Certain cider apple varieties' spitters' are grown expressively to make hard cider. Regardless of the apples used, their juice is placed in fermentation tanks along with champagne yeast. As the temperature rises, it only takes three to seven days for the apple cider to ferment into alcohol. The brewer then carefully cools the batch and filters it, removing yeast and other solids. No one wants to drink the latter.

England, Wales, and Ireland all produce hard cider that is available in sweet, medium, and dry varieties. They tend to also differ in style regionally — and even the names may change. Bulmers Cider, as known by the Irish, is called Magners Cider outside of their country. A cloudy alcoholic lemonade. Haven’t we had these before? Oh yes, they were the original alcopops weren’t they? Before the riot of different flavours came along. Surely there is no argument whatsoever that this is an alcopop.The world's hard cider craze is not just a trend. Much of the increased demand is because cider is both vegan-friendly, not to mention GMO and/or gluten-free, which is welcome news for drinkers with dietary restrictions or preferences. Where does hard cider come from? The list is by no means extensive and prices will no doubt vary depending on what your go-to tipple is, but it should give you an idea about what you'll be spending down at the course.

It’s sad that we have such a lax regulatory environment that these alcopops are allowed to get away with calling themselves ciders. They do so, of course, because cider is so much more fashionable these days than any kind of flavoured alcoholic beverage. The distinction between 'apple cider' and 'hard cider' differs in a big way. Hard ciders are fermented and contain anywhere from 4-6% alcohol by volume. Unlike plain old 'apple cider,' any 'hard cider' is only meant for those ages 21 and up. Can cider go bad? In making cider, apple presses extract the juice, which is then boiled to concentrate it. At this point, the cider appears opaque since it's unfiltered, so you're noticing all the pulp and other sediments.One thing you might be thinking, is how much money you should be taking with you. If you’re wondering how much the drinks are going to be at Aintree this year, we’ve got you covered. If curious, the word 'Scrumpy' refers to the unfiltered ciders traditionally made in the West Country, originated from 'scrump,' what its residents call a withered or small apple. Prices will no doubt vary depending on what your go-to tipple is, but our colleagues at the Liverpool Echo have compiled a list to give an idea about how much you may need to budget for if you're heading down to the course this year. Jeremiah Weed has had a brilliant launch. Again, it looks and feels too posh to be called an alcopop, but as a ready-to-drink, flavoured alcoholic beverage, that’s exactly what it is. It reeks of authenticity and heritage. In fact it has none whatsoever – it’s entirely a creation of 21st century Big Marketing. That aside, at least it doesn’t claim to be a different kind of product from what it is. Prices are on the rise everywhere, and it's no different at Aintree Races this year for the eagerly-anticipated Grand National Meeting. The most famous racing event in the world starts this week, so we've taken a look at the prices you can expect to pay for a drink if you're heading along.

No discussion of hard cider is complete without mention of the United Kingdom. The hard cider traditions are deeply rooted in England. As the major producer of cider (a.k.a. 'scrumpy' in West England) in the E.U., the U.K. and has relished in its most significant hard cider renaissance in the 21st century with more diversity of cideries, products, and consumers than ever. It's common before bottling for raw apple cider to be pasteurized to extend shelf life, so it needn't be refrigerated until it's been uncapped. Finding untreated cider is quite easy, though, should you ever wish to try some or make hard cider yourself from fresh-pressed cider. The race meeting starts today with Liverpool Day, before the eagerly-anticipated Ladies Day on Friday. The Grand National itself takes place on Saturday afternoon.Or that’s what I thought – until the second comment below from eatingisntcheating.blogspot.comalerted me to this news story from last month– it seems Jeremiah Weed is now a cider too! In the company’s own words, although this product: Reverend Nat's Hard Cider in Portland, Oregon, is well-known for developing radically curious hard ciders such as Hallelujah Hopricot, a "beer, cider and wine all in one" and a Deliverance Ginger Tonic hard apple cider. If you sample his brews or ever meet him, you'll know why Nat's so revered — even though he isn't technically a reverend. If you’re heading off the Aintree racecourse today for the Grand National Festival you should be making your final preparations.