Facebook post by Hop Hideout Beer Shop

It’s #BritishCiderWeek and on this sunshine day, we thought we’d share a bit about Perry aka fermented pear juice! The Romans made the good stuff in the fourth century, with early reference to fermented alcoholic drinks being made from pears found in Pliny the Elder’s writings. It has a long and fascinating history, throughout various centuries. Some of the oldest known pear trees growing in historically relevant UK pear counties like Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Somerset and Monmouthshire are over 300 years old. In some cases there’s only a handful of these tree varieties left! Not only can pear trees be scarce but the difficulty of making #Perry also adds awe for us to the drink. For example unlike apples, pears contain specialized cells (sclereids) that are thicker making juice extraction more difficult. 🍐 Ross are one of our favourite producers looking after their orchards, preserving individual fruit varieties, fermenting wonderful full juice cider and Perries with wild yeasts. They’re just brilliant makers and advocates. Perry tends to be lighter and more floral than cider. We often find in addition to the pear flavours there’s blossom notes, honey, elderflower, sometimes lime, floral, tropical fruits and even hints of spicy notes. Ranging from sweet to dry, with lots of delightful nuances. Honestly once you’re hooked, it becomes a wonderful quest to try more… On tap we have Ross’ Thorn Perry 2023 single varietal, naturally sparkling from keg. It’s a wonder of elderflower and citrus, with a gorgeous gentle dry sparkle. Just an absolute delight. In 750ml bottle, a variety on the endangered list - Green Horse, this one is a 2022 vintage. It has stunning peach, lime, and stone fruit notes with a fresh acidity. Sadly due to fireblight, a disease which affects the trees, Ross may never see this fruit again. Here’s hoping the work they’ve done to fight against this helps the trees to recover! A precious native variety 🍐 Here’s a big hurrah to the wonder of pears 🙌 1st pic 📸 Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Co