DeCIDERedly Good Read! (Cider - Campaign for Real Ale)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Cider - Campaign for Real Ale
Date:	07/06/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fascinating insight into the world of Cider and Perry

Disadvantages: None really - unless you are frightened by pictures of apples!

As an irregular cider drinker I wasn't expected to enjoy reading the new book from the CAMRA (CAMpaign for Real Ale) bookshop. Cider, as it is simply titled, is just about that! Cider - its production, where to buy it, drink it, cook with it and even how to make it yourself. The reader will even learn something about the history and folklore of cider and also about some of the interesting characters of the cider world.

This is where the book grabbed my interest. Presented in full colour and featuring contributions from a variety of authors, Cider is actually pretty good! No less than 13 separate authors are mentioned in the introduction, so putting this book together must have been an editor's nightmare! All the authors have a different speciality and a different style of writing - what links them is their obvious knowledge and affection for the Real Cider industry.

The photographs are clear, bright and very well produced. Taken by Mark Bolton, a freelance photographer with a penchant for all things cider, they give a good insight into the world of cider production - along with some very nice pictures of pubs too. For me there is also a local interest. There are a couple of pages about the Old Poets' Corner in Ashover; as a former National Cider Pub of the Year they have certainly earned the right to feature alongside some of the top cider pubs in the country. Not bad for a pub that is located in Derbyshire and not in an area traditionally associated with the making of cider.

On a slightly more far away note, readers of the book will also gain some knowledge of cider producers from other countries, all of whom have had some sort of influence on UK cider making - an interesting trip via Spain, France, Austria and Germany!

The fact that such a glossy publication has been published is testament to the current revival of cider; in fact the book states that "in the past five years, the number of cider producers has blossomed and more real cider and perry is now being produced than 15 years ago. Most of these cidermakers are hobby producers, though several are reaching the tipping point where they are able to pack their day jobs in and produce full time." Good news for those who enjoy a drop of cider and perry!

I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to learn more about proper cider and perry to give this book a go. It is well set out, interesting and has enough content to get me picking it up again and again. It isn't a book that I would ever read from cover to an ordered fashion. It is more of a book to dip into; pick a section at random and learn something new each time! Even just flicking through and looking at the photographs is well worthwhile. I thought they were excellent and gave a real snapshot of aspects of the cider drinking world. Where else could you find a double page colour photo of a pile of apples waiting to be pressed in Somerset?

My favourite sections are the matching cider with food section, which also includes some rather yummy looking recipes and the Cider Pub of the Year winners section, which has given me some ideas for places to visit while out and about. What you won't get in Cider is any homage to the mass produced, chemical filled ciders and "pear ciders" - leave all thought of Magners over ice at the door before entering the pages of this book. What you have got is an interesting view of the amazing and dedicated folks who drink and love cider - some of them are slightly barmy, but all of them have a story to tell!

Cider is a lavish production which will appeal to cider and perry drinkers new and old. It is modern and well produced with a good amount of info and detail. Its large format, however, makes it more suited as a coffee table book, rather than a pocket guide to take out and about with you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and, as a cider novice, learned a good deal that I didn't know before. Whether it would impart anything new to a cider aficionado is another matter indeed, but as a sharp and informative way to tempt people towards the merits of real cider and perry it certainly does its job!

==BOOK DETAILS==

Cider can be purchased from the CAMRA website at http://shop.camra.org.uk/DisplayDetail.aspx?prodid =268&secid=43
Available now for £12.99 (members' price) or £14.99 (non-members' price).

Summary: An interesting look at all aspects of Cider and Perry