Don Kavanagh: Cider makes welcome comeback

Whether you prefer dry or sweet, there is a cider out there with your name on it. Photo / Getty Images

I love my work sometimes.

I had to try 24 different ciders recently, which is a lot harder than it looks. But it was a pleasurable chore; I've always been a fan of cider and it was interesting to see how far they have come in the past few years.

Cider may be quite a popular, and even trendy, drink these days, but it wasn't always so. It was quite hard to get a decent range of cider 10 years ago. Harvest, Rochdale, and Ballydooly were pretty much your lot.

These days there are local and imported ciders; sweet ciders and dry ciders; pear ciders and fruit ciders. In fact, the Rochdale Frute range is closer to a berry smoothie than cider as we know it, but none the worse for that; the orange and vanilla version is gorgeous.

Cider is made predominantly from apples and it's nice to find one that is made from apples today, rather than from apple concentrate. Despite the claims of virtually every cider that they are made from fresh apples, most aren't. You can taste the concentrate in many of them, which leaves it slightly cloying after a couple of glasses.

Drier versions are available, with Nally's from Invercargill being beautifully and mouth-puckeringly dry. These drier ciders are really good for a session, as the sweeter stuff can be a bit much over time.

But a good cider is a lovely thing, especially when the sun is shining and it's good to see it on tap in so many bars now.

There are also a wide range available in supermarkets and bottle stores, and the English Corner Shop in Auckland's Onehunga stocks a fantastic range of authentic farmhouse scrumpies.

There is something simple yet rewarding about a good cider.

I've spent many a happy afternoon sitting in the sun with a pint of Magner's or Kingston for company and it's hard to think of a better way to pass the day, especially as the weather improves.

And let's not forget that each pint counts towards your five-plus a day.

* Don Kavanagh has been involved in the hospitality trade for more than 25 years and is the editor of Hospitality magazine.