Cider and Perry are fermented drinks made from apples and pears respectively. Historically these drinks have been widely produced and drunk where climate favors apple and pear trees; other factors also influence the use of these fruits to produce alcoholic drinks.
I identify four historical geographical loci for cider and perry:
- Britain: The island of Great Britain. I have included the Channel Islands in this grouping, although it could legitimately be argued they belong to the second geographical locus.
- Normandy/Brittany: The northwestern French territories.
- Biscay: An area including Spanish (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque) and French (Nouvelle Aquitane) areas.
- Central Europe: A broad region with Germany arguably the dominant region, but also cider/perry producing regions including, but not limited to Switzerland, Austria, and Poland. This region is large and lacks unity, but I currently prefer to view it as a single region rather than break it into numerous more discrete areas.
Cider and perry are the topics of two of the first books in the Historical Brewing Sourcebook series. Historical Brewing Sourcebook I: Cider and Perry in England to 1700 has been published; Historical Brewing Sourcebook II: Cider and Perry in Europe to 1700 is expected to be published in 2019.
This headings includes pages for additions to the Sourcebooks found after publication, and other articles on the topics of cider and perry.
Updated September 5, 2018
