After a number of years of having small, informal cider tasting evenings, it was decided this year to hold a more formal event at Fylde Rugby Club and to try and raise money for CRY.
A total of 7 brewers were involved, and the same recipe was used by all (basically: apples, water, sugar and lemons). For most of the brewers this was their first year of making homemade cider and the results were all excellent.
Each brewer had to come up with their own name and design a bottle label for their cider. This led to names such as Macners, Lough on the Rocks, Whole Lotta Rose Terrace, Myradown, Scorton Hopperberg, Grosvenor Grog, Walsh’s Whallop, Sue’s Apple ‘Ed and Nelson’s Column appearing on the tasting tables.
The event also included some food, in the form of a huge home-baked apple cake, and a number of fine cheeses were generously donated by Dewlay cheese makers from Garstang.
Approximately 100 people attended the event, and each person paid £1 for a tasting glass.
A donation of 50p was then requested for each cider tasted. This raised a grand total of £473.
Bill Beaumont OBE is a member of Fylde rugby club, and he also took part in the tasting, and can be seen with all the brewers in one of the photos below.
A large display of CRY literature was on view, and details of the forthcoming screening at Preston Grasshoppers were distributed amongst those present.
At the end of the evening, the champion cider was selected (i.e the most tastiest), and this was won by Simon Mulholland for his Scorton Hopperberg brew.
Overall, it was a hugely successful and popular evening, and it is hoped to host similar events on an annual basis.
Craig McIntyre
More photos………
