🍎 The Craft of Time: Napton Cidery's Traditional Cider Making Process
Welcome to Napton Cidery! We're proud to share the traditional, slow, and authentic process we use to craft our award-winning cider. Our commitment is simple: great cider starts with great fruit, time, and patience—we never use concentrates, ever.
🌳 The Fruit: Sourcing 100% Fresh English Apples
Our journey begins in the orchard. We use only traditional fruit from UK orchards, primarily sourcing heritage apple varieties from biodiverse orchards in the West Midlands, particularly Herefordshire.
Whole Fruit, Not Concentrate: The most critical step is our unwavering commitment to using 100% fresh-pressed apple juice. Unlike commercial ciders that often use rehydrated apple concentrate, we press whole apples to capture the full, complex flavour profile of the fresh fruit.
The Press: After harvesting, the apples are washed and milled (or "scratted") into a pulp called "pomace." This pomace is then pressed to extract the pure, unadulterated apple juice, which is the heart of our cider.
⏱️ The Slow Fermentation: Nature's Way
Once the juice is pressed, the magic of fermentation begins—and this is where our commitment to tradition truly sets us apart.
Wild Yeasts: We embrace the natural environment of our cidery. Instead of adding commercial yeasts, we rely on wild yeasts—the natural yeasts found on the apple skins and in the air—to kickstart the fermentation. This unique blend of yeasts gives each batch a distinct, complex character that simply can't be replicated.
Ambient Temperature: Our juice is allowed to ferment slowly at ambient temperatures. We don't rush the process with heating or cooling. This low-and-slow approach preserves the delicate aromas and rich flavours of the apples, resulting in a more refined and flavourful cider.
A Long Rest: This natural, cold, and slow fermentation process takes between 6 to 9 months. This lengthy maturation is essential, allowing the flavours to fully develop and meld, giving our cider its signature smooth, deep, and satisfying character. Good things take time, and for us, that means a deep dive into flavour.
🍾 Maturation and Bottling: Ready for Your Glass
After the long, gentle fermentation, the cider is carefully moved to the next stage.
Racking and Conditioning: The cider is "racked" (transferred) to separate it from the spent yeast (lees). It then undergoes a period of conditioning, where it settles and clarifies naturally.
Pure and Unadulterated: Our final cider is a testament to the purity of the ingredients and the patience of the process. Because we rely on fresh-pressed juice and natural fermentation, our cider is naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly, with no artificial flavourings, colourings, or sweeteners.
The result is a cider that reflects the rich heritage of British apple growing and the deep flavour that only time and traditional methods can deliver. When you sip a Napton Cider, you're tasting a piece of the UK countryside, patiently crafted over many months, the way it should be.