Beverage
Traditional Perry
S tier
Traditional perry is fermented from tannic perry pears—Barland, Blakeney Red, Yellow Huffcap and their French cousins—not from eating pears. The drink can be as structured as a light white wine: floral, a little smoky, with a grip that makes the cheeks dry. It may be still or only faintly sparkling. Clarity varies; the point is the pear, not a juice-carton perfume. Drink it colder than farmhouse cider, with pork, hard cheese, or nothing but the glass. In a pan use it only if it is dry; sweetness becomes boiled pear very fast. If the label lists Conference or "pear juice," you have left this variety.
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History
Marcher orchards fermented inedible perry pears as a drink distinct from cider.
Named perry pears were recorded as the only proper fruit for traditional perry.
Norman and Anjou poiré kept a fine traditional perry beside cidre.
Craft perry makers returned to named tannic pears after decades of neglect.