October being the time of year when the fruit is being harvested is one of the two months a year when CAMRA makes a little extra effort to champion real cider and perry that is made by fermenting freshly pressed apple or pear juice (as opposed to the more industrial brands manufactured from concentrate).
Sheffield isn’t exactly known for its cider – either the production or the drinking although there are a handful of small scale producers in nearby parts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and a small number of outlets that have been making an effort to bring you a choice of traditional cider with a wide range of options poured from bag-in-box or tubs at the Harlequin on Nursery Street and the New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road whilst Hop Hideout in Kommune has a wide range of bottled options.
Also look out for a handpump that usually has something reasonable on in places like the Social on Snig Hill, Clubhouse on London Road and Guzzle in Killamarsh.
The newest kid on the block however is the Cider Hole at Shalesmoor, a shipping container size bar in the Krynkl development, which opened on the 17 September. This specialist bar has a carefully curated menu of interesting bottled ciders from around the world including a 3 part tasting flight option with the knowledgeable bar owners on hand to talk you through them. When you visit the bar you’ll notice some fermenting tanks in the corner as you walk in, they are planning to make their own cider on site in the near future (using juice pressed elsewhere).
Our branch cider champion is Sarah Mills, she is the one who normally arranges the cider bar at our Steel City Beer & Cider festival, as the branch gets back into the swing of things with meetings and socials following the easing of Coronavirus restrictions she is planning to organise and number of cider socials and surveys over the year ahead to get the cider enthusiasts of you more involved, raise the profile and interest in proper cider in Sheffield and hopefully encourage a few more pubs and bars to stock the real thing. Keep an eye on our website and in Beer Matters magazine for details!