Sophisticated Cider

“The French have never met a fruit they couldn’t ferment, so the saying goes, and in the pantheon of fermented fruits the apple is second only to the revered grape. In Normandy, the cloud-dappled apple orchard of France, there are three main beverages made from fermented apple juice: pommeau, an ultra-sweet, high-alcohol aperitif; Calvados, the Norman brandy; and cider. Of the three, cider—with an alcohol content similar to beer, ranging from 3 to 7 percent—stands out as a versatile, exceptionally drinkable beverage, perfectly adapted to many foods.

Unlike the pasteurized, super-sweet version familiar to Americans, French cider is slightly effervescent, with varying ranges of sweetness, and comes in glass bottles, like beer or wine. In its highest form—still a rarity, even in France—cider can rival wine in subtlety and complexity. And like good wine, the best artisanal ciders are meticulously crafted to give fullest expression to the intrinsic qualities of the fruit.”