101 Cider House Purple Monkey

101 Cider House Purple Monkey

History

The earliest records of cidermaking date back to the first Century BC, when the Roman armies arrived in Britain. Recipes explaining how to make cider soon spread to other parts of the Roman Empire which, at that time, included territories all around the Mediterranean, from Tunisia to northern France and Portugal.

As knowledge of distillation became more widespread, so cider-based spirits (applejack and apple brandy) began to appear. The most famous of these is French – more properly, Norman – Calvados.

Production methods and styles

The fruit is harvested in autumn, traditionally by hand but now increasingly by using mechanical, tractor-like harvesters. Some producers favor maceration prior to pressing (which tends to extract more tannins from the skins) but in the main, the apply juice is extracted in a press or mill, and then begins fermentation – the conversion of sugars into alcohol (by either cultured or naturally occurring yeast).

The pulp (pomace) left behind is either discarded or used for distillation.

Cider production methods vary from region to region and style to style. They dictate not just the cider's alcoholic strength, but also its depth of color and whether it is clear or cloudy, still or sparkling.

Cider regions

The most developed and one of the more historic regions for cider production is England – the British are the biggest consumers of cider per capita in the world. Southwest English counties such as Somerset, Devon and Cornwall have a long history of cider production, as does the East Anglian county of Suffolk and also Kent, in the southeast of the country.

Further afield, cider is very popular in Ireland and throughout Europe, mainly in regions with a Gaelic or Celtic connection, particularly Brittany, Normandy (the home of Calvados), the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia. In Germany, the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions produce apfelwein alongside their regular grape-based wines.

Our top priority is for you to be delighted with your purchase from start to finish and exceed your expectations. Please don't hesitate to call or email us with any questions.

We offer loss & theft protection options at checkout for the ultimate peace of mind* See full shipping policy for terms & conditions.

All shipments require an adult signature on delivery. Please make sure an adult 21 or older will be available to sign for your package. We recommend shipping to a business address when possible.

For large corporate/studio/VIP gift orders to multiple addresses, you've come to the right place. Large studio & corporate orders have been our specialty for over 50 years. We also offer an easy Excel large order template- click here to download it. 

We ship packages Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Express (overnight & 2 day) are usually shipped the same-day if placed by Noon Pacific time.. Please call for priority overnight services. We're happy to accommodate whenever possible.

Ground orders are usually packaged and shipped within 1-3 business days after the order is placed, Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays. 

 This is a summary of our shipping & Delivery policy

View our full Shipping & Delivery policy here