Look on the Bright Cider Life

I consider myself a bit of a cider-tasting expert, in much the same way as people who do a two-hour cooking class rate themselves in the ranks of executive chefs. My cider ‘skills’ are due mostly to a bicycle trip around Devon, England in my youth, and a visit last year to Middle Farm (in East Sussex) and its wonderful Cider Barn.

A tot glass allows you to taste more than a hundred UK ciders. It’s basically a tasting on steroids. Guided by handwritten descriptions, you can enjoy the delights of Gillow Knicker Dropper Cider, Silly Moo, or the Rough Old Wife Cider. All the while, a tall gentleman in a decorated top hat with well-embellished tails provides commentary on the various offerings. With so many varieties, the natural option is to attempt to taste them all. Around tasting number 14, we encountered an innocuous-looking Mrs Bottomley’s Red