Sassy by name and sassy by nature; this handcrafted rosé cider certainly lives up to its moniker. It has been lovingly created by a pair of young Frenchmen – childhood friends Xavier d’Audiffret Pasquier and Pierre-Emmanuel Racine-Jourden – who were keen to revolutionise what is not only their favourite beverage but also Normandy’s most famous export. Employing the expertise of a cellar master with more than 30 years’ experience they have succeeded in giving ‘cidre’ a very modern twist.

SASSY Rosé Cider (33cl) NV | Product Details Maison SASSY Rosé Cider (33cl) NV | Product Details

As well as rejuvenate the category, Xavier wants to help promote his home region and protect its cider inheritance. “We wanted to launch something that could help to revitalise the Norman economy. The wine economy is massive and we’d like to do the same now for cidre. We saw that a lot of apple producers were destroying orchards,” he said. Innovative production methods

#Tasting Notes#

You’re probably familiar with Old Rosie. It’s the original cloudy cider from Weston’s cider mill in the famed cider-making region of Herefordshire. It’s old-fashioned, it’s unfiltered, it’s cloudy and, at 6.8%, significantly stronger than all the other ciders on this list (and that’s after Weston’s reduced the ABV a few years ago. Nevertheless, for many cider lovers it holds a special place in their hearts. Weston’s has been making cider since 1880, pressing, blending and fermenting fruit from its orchards into ciders and perries. Today, the same mill and the same vast oak vats are used to deliver a huge variety of ciders; but Old Rosie (named after the company’s 1921 steam roller) is one of the best-known and loved. The taste is refreshingly sharp, almost scrumpy in style as a result of slow maturation, but with a lightness and dryness that makes it very drinkable. A reliable classic.

Maison Sassy Brut Cider 5.2% - 6 x 750ml - Hand-Crafted

Gluten-free 100% natural and made from apples that were organically grown in Château de Sassy’s orchards this is one of the lowest calorie alcoholic drinks on the market. The recipe is a heavily-guarded secret that combines almost twenty different varieties of apple including the pink-fleshed Geneva Crab that give it its distinct colour. The result is a clean sophisticated sorbet-esque style that is far removed from those funky farmyard flavours so often associated with Normandy cider. Expect crisp Braeburn apple plum hedgerow berries and cream. This versatile off-dry tipple would be perfect served with sunshine tomato salads tarte aux pommes crumble red berry sorbet or could be wonderful mulled.

The best ciders you can buy in 2023

Sassy in France blends traditional Norman techniques with modern flavour profiles and marketing to make an authentic cider with a twist. We meet the man with cider flowing through his veins, Xavier D’ Audiffret Pasquier.

MAISON SASSY CIDRE - Harvey Nichols MAISON SASSY CIDRE - Harvey Nichols

When it comes to cider testing, we conduct rigorous taste tests to ensure that every bottle and can is worth your hard earned cash. We gather a number of cider samples that are either currently or soon to arrive on the market and taste each submission for our initial thoughts. Those that make it through the first round are then subject to further testing, where we compare like for like ciders to find the best in specific categories. This South-East Asian inspired cider has been specially crafted to be enjoyed with Asian foods. Using a blend of culinary apples to create a balance between sweetness and tartness, it pairs well with rich foods and chilli. Bittersweet apples have been included in the mix too, to complement meat-based dishes, allowing a spectrum of spices to shine across Asian cuisine. With an ABV of 4.8% and a taste of luscious, fresh apples in each moreish mouthful, this is a crisp, clear and uncomplicated cider to enjoy with your favourite Asian meal. We tried it with a Pakistani lamb dish, but it would also be the perfect accompaniment to a Pad Thai or Katsu Curry. Remember to upvote any favourites and comment below if your beloved booze brand has wrongly been left off the list.But attitudes are changing in England too, with companies like Cider is Wine or the Fine Cider Company insisting that cider should be made like wine and enjoyed as such. Better quality ciders are increasingly available in pubs and restaurants, and people are waking up to the joys of real, whole fruit cider. Sassy is a great place to start if you want to know what the fuss is about. Kopparberg, it is not real cider. It’s more like hard seltzer than a cider,” Xavier complained. At the same time he recognises that though much of what people drink isn’t great quality, the cider market in Britain is ten times the size of France. Low apple ciders “make cider popular. It’s not a good product, but people like it,” he admits. Apple varieties can give a good sense to the eventual taste of a cider, and many ciders will label themselves as ‘dry’, ‘medium sweet’ or somewhere along the spectrum. Region affects taste, too, with many West Country ciders being made in the traditional way, with cloudy or still styles remaining popular and ABV% increasing significantly. Today, cider is made all over the UK by farmers, winemakers and breweries alike, so there are plenty of options to explore. How much should I spend? Don't wait in! We'll drop you a text the day of your expected delivery by 4pm and let you know a 2 hour delivery window Special Delivery Requests? Let us know if we need instructions for where to find your house or want us to leave your wine in the shed!

Maison Sassy

To make the cider, the team uses a pneumatic Champagne press that works gently so it doesn’t introduce any harsh tannins into the juice. His ciders are lower in alcohol than the Norman average, beginning at 2.5% ABV for the Le Vertueux and going up to 5.2% ABV for the L’Inimitable . He puts this low alcohol down to shorter fermentation times which they cut short by chilling to leave a little residual sugar. The ciders are then bottled and carbonated. In 2017, they began exporting to Britain. If cider has a problem in France with its old man image, then Britain has it far worse. Say cider and many will think of tramps or teenagers in parks. In the UK, cider only has to contain 35% apple juice compared with 80% in France. Sassy is made from 100% whole fruit, and yet it is in the same category as Kopparberg. Xavier D’Audiffret Pasquier (left) and Pierre-Emmanuel Racine-Jourden in the grounds of the Chateau de Sassy Changing the image of ciderRecommended by Milton Keynes Assist Mgr and my word absolutely fabulous! So much flavour.a Tad sweet ? Best served well chilled. Light on alcohol . Just lovely! Made from 100 % organic Normandy cider apples (5 varieties) grown and harvested near the Chateau de Sassy.