Cider Facts


​Drinking half a pint of cider provides a similar amount of antioxidants as a glass of red wine. Antioxidants are thought to be able to help protect you from disease.



​Children used to be baptised in cider in the 14th century as the available water wasn’t as clean.



​Captain Cook was vigilant when it came to the treatment of scurvy in his sailors, and made sure his ships had plenty of cider onboard to do the job.




​​​The word ‘scrumpy’ comes from West Country dialect. Withered apples were described as ‘scrumps.’ Scrumpy cider tends to be unfiltered and cloudy.



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​The practice of paying farm workers partially with cider continued until the ​20th century even though it was outlawed in 1887. There are tales of workers ​going on strike in Somerset when the cider ran out as a protest. 



​Fresh meat was sometimes placed in vats of cider to help it ferment. Luckily ​this isn’t done anymore! Rats weren’t put into cider for the same purpose, but​the odd one or two may have slipped in by accident and fueled the myth. 




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​There are many well-known ciders Camra don’t recognise as ‘real.’ Happily, Mad Apple Cider is not among them!