Beverage

Sparkling Cider

A tier

Sparkling cider is fermented apple with a deliberate bubble—champagne method, tank method, or a bottled-conditioned farmhouse fizz. The best bottles (cidre bouché, traditional method English sparkling) are dry or off-dry, with a fine mousse and real tannin. Cheap sparkling cider is often sweet, coarse, and closer to a soda. The sparkle is the style; the apples still have to be cider apples if you want length. Serve it cold as an aperitif or with fried fish and salty snacks. In a batter the bubbles lighten like beer, without hops. Do not reduce a sparkling cider and expect the fizz to survive—cook with a still dry cider and drink this one. Non-alcoholic sparkling "cider" is juice and gas; it does not belong on this leaf.