A Guide To London’s Growing Fine Cider Scene
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Cider has come a long way since tinnies in the park. Fine cider is a growing category as drinkers opt for premium fruitier drinks with lower ABV
London may be better known for its craft beer bars and natural wine lists, but cider is quietly carving out a place at the capital’s tables (and not just in pint glasses). Worth £2.2bn to UK pubs, bars and restaurants, cider has been the country’s fastest-growing alcohol category by value in recent years. Now, thanks to an unprecedented ‘monster crop’ of apples brought on by warmer weather, producers are seizing the moment to show Londoners that cider can be as nuanced and food-friendly as wine. From fine-dining pairings to specialist taprooms, here’s how to explore the capital’s fine cider scene in apple season (with expert input from Nick Showering of Showerings Cider).
Your Ultimate Guide to London’s Fine Cider Scene
Cider Bars
Cider bars are a fantastic way to start trying different ciders and perries (a lighter and more floral cider often made from pears), establish what flavour profiles you like and dip your toe into some fine ciders. There are only a few solely-dedicated cideries in London but a number of ale and craft beer spots are beginning to stock curated selections of ciders alongside their malted drinks listings.
Nick Recommends: The London Cider House, Borough Market
Set yourself at the bar at the London Cider House and allow the team to take you on a kaleidoscopic tour of Britain’s best ciders and perries. There’s a cider flight, should you want to embark on a discovery trip, or pick from upward of a 100 varieties of draught or bottle. If you find yourself totally enamoured by a particular draw, you can take it home – the London Cider House also acts as a shop.
Where? Borough Market, London, United Kingdom SE1 9AF, londonciderhouse.com
Against The Grain Cidery, Bermondsey
Bermondsey beer mile is better known for the malted stuff, but it’s well worth breaking up the crawl with Against the Grain Cidery. Located in the railway arches, it’s a locally-loved and frequently packed spot specialising in new age craft ciders. And, in spirit with its location, it does serve beers, too.
Where? 76 Enid Street, London, SE16 3RA, againstthegraincidery.co.uk
The Williams Ale & Cider House, Spitalfields
A relaxed, old-school boozer in East London, the Williams Ale & Cider House boasts a small but mighty selection of ales and ciders. Roughly half of the handpumps are dedicated to cider, and drinks are served alongside a traditional menu of British fare.
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Where? 22-24 Artillery Lane, Whitechapel, Greater London, E1 7LS, williamsspitalfields.com
Restaurant Tasting Menus
Showering says that there’s a trend towards restaurants offering cider lists. ‘Many Londoners still don’t realise that cider can be drunk the same way as wine, and drunk at the dining room table,’ he says, ‘rather than from the pub as a mainstream draft or as a cheaper tin at festivals. Restaurants are stocking high quality stuff – and more have a cider list than ever, even if it’s made up of four or so ciders. At the Four Seasons, for example, you can buy £80 bottles of cider. And at Carousel, you can often enjoy cider as part of the tasting menu drinks flight.’
Nick Recommends: Cinder, St John’s Wood
Cinder, which has outposts in both St John’s Wood and Belsize, includes cider in the drinks flight for its tasting menu. ‘We serve Showerings as our cider listing specifically because it has a relatively dry, delicate bubble formation that works with the signature cedar plank salmon,’ explains chef-founder Jake Finn. cinderrestaurant.co.uk
Restaurant Story, Southwark
Tom Sellers’ flagship two Michelin star restaurant serves cider in its tasting menu. The £275pp eight-course menu tours diners through the best seasonal foods, and with apple season nigh upon us, diners can expect cider within the drinks pairing package (an additional £185pp). The cider itself is the restaurant’s own, as it worked with Hush Heath Winery to develop a sparkling cider using traditional Champagne methods. It is served with Turbot, scallop quenelles, Ravigot sauce, red grape relish, and Champagne sauce. restaurantstory.co.uk
London’s Best Cider Cocktails
Showering has also observed a rise in bars who produce cocktails using cider as an ingredient. ‘Even while it might not be full serve, there’s still flavour components which pull through,’ he says.
Nick Recommends: Seven Apples at the Donovan Bar
Showering’s personal favourites include the Donovan bar, which uses his cider in the Seven Apples cocktail. Federico Pavan, director of mixology at the Donovan, says the reason he chose to use cider is that the drink is a fantastic base or complement to spirits. ‘We use cider in the Seven Apples to add a refreshing complexity that elevates the overall profile of the drink.’
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He echoes Showering’s take. ‘We’re definitely seeing a growing interest in cider-led serves, bolstered by bar-goers looking for lower-ABC options that still deliver flavour and craftsmanship,’ says Pavan. £26, roccofortehotels.com
Hide & Seek, Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese at the Corinthia
Hide & Seek is a cider-led serve containing cider, whisky, tequila, cocchi rosa and beetroot. It’s inspired by René Magritte’s The Son of Man (yes, the one with the apple covering the man’s face), and plays on ‘perception and identity’. It is described as ‘bold, earthy and deep’ and comes in at a cool £50. corinthia.com
Cidroni at 108 Brasserie
The Cidroni, centre, is one of three cider-based serves at 108 Brasserie
The Cidroni is one of three cider-based cocktails on the new autumn terrace menu at 108 Brasserie, Marylebone Village. Developed in conjunction with artisan food producer DukesHill, this riff on a Negroni is built from Campari, Carpano Antica Formula, bitters and Dukeshill’s traditional apple cider. £15, 108brasserie.com
Where To Buy Cider
The Fine Cider Company, London Fields
The Fine Cider Company is one of the best places in London for those seeking premium ciders, with its stock selected for a ‘quality more familiar with wine’. You’ll generally find British ciders and perries here, and they’re responsible for supplying many of the country’s best restaurants, including St John’s and the Fat Duck. Be sure to take advantage of their generous samples, or have a drink-in, offered by the glass. thefinecider.company
Clapton Craft, Various Locations
You’ll be more familiar with Clapton Craft for its specialist beers and its growing presence in London, with stores in Clapton, Kentish Town, Balham and many other pockets of London. But it also stocks the freshest ‘new wave’ craft ciders, plucked from independent, experimental producers. There’s fruitier berry ciders, like those from Nightingale, as well as wild ales which are conditioned on local fruits (like apples) to produce vibrant fermented drinks that riff on cider. But there’s a strong pick of traditional ciders and perries from the UK and France too. store.claptoncraft.co.uk
