Virginia Cider: A Guide from Colonial Days to Craft's Golden Age

By: Gregory J. Hansard

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Synopsis: Your guide to the remarkable history, and ongoing popularity, of cider in the Commonwealth A cultural phenomenon with surprisingly deep roots, cider has been one of Virginia&’s favorite beverages for more than four hundred years, representing a time-honored ingredient of the cultural heritage that the first English settlers brought with them to America. Since the seventeenth century, apple orchards have been a fixture of the farming landscape, and cider was made and consumed by almost everyone—men, women, and children of all socioeconomic orders throughout the state&’s history. Recent decades have witnessed a renaissance of cider culture and cultivation, and today cider-making is a thriving craft-beverage industry, gaining ever-greater numbers of enthusiasts and connoisseurs as more and more cideries spring up every year. An essential title for the Virginian bookshelf, and for all readers interested in American cider: • The definitive history of making and drinking cider in Virginia • An in-depth guide profiling the cideries throughout the state, from Bold Rock to Big Fish, with &“Try This&” suggestions for each location, and a comprehensive map to help plan excursions • Brief descriptions of the varieties of apples preferred by Virginia&’s cider makers • In-depth overviews of everything from Home Cider Making to Laird & Company to Wassail