Local Fare, Fun, and the Ciders of Southwest England

This September, Radiant-Moments Travel organized a tour with staff and members from Tandem Cider in Suttons Bay, Michigan to do a cider-centric tour full of cidery visits, historical sites, tons of laughs, and great new friendships. Here is what Danielle Miller wrote about the tour in Tandem Ciders' member newsletter:

This September, I had the honor of traveling to Southwest England for a Cider Tour. The trip was planned and hosted by the incredible Graeme and Michelle Leask, owners of Radiant Moments Travel and Little Traverse Inn. Several of Tandem’s Cider Club Members joined in on the fun and I barely have words for how amazing of an experience it was. We visited nine cideries throughout Cornwall and Somerset, all different scale, style, and history.

Some cideries gave us a tour of their orchards and production facilities, while others simply poured cider while we took in the idyllic countryside. We learned so much about modern English cider, and the ways in which the apples’s history impacts cider culture today. The cider we drank was different than most of us expected-rather than dry and funky, it was on the sweeter side, clear and filtered, and often, still. A couple of spots made more traditional cider, utilizing wild fermentation served directly from a barrel; but the majority blended traditional techniques with modern ones, resulting in more clean and crisp ciders. The ciders were high in tannins and low in acidity-a reflection of the apple varieties that have grown in England for hundreds of years.

The current “trend” for cider is similar to that in America several years ago. It is seen largely as a female beverage, and people like it se sweet. Most of the cideries we visited visited assumed we wanted a sweet cider, when in fact most of us prefer dry. Another interesting factor in this preference was alcohol content. Many cider makers said that pubs simply won’t purchase a cider much over 5% ABV. Not only are taxes higher based on alcohol, but also people want session -able drinks at the pub. Since drier ciders typically have higher alcohol content, this contributes to why ciders are semi-dry to sweet.

I feel so grateful for this incredible opportunity to learn and expand my passion for cider, and be immersed in a different culture. It is something I will never forget! Graeme and Michelle are truly the best travel guides, full of knowledge, charisma, adventure, and humor. I highly recommend checking out of the other unique tours that they have put together . And maybe, just maybe, we will take another cider tour of England down the road.

Cheers! Danielle Miller

To find out more about Tandem Cider and their Cider Club, check them out at https://www.tandemciders.com/

And to see photos from the tour and learn about the next time we will be taking a group to Cornwall and Somerset, join our mailing list by sending us an email at info@radiant-moments.com or check out our FB or Instagram pages at #radiantmomentstravel #radiantmomentstravelfun

Join us on tour and make your own memorable moments: https://www.radiant-moments.com/