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The Esquire Guide to the World of Luxury Cider
Swerve the same old cans in favour of premium bottle serves this BBQ season
Cider has worked hard to shed its reputation as a drink reserved for summer festivals. Today, it’s less about supermarket slabs and swilling cans and more about small-scale bottles served chilled in your favourite stemware.
While browsing the back bar for a “luxury cider” may have had you laughed out of your local a few years ago, there’s a new thirst for high-end drops taking hold. So much so that many Michelin-starred restaurants are ripping up the rulebook and adding artisan ciders to their drink pairings, alongside fine wines and whiskies.
So, arm yourselves with our guide to the best artisan bottles – it’s all the (ahem) in-cider knowledge you’ll need.
Best luxury cider to buy in 2023
What does cider taste like?
Like wine, luxury ciders are redolent of their terroir; the apple varieties (be that a bittersweet Harry Masters or long-coveted Dabinett), production method and vintage all combine to create an entirely unique drop.
From the driest of dry to sweeter styles, ciders are defined first and foremost by their crisp apple flavour. From there, more nuanced aromatics take hold, and can venture from vegetal (asparagus, fresh straw, cut grass) to spice (anise, vanilla, clove, pepper) and smoke.
What food pairs with cider?
Exceptionally food-friendly, the acidity of luxury cider cuts through fattier flavours (hence its longstanding affinity with pork dishes). Buttery cheeses, shellfish, charcuterie and game are a match made in heaven, as are earthy autumnal vegetables, such as fennel, butternut squash and leeks.
How we test luxury cider
We recruited a panel of accredited experts and cider connoisseurs to test 19 luxury ciders. They were looking for a classic, crisp apple flavour profile, well-balanced natural sweetness, and light, long-lasting bubbles. These are the eight ciders they’ll be sipping this summer.
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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