Brothers is NOT real Cider...official!

[LusciousLucy]

To settle the never ending Brothers vs Real cider debate that has raged for months if not years on these boards...the men and women at CAMRA that very much know what they talk about have produced the following list:

The most common Cider NOT recognised as 'real' cider...

The latest issue of the magazine waxes very lyrical about what constitutes real cider. The most obvious part being real cider is pressed following the collection of cider apples from an orchard and is only produced in the autumn and once the apples have run out there can be no more cider produced. The article goes so far as to say a high majority of fizzy ciders available in pubs and shops are made mostly from apple concentrate from China with added glucose and water and then CO2 added. Mmm yum? So much for all those so called Irish apples in our Magners etc.

And when it comes to pear cider...basically there is no such thing. Its a popular recent invention created to bulk up the popular fashion for fizzy ciders. CAMRA defines perry and pear cider as quite different drinks, stating that 'pear cider' as made by the large industrial cidermakers is merely a pear-flavoured drink, or more specifically a cider-style drink flavoured with pear concentrate, whereas 'perry' should be made by traditional methods from perry pears only. (It should be noted that Brothers, Bulmers and other pear ciders are made from pear concentrate, often imported.) <<<<<<<!!!!!!! True perry is actually quite a rare drink to come across apparently.

I know personally for one thing, serious alcoholic pear juice made in Somerset can get you running for the longdrops within just half a pint!!! Strong shit! Tastes like pear juice though...evil but wonderful stuff.

Since properly reading the recent articles, I am actually quite suitably turned off a bit by the proper realisation that I am drinking concentrate that contains apples that have never even been grown in our green and pleasant land I was aware of how the drinks are produced but a bit sad to realise that nearly every fizzy cider is essentially an imported alcopop is a bit gutting. (Addlestones especially!)

Heyho...guess I'll just have to spend more time at Middle Farm drinking proper zoider!

[ampersand]

everyone knows that cider is beer for girls!

[MrZigster]

Good post.

Do they sell this seriously alcholic pear juice of which you speak at the festival? I tend to stick with the bus and the occasional strangly named real ale concoction if I am near the acoustic field.

[MEGABOWL]

Aybody else fancy a Brothers just now?

[LusciousLucy]

everyone knows that cider is beer for girls!

[Felna]

Despite being a big fan of 'real ale' I've always viewed CAMRA and most of its campaigners as a bunch of nobby's who spend too much time over-analysing the content and miss the point entirely. If you enjoy a particular tipple who cares if it's really beer, lager, cider, perry, or just some flavoured slop imported form China? The important thing is you enjoy drinking it and it makes you happy.

I also have a similar opinion about music and Radiohead fans... ;-)

[jackarmy]

Despite being a big fan of 'real ale' I've always viewed CAMRA and most of its campaigners as a bunch of nobby's who spend too much time over-analysing the content and miss the point entirely. If you enjoy a particular tipple who cares if it's really beer, lager, cider, perry, or just some flavoured slop imported form China? The important thing is you enjoy drinking it and it makes you happy.

I also have a similar opinion about music and Radiohead fans... ;-)

[ampersand]

And lager is for pussies of all denominations...hence why I am reading the CAMRA magazine!!!

[LusciousLucy]

It's more the partly false advertising part where the ciders state that they are from England or Ireland or wherever but in reality and quite obviously just are not made from locally sourced apples. There just arent enough grown in the UK and Ireland to produce the liquid tons of cider that are sold each and every year. That's the bit that pisses me off.

But spose thats the way of the world now. It still wont get me drinking Brothers though.

[worthyraver]

Burrow Hill is the cider of champions I think everybody knows that, in summary never trust a cider you can see though

[llcoolphil]

everyone knows that cider is beer for girls!

[___S_o_m_a__]

even polish 5.6% lager?

[5co77ie]

I've been saying this for years.

[dottycat2205]

Sounds like Tyskie! And that isn't for pussies :-)

[rachbon]

i don't pay any attention to wherever they are claiming to get the apples from.

i just drink things i like the taste of. if that means i don't like "real" cider, then i am a cider wimp and i don't care

[Paul ™]

This arrived at my house today unexpectedly, Organic ciders.. am sure they will taste lovely

http://www.vintageroots.co.uk/Cider-Sipper-Case

[ampersand]

Sounds like Tyskie! And that isn't for pussies :-)

[llcoolphil]

it is indeed! also, if you go to b&m bargains, you can pick up 3 other strong polish beers. only had each of them once so can't really judge properly if they're better or worse. and all for a pound a can

[rachbon]

it is indeed! also, if you go to b&m bargains, you can pick up 3 other strong polish beers. only had each of them once so can't really judge properly if they're better or worse. and all for a pound a can

[marktea]

More info about Brothers here.

It confirms that it is made from 100% pear juice concentrate but that the fizz is obtained using 'full natural carbonation' rather than injected co2. However this particular description also says it "cannot in any way be considered "real" cider. It is effectively a Babycham for the alcopop generation and should be regarded as industrial cider".

I enjoy a pint of Brothers at the festival - hopefully again next year - and really don't get too hung up about this stuff but, on the other hand, I do like to know what I'm drinking and what it contains.

[ampersand]

Imported from poland (ie a fair old distance)

b & m bargains

£1 a can.

I'll take a guess on the quality!

[rachbon]

yup, give it to us. hamilton doesn't deserve it

[___S_o_m_a__]

Relevant:

[Pinhead]

I've been saying this for years.

[Oddone]

Do what I normally do when I swing by that way. Stock up on local cider from local farmers. The type where it's in barns in barrells surrounded by cow shit.

Yeh you gotta carry it onto site but at least then you are smug that you are drinking zoider.