish Cidermaking
My spouse and I took a belated honeymoon to Eire. Earlier than we went, she reached out to the workers at Longueville Home to see a few tour. They graciously agreed. Their supervisor spent a great a part of the day with us. He confirmed us their orchards, their cider home, and their distillery. Afterwards, we tasted their ciders and brandy. It was an inspiring day for me. They made great ciders with a really stripped-down course of. I proceed to assume lots about their cidermaking and ciders (often whereas nipping on the remaining brandy bottle).
2020 Locked Down and World Broad
When the pandemic abruptly ended in-person gatherings, I assumed it was going to be some time earlier than I received to present one other cider discuss. However the world pivoted shortly and I had a chance to return alongside. That Could, Cider Tradition reached out to ask if I might be fascinated with providing a digital program for his or her new “Cider Faculty” program. It was a beautiful alternative to achieve a nationwide viewers. Plus, it was a stunning little bit of contact at a second after we had no concept how lengthy the stay-at-home directives would final.
2021 Visitor Lecturer With the Alcohol Professor
Andrew Tobia of the Alcohol Professor web site reached out to see if I wished to speak about cider and Prohibition, which after all I did. We had a wide-ranging dialog, speaking about every thing from Temperance and Prohibition to why the story is in style right now. Regardless of the quantity of people that advised me they learn it and it modified their thoughts, the story that Prohibition killed cider is, like an off-flavor we will’t appear to eliminate, nonetheless there. It’s job safety, I assume.
2022 Within the Pink at Philly Cider Week
Having survived the pandemic (to this point), this yr noticed an enormous enhance in in-person talks. Amongst them was an invite to share some ideas on historic ciders and cider tastes with restaurant house owners, cidermakers, and cider lovers at this yr’s Philly Cider Week. The venue supplied this Pepto pink restaurant trash can as my lectern. I’m nonetheless dissatisfied that I wasn’t the one who joked that I gave a trash discuss.
Not captured in every thing above are the true highlights of the final ten years – the buddies, outdated and new, who’ve been so supportive with their time, expertise, and curiosity. It seems, there are folks apart from me fascinated with all this. They’ve helped form my view of cider historical past and its connections to right now. Extra importantly, so many have taken time to only sit, drink, and chat. Valuable items in a busy world.
Thank You All!
Whether or not it’s on the weblog, in a lecture corridor, in an open subject, or in a barroom, I’m wanting ahead to a different ten years of studying, sharing, and chatting about cider and cider historical past.
