Right! A blog. A first really. I typed a bit on Facebook after a couple of strong bottles of local cider. Drank a third and got all…..this subject of cider? Very much deserves a blog. So. Here I am typing stuff. Not sure of what is to develop here. So Cut and Paste the Facebook stuff and start adding. Hunt inside the Facebook words and, as said, add, add, add. By the end of this? Who knows. Could have changed my Last Will and Testament and given it all back to myself. 😉

Well. If you follow my drinking faves then the God given Jack Daniels, as you know, is King in my life. But. Way back when, in the 1970/1980s, when we first came to holiday in Wales in a static home type caravan chained down on a farm near Kington, was a traditional visit to Dunkertons Cider makers near Pembridge. We bought gallon sized demijohns of Kingston Black and got more than squiffy sitting outside under the stars. As the sun disappeared? At times warm in retrospect. But at times in spring or autumn. Cold as cold. Despite grabbed blankies or woollen cardies topped off with duffel coats. Glorious days. P****d and not bothered. Wake up in the later morning…..actually….very bothered. That’s what our heads told us!

I have drunk cider from time to time since. But it’s been those ciders everyone knows. Cheap supermarket varieties. So…. a few days off from work and I asked Angie to get me some local cider from her shop. So glad I did. First up. They’re strangely strong in % value. Drank first tonight at about 5.30 after a stir fry. Don’t know why I mention a stir fry. Could have been a cheese and chip sandwich. Doesn’t matter really. The Dunkertons first? Probably because of past history knowing the brand attached. I went back to the 1970s/1980s in a flash. Smiled and thought ‘If the others are as good as this? I’ll be pretty chuffed’.

Followed up with the Berriew. Like a Scrumpy I drank back in Butlins when I was very young and got very p****d on a half pint. Mum was mortified. Dad just smiled. The Berriew was smooth, a large bottle and tasted perfect. Just started on the Old Crow. Deeper, a little more sour, but lovely nature. So. Three local ciders and thumbs up to them all. Going to try some more of our Welsh ciders. May even try to make some from our apple trees in the garden. That would be fun.

One thought! Does Jack Daniels and local cider mix?

Strength values. 6.8% Berriew medium. 7.4% Old Crow. Dunkertons 6.8%. Great choice % wise Angie.

By the way! I’m looking at the Berriew label in this pic below and know it is skeewiff…………or is it?

So. After these bottled nectars? I thought. I got a ton of apples on the 9 ancient apple trees from 100 year plus old trees in my garden. So? Now I’ve been ‘apple press’ Google searching/looking. Why? Every year it’s the same old same old. Promise to pick them. Even got one of those metal 3 length, strap them together apple picker thingies that grab the apples that are up top of the trees. They’re the best. Closer to the sky, heaven and God. No grubby little beasties dare get inside the apple skins and turn them into a mess of whirly badness. And. Every year of going late into the garden. Same feelings. Fed up with yearly drops onto the grass in the garden, bruised and battered joyous Adam and Eve oldest fruit mentioned and the snake equivalent of wasps having a field day.

So after tonight’s Cider exuberance? Been singing that Wurzel ‘I am a Cider drinker’ song all night and making up my own words 😳 So? I reckon…..I’ll make my own this year…..maybe. Got no idea what’s involved cost wise. Check it out tomorrow. On a nurses wages? May just have to collect them, shove ‘em in a big old bucket and jump up and down on the Granny Smiths equivalent Victorian varieties in wellies. Can I afford wellies?