history in a glass

the apple in human history​

 

The tale of hard cider starts with the story of the apple, and that story goes back further than you might think!

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The apple as we know it today had its beginnings in the mountainous region of Kazakhstan, in Central Asia.  Wild apples did also exist throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe and were used by ancient people as early as 10,000 BC, however they were more crabapple than apple – small, sour, bitter and hard.   

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By contrast, however, these Kazakh apples were medium-sized, soft and slightly sweet. As these apples migrated west beginning almost 4,000 years ago along the famous Silk Road trade routes they made their way into Southern Europe and began to hybridize with local varieties to become larger, more aromatic, firmer and sweeter. 

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Domestication of apples we would recognize today began in various regions of the world some 2,000 years ago!  Apple orchards became common in the Normandy region of France and in Great Britain, and those apples were large, aromatic, sharp and sweet, perfect for Hard Cider making. 

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Hard Cider in the Ancient World

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Versions of Hard Cider had been produced in various parts of the world for thousands of years.  Ancient Hebrews were making “Shekar” and the Greeks were imbibing “Sikera” – each made by boiling apples in water and fermenting the resulting juice.  In Southern France and Northern Spain, natives were boiling apples, adding the juice to honey and fermenting it.

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Known for spreading knowledge and technology across their domain, the Roman Empire also added to the history of Hard Cider by sharing technology and processes from other regions.  For example, mills and presses developed for making olive oil enabled the apples to be crushed into a pulp instead of sliced, extracting far more juice from the harvest. The rise of Christianity and monastery orchards across Europe also increased the availability of Hard Cider in the region.

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Hard Cider became so popular that in the Middle Ages it rivaled beer and wine consumption at inns and taverns.  And it soon made its way to the New World – in 1617 the first apple trees were planted in North America by Louis Hebert in Quebec City, followed in 1620 at the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Williiam Blackstone just 9 days after the Mayflower made landfall at Plymouth Rock.  Notably, during the trans-Atlantic journey a storm damaged a main beam on the ship so badly the captain considered turning back to England, but instead a “great iron screw” from a cider press was used to brace the damaged beam so the colonists could continue their journey!

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Hard Cider in Early North America

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Growth of apple orchards in North America continued to expand, largely for the production of Hard Cider.  By 1634, colonists to Maryland were being encouraged to bring with them seeds ”of peares & apples, especially of Pipins, Pearemains, & Deesons for maykinge thereafter of Cider & Perry.”

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By 1648 the first known nursery for apple and pear trees was established in Massachusetts and large-scale propagation of fruit for cidermaking began to fuel supply to local taverns, and within a decade cider consumption had become so prevalent that the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began to control excessive drinking, with court records showing fines levied for drunkenness on cider.

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Records from 1682 show nearly 65,000 gallons of Hard Cider were produced in Newark, NJ – a town with fewer than 10,000 total residents. 

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In 1767, the average New England family was consuming about 35 gallons per person annually.   By 1775, one in ten New England families, most of them farmers, had a cider mill on the property.

 

Over the next hundred years Hard Cider became a mainstay in most American homes and taverns.  By 1899 records show nearly 52 million gallons were produced for a total population of 63 million citizens.

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However, a turning point had been reached.  During the late 1800s Americans found a new passion for the latest beer style – pilsner lager, developed in 1848 by Pilsner Urquell and carried to America by immigrant German brewers.  The wide plains of grain and long, hot summers in North America were perfect for this crisp, refreshing beverage, and by 1915 just 13 million gallons of Hard Cider were produced in the U.S. 

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Then came a near death-knell: Prohibition.  From 1920 to 1933 alcohol consumption was illegal in the United States.  After it was repealed by Congress, beer and hard spirits rapidly increased in consumption while Hard Cider nearly became extinct.

 

Hard Cider In The Modern Era

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For decades Hard Cider production languished as beer, wine and spirits completely dominated the marketplace.  However in the 1980s Hard Cider began somewhat of a renaissance due to growing consumer demand for more craft products, as well as for lighter alternatives to beer and wine.  Several small regional brands such as Woodchuck Cider, a Vermont company, found ways to move their products into national markets, re-introducing this historic beverage to a willing new audience.

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As modern consumers continue to adopt craft culture and emphasize low-carb, low-ABV and gluten-free lifestyles, they are frequently turning to their small neighborhood orchards instead of their local brewpub.

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In the U.S. from 2011 to 2019 Hard Cider sales tripled, while the number of Cideries grew by 9X in roughly the same period.  By 2014, Hard Cider consumption in the U.S. reached 50 million gallons, and has continued to increase each year since then.

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NY, MI and CA are the top Hard Cider consuming states in the U.S., with each also being an apple-growing region with a corresponding robust craft beer scene and relatively high population density.

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While beer consumers are overwhelmingly Male (64%) and wine drinkers are majority Female (56%), Hard Cider is almost evenly enjoyed by all – 51% Male, 49% Female.  By age group, the market for Hard Cider skews younger, with 21–34 year olds accounting for 58% of annual consumption and 35–49 year olds accounting for 36%.

 

Although overall alcoholic beverage sales growth has flattened recently, demand for local, craft products continues to be a strong trend in the U.S., and as Hard Cider represents an excellent low-carb, gluten-free option for consumers, the future still looks bright for this resurgent yet ancient beverage.